Well, i looked high and low and couldn't find the wmd's... but i was able to find my house on the map, it was in a high resolution zone (about one mile away from the low rez zone) and was able to zoom in close enough to see my car and everything. So to all you stalkers out there, just find a house with a blue mazda tribute in front of it on the google map, and you'll know where i live;)
yes, but atleast hl2 mentioned that you needed an internet connection for play. Since they included a general statement that was not limited to online multiplayer mode, they can include whatever weird internet systems they want inside the box. But on the issue of EULA's, there was an article in PcGamer a few months back which discussed the validity of EULA's, and while some courts upheald the validity of a eula that is presented in the box or on launch of the software, all of the cases that did not include either a eula visible before purchasing the product, or a means of getting a refund from the company if a user decides upon seeing the eula that they do not agree with it, have been overturned by a higher court.
Only a few exceptions exist, one of which is World of Warcraft's in game EULA and Terms of Service Agreement that you must agree to in order to log into the the game when you purchase, and every time the game is patched. Since these are not related to the product, but rather rules for the privlidge of connecting to and using blizzard's own servers. In other words, you are not bound by a Eula, unless you decide to take the game online (which is required for play).
I completely agree with this decision, since the company didn't really create anything new, but rather used something someone else had made in a differant way.
A good way of explaining this to people who don't understand the finer points of the case and lacks a basic understanding of html is in the following metaphor:
-The patent system is designed to protect the rights of inventors. If someone takes steel rods from lowes and invents a new musical instrument with them, than he deserves a patent, even though he used the steel rods, which were invented and produced by a 3rd party. This is like the person who used an existing invention - text - and created html with it.
-What SBC is doing is more like someone finding a steel rod that someone else made, shoving it up his own ass, and applying for a steel rod dildo patent. This is like SBC taking an existing invention - the hyperlink - and using it in a slightly differant way from everyone else without modifying it or creating something new in any way.
I hope this cleared the situation up for a few of you (although if anyone takes the time to read these comments on/. than they probably don't need such a base explanation.
Well, the patent was applied for in '96, approved in '99, and the first demand for royalties was in '03. So the "immediate reaction" was not to the patent, but the attempt to enforce it.
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Well, i looked high and low and couldn't find the wmd's... but i was able to find my house on the map, it was in a high resolution zone (about one mile away from the low rez zone) and was able to zoom in close enough to see my car and everything. So to all you stalkers out there, just find a house with a blue mazda tribute in front of it on the google map, and you'll know where i live ;)
yes, but atleast hl2 mentioned that you needed an internet connection for play. Since they included a general statement that was not limited to online multiplayer mode, they can include whatever weird internet systems they want inside the box. But on the issue of EULA's, there was an article in PcGamer a few months back which discussed the validity of EULA's, and while some courts upheald the validity of a eula that is presented in the box or on launch of the software, all of the cases that did not include either a eula visible before purchasing the product, or a means of getting a refund from the company if a user decides upon seeing the eula that they do not agree with it, have been overturned by a higher court. Only a few exceptions exist, one of which is World of Warcraft's in game EULA and Terms of Service Agreement that you must agree to in order to log into the the game when you purchase, and every time the game is patched. Since these are not related to the product, but rather rules for the privlidge of connecting to and using blizzard's own servers. In other words, you are not bound by a Eula, unless you decide to take the game online (which is required for play).
I completely agree with this decision, since the company didn't really create anything new, but rather used something someone else had made in a differant way. A good way of explaining this to people who don't understand the finer points of the case and lacks a basic understanding of html is in the following metaphor: -The patent system is designed to protect the rights of inventors. If someone takes steel rods from lowes and invents a new musical instrument with them, than he deserves a patent, even though he used the steel rods, which were invented and produced by a 3rd party. This is like the person who used an existing invention - text - and created html with it. -What SBC is doing is more like someone finding a steel rod that someone else made, shoving it up his own ass, and applying for a steel rod dildo patent. This is like SBC taking an existing invention - the hyperlink - and using it in a slightly differant way from everyone else without modifying it or creating something new in any way. I hope this cleared the situation up for a few of you (although if anyone takes the time to read these comments on /. than they probably don't need such a base explanation.
Well, the patent was applied for in '96, approved in '99, and the first demand for royalties was in '03. So the "immediate reaction" was not to the patent, but the attempt to enforce it.