Another good piece about the unintended consequences of perpetual copyright ...

The Double Edge of Copyright Extensions [Slashdot]
11:40:55 PM     comment []

There's a great article in Reason Online about the food police.
10:38:01 AM     comment []

The absurdity sinks to a new low ....

Patent Granted for Ethical AI [Slashdot]
10:25:04 AM     comment []

Microsoft and the Savage Nation. CNET News.com's Charles Cooper asks why Microsoft was missing in action all throughout the saga leading up to MSNBC's recent dismissal of talk show host Michael Savage. [CNET News.com]

I don't know what the Hel Cooper wants here? I would bet that if M$ used it's "influence" with the network to insure that only articles dissing Apple and Linux got printered, he's be outraged! Yet he insists that they have to interfere in the "editorial decisions" to "be a good corporate citizen".

I'm no fan of Microsoft, nor do I care at all for Michael Savage. But in this case, I believe that M$ acted entirely appropiately in keeping their collective mouths shut, and leaving the firing to the parties responsible at MSNBC.

Curiously, Cooper seems to let GE (the ultimate owner of NBC) off the entirely - I didn't see so much as a press release from them condemning Savage, whereas earlier this year M$ did produce one disclaiming his views.

You can't have it both ways, Mr. Cooper. Either M$ runs the networks like Bill Gates' personal fief, or it leaves it's hands off the editorial content and leaves the decision making on how to satisfy investors up to the network management. As it should, and as it has done.
10:21:52 AM     comment []

I love this quote from the article:

"I feel like somebody went out and patented air, and is now going after everyone for breathing," said Spike Goldberg, CEO of an amateur porn site called HomeGrown Video, which is leading the adult community's legal fight against Acacia.

Web Porn Pushers in Patent Fight. A company that says it owns the patent to a wide range of technologies for distributing video and sound both online and off is suing Net porn providers to enforce its claims. Several sites have already settled out of court rather than risk legal action. By Noah Shachtman. [Wired News]
10:07:55 AM     comment []