There have been some ongoing debates (going back many years) in the copyright space regarding whether or not embedding infringing content into a website could be infringing in and of itself. If you understand what’s happening technically, this seems ludicrous. An embed is basically the same thing as a link. And merely linking to infringing […]
We noted how as Netflix growth has stalled internationally, the company has turned to nickel-and-diming its existing customers in order to give Wall Street its beloved quarterly returns at any cost. That has included not only last year’s price hikes, but this week’s decision to eliminate the company’s cheapest ad-free tier in both the US […]
Last fall, a few people sent me this fun video from YouTuber Allen Pan, which briefly talks about how he ended up with a MythBusters trademark for clothing and apparel. I didn’t write it up at the time because, while amusing, the discussion of the trademark (and, for that matter, copyright) issues was so confused […]
As we just noted, satellite TV provider Dish Network’s planned pivot into streaming video and wireless isn’t going great. The company continues to bleed traditional satellite TV subscribers, new streaming subscribers, and wireless customers. And the company’s supposed 5G network (spawned during the Trump FCC era) has, by most accounts, proven to be a bit […]
A few months back, I got added to a group chat of Hollywood writers/actors/directors, all seeking to understand what the fuck was going on with AI. And one topic that came up consistently early on was “will copyright protect us” and, if not, “how can copyright be changed to better protect us?” I’ve already made […]
ShotSpotter has routinely claimed its system of mics and location info is crucial to reducing gun crime. The theory is that if you can hear it, you can respond to it, even if officers can’t physically hear these gunshots themselves. The problem with this assertion is that there’s a margin of error. The system can’t […]
These MaxLight mini flashlights are designed to fit in your backpack or pocket. They are super bright and strong enough to be used in emergencies when you need reliable illumination. The 4 modes let you switch from super bright, medium, low, and strobe modes. They have a magnetic base, a kickstand, a rechargeable battery, a […]
We’ve already talked a bit about how Rep. Jim Jordan’s “Subcommittee on the Weaponization of the Government” is the exact thing it claims it seeks to stop: a part of the government that is being weaponized to attack free speech. This week, Jordan sent a letter to Mark Zuckerberg, demanding he reveal a bunch of […]
While early “AI” systems have plenty of creativity and productivity potential, early implementations into the already very broken US journalism and media markets have proven to be an ugly mess. In part because the tech isn’t really fully cooked yet. But also because the kind of folks that get to run major modern US media […]
A previous post discussed what the recently released files of the late Associate Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens revealed about development of the Court’s decisions in Lotus v. Borland, MGM v. Grokster, and Eldred v. Ashcroft. This post looks at the disclosures contained in the files for Quality King v. L’anza, New York Times v. Tasini, and Dastar v. Twentieth […]
The law surrounding vanity license plates is unsettled, to vastly understate the reality. There’s no consensus across states, much less federal jurisdictions. Every government seems to have its own idea about what’s offensive and what isn’t, as well as its own take on whether a personalized plate is government speech or merely the expression of […]
Last week, we promised an upcoming episode featuring a conversation with Cory Doctorow — and that conversation has been recorded and is arriving next week! But we decided to take a brief intermission this week, since things in the social media landscape are changing so quickly. Mike recently appeared on The Neoliberal Podcast with Jeremiah […]
People accuse me of unfairly bashing Elon Musk, but I’ve always highlighted the things he’s done that I thought were smart as well, and a big one was his decision nearly a decade ago to free all of Tesla’s patents. The company put out a blog post, saying that anyone could use its patents, and […]
With every government in Europe pitching their own version of “acceptable” intrusion, it’s hardly surprising France’s government wants in on the action. Amid calls to criminalize end-to-end encryption, to mandate client-side scanning, and to otherwise interfere directly with content moderation efforts, the French government’s latest move is nothing more than the sort of thing we’ve […]
Nibble is an educational tool disguised in the shape of a retro game console. It’s a new and improved version of MAKERbuino that makes learning about electronics and programming fun! With a build guide, assembling the kit will be easy peasy. This DIY console comes preloaded with 4 retro games inspired by cult classics — […]
The tech press often gets called out for lazy journalism, and here we have yet another example. On Monday, Instagram boss Adam Mosseri posted that due to an influx of spam on Threads (and there’s been a lot), the company was tightening up its rate limits: He said: Spam attacks have picked up so we’re […]
The FCC, under both Trump and Biden, has made a huge, noisy deal about forcing U.S. telecoms to rip out Chinese telecom gear from U.S. networks, under the argument that the gear is used to spy on Americans (you’re to ignore, of course, that the United States spies on everyone, constantly, and has broadly supported […]
Law enforcement agencies often command an outsized portion of city and county budgets. The argument for this expenditure is basically just Blue Line bullshit: without the police at full staff, surely every locality will descend into criminal anarchy. That’s the argument but the facts don’t bear it out. There’s very little evidence that increased law […]
Grocery chain Trader Joe’s is not a complete stranger to Techdirt’s pages, and not for good reasons. The company, in the past, has shown itself to be perfectly willing to abuse trademark law to stop anything it doesn’t like, such as a man reselling its goods across borders where the company has no stores (perfectly […]
Gathering evidence has never been easier than it is now. So much is created so easily and so often. And there are so many access points for law enforcement. Sure, a few outliers (and outright liars [cough] Chris Wray [cough]) may claim everything is “going dark,” but never before in history have there been this […]
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