One of the major strategies of the world’s leading entertainment companies is to have sites like The Pirate Bay blocked at the ISP level. The idea is that when subscribers can’t access ‘pirates’ sites they will flock to legal alternatives.
While there can be little doubt that some will take the opportunity to test out Netflix or Spotify (should they be available in their region), other users will be less ready to take the plunge.
In Spain, where online piracy is reportedly more widespread than most other European countries, users faced a Pirate Bay problem on Friday when a judge ordered the country’s service providers to block the site within 72 hours.
Some ISPs blocked the site immediately, provoking questions of where to get free content now that The Pirate Bay is off-limits. Of course, there are plenty of alternatives but for those a little more determined, access to TPB was just a click or two away.
The problem is that for whatever reasons, thus far Spanish ISPs are only implementing a Pirate Bay ban on the most basic of levels. In the UK, for example, quite sophisticated systems block domain names and IP addresses, and can even automatically monitor sites so that any blocking counter-measures can be handled straight away. But in Spain users are finding that blocks are evaded with the smallest of tweaks.
By changing a computer or router’s DNS settings, Spaniards are regaining access to The Pirate Bay in an instant. Both Google’s DNS and OpenDNS are reported as working on several Spanish discussion forums.
Finally, someone who’s taking the problem of the paucity of video game review websites into his own hands.
The idea for this certain video game website comes from a long love and affinity for anything gaming. The website hopes to allow its users to rate new gen video games on a 1-10 scale basis but, the goal is to have these ratings be 100% user based because who is more knowledgeable about games then the ones that actually play them day in and day out. There will be the ability to upgrade a simple free account so the user can actually add his or her own review to any intended game. Different polls and monthly contests will allow users to vote for game of the month and enter into giveaways if the website does take off. Trailers, news, release dates and any upcoming events in the gaming world will be posted daily so users will always know when their favorite titles are coming out and what people have to say about them. Ratings will ultimately be compared with other sites so buying upcoming games can be made easier for the gamer.
A numerical rating system? Reviews? Polls? Giveaways? Of VIDEO GAMES???? Holy shit, someone calm me down. Welcome to terra nova, folks.
Every month copyright holders and anti-piracy groups send hundreds of thousands of takedown notices to Internet providers.
These notifications have to be forwarded to individual account holders under the DMCA law, to alert them that their connection is being used to share copyrighted works without permission.
Cox Communications is one of the ISPs that forwards these notices. The ISP also implemented a strict set of rules of its own accord to ensure that its customers understand the severity of the allegations.
According to some copyright holders, however, Cox’s efforts are falling short. Last December BMG Rights Management and Round Hill Music sued the ISP because it fails to terminate the accounts of repeat infringers.
The companies, which control the publishing rights to songs by Katy Perry, The Beatles and David Bowie among others, claim that Cox has given up its DMCA safe harbor protections due to this inaction.
The case is a critical test for the repeat infringer clause of the DMCA and the safe harbor protections ISPs enjoy. In recent weeks both parties have started the discovery process to gather as many details as they can for the upcoming trial.
Cox, for example, is looking into the ownership of the 1,000 works for which they received seven million DMCA takedown notices. In addition, the ISP also wants an expert opinion on the source code of the Rightscorp’s crawler that was used to spot the alleged infringements.
For their part, BMG Rights Management and Round Hill Music have asked for details on Cox’s policy towards repeat copyright infringers and extensive details on the company’s financials. The ISP believes the latter request is too broad and as a result is refusing to produce the requested documents.
In a response the music companies have filed a motion asking the federal court to force the ISP to comply. Among other things, they argue that the financial details are needed to calculate damages and show that Cox has a financial motive to keep persistent pirates on board.
“The financial information that Cox refused to produce is directly relevant to Cox’s strong motivation for ignoring rampant infringement on its network because ignoring this infringement results in a financial benefit to Cox,” they argue.
“Moreover, Cox’s financial motivation for refusing to take meaningful actions against its repeat infringing customers is important to both the knowledge element of contributory infringement and the financial benefit element of vicarious liability,” the music groups add.
In its response Cox states that the rightsholders’ demands are too broad since the documents requested include those related to the ISP’s market share, capital expenditures, profits per customer for each service, and so forth. According to Cox most of the information is irrelevant to this case.
“Plaintiffs’ document requests seek virtually every financial record that Cox maintains about its internet Customers and its provision of internet services,” Cox notes.
The ISP says it’s willing to share some financial detail but with a far more limited scope than demanded by the rightsholders.
“To be clear, Cox has been and remains willing to produce high-level, aggregate financial data of the kind that courts permit in cases involving statutory copyright damages, for example corporate tax returns. But Plaintiffs have never offered to entertain even minor limitations to the scope of their discovery requests, making any compromise effectively impossible,” the ISP notes.
The court has yet to decide how many of its financial secrets Cox must reveal but judging from the demands being made from both sides, it’s clear that we can expect more fireworks during the months to come.
During the summer of 2013 we voiced our doubts about an initiative from the Center for Copyright Information (CCI).
The group, which has the MPAA and RIAA as key members, had just started piloting a kindergarten through sixth grade curriculum on copyright in California schools.
The curriculum was drafted in collaboration with iKeepSafe and aims to teach kids the basics of copyright. Unfortunately, the lesson materials were rather one-sided and mostly ignored fair use and the more flexible copyright licences Creative Commons provides.
These concerns were picked up by the mainstream press, creating a massive backlash. The CCI and other partners emphasized that the pilot was tested with an early draft and promised that the final curriculum would be more balanced.
In the months that followed the lesson plans indeed got a major overhaul and last summer the “Copyright and Creativity for Ethical Digital Citizens” curriculum was finalized.
As reported previously, the new and improved version was indeed expanded to discuss fair use principles and Creative Commons licenses. However, as far as Hollywood is concerned it now includes too much discussion on fair use.
TorrentFreak received a copy of a leaked email the MPAA’s Howard Gantman sent to various insiders last summer, explaining what happened. It starts off by mentioning the negative response to the leak and states that the MPAA and RIAA will try to keep a low profile in future, probably to prevent another wave of critique.
Let’s see. No explanation for how it works. Not possible to get a device as a reward. A monumental lack of specifics. Not even an explanation for how they’ve overcome the problem with generating hydrogen without a massive energy loss?
About this project
Producing a hydrogen on-demand fuel saving device…
There is always more than one answer to any given challenge, but finding and implementing alternatives takes courage and cooperation.
We have the courage.
We’re asking you for the cooperation.
The long haul trucking industry ( tractor trailers )has been working for some time to reduce its use of fossil fuels, in an effort to curb operational costs and the size of its adverse affects on the environment.
The use of natural gas has been a suggested alternative option, but it is seriously flawed.
Even though it provides some savings in the cost of fuel and emits only one quarter of the CO2 that normal diesel engines produce, the price of natural gas engines conversions are roughly $50,000 more than a diesel engine; and if natural gas does not burn properly, it can be more dangerous to the environment than CO2.
G.H.O.S.T. is a fuel savings device we’ve created, that uses the proven process of separating hydrogen from water.
Clean Fuel Technologies would like to clarify that we did not invent extracting hydrogen from water, that discovery came many, many years ago. We did however achieve harnessing the power of hydrogen from water and utilizing it as a form of on-demand fuel, to support all combustion type engines.
The average tractor trailer uses about $100,000 per year in fuel cost, our device would provide an annual savings of nearly $25,000 for every tractor trailer using our G.H.O.S.T. technology.
Think of the possibilities.
Implementation of our G.H.O.S.T. device will cost approximately $6,900 per tractor trailer to implement vs. a minimum of $30,000 to convert an existing diesel engine to natural gas.
And did we mention our device has almost zero emissions?
Our ultimate goal is nothing short of world domination. Which is to say we’d like to makeG.H.O.S.T. available for every gas or diesel operated engine in the world.
We are starting with the tractor trailer industry because it’s the market where G.H.O.S.T. can create the largest and the quickest results.
We have a plan.
We have a product.
We have a place to build it.
What’s more, we have a buyer.
With a business from the government sector committed to the purchase of a minimum of 10,000 units, we need to provide at least 2500 of those in the next 7 months. We have the facility in which to begin manufacturing, we’re poised for success.
Our start up goal is to build those first 2500 units in our first run, using funding to produce proper manufacturing procedures, and EPA approval.
Some of our estimated costs include but are not limited to:
Proprietary machinery for the internal system of our patented device:$250,200
Communication driver board technology: $485,000
Proprietary plastics: $89,000
Stainless steel for cable: $135,000
Automotive hose: $13,300
Injection mold set up for fusion tank: $95,000
Final EPA, and production integrity testing: $25,000
shipping for 2500 units, estimated: $225,000
Our total budget requirement for first run and set up is $1,400,000.
Once testing is complete and verified, and our first run has been purchased, the funds produced from that will improve our manufacturing, and allow us to fully realize our true potential, with our world changing patented device…
This is only the first step.
Once applied to the commercial transportation sector the possible savings are almost unimaginable. Using the G.H.O.S.T. system on our first prototype, a Pontiac Vibe, our system helped that vehicle achieve an amazing 87 miles per gallon!
We have personally invested everything we have to get here.
That was the courage.
And because of our efforts we have been awarded five patents so far:
Mexico, (2) United States, Canada, and Australia.
The name G.H.O.S.T. has been trademarked
We ask you now for your cooperation so that we can implement an alternative solution that will make the unimaginable a reality.
Please help us bring this to the world, with using one of the worlds most robust and abundant resource, water!
We can help change everything!
Our system is:
greener,cleaner and better!
Thank you very much!
Risks and challenges
There is only one, EPA approval.
The great news is we are already working with a third party testing facility that specializes in EPA compliance and standards. As our device gives off virtually zero emissions, approval is imminent.
Half a decade ago the Irish Recorded Music Association (IRMA) ended legal action against local ISP Eircom when the ISP agreed to force a so-called “three strikes” regime on subscribers.
The agreement saw IRMA-affiliated labels including Sony, Universal and Warner tracking Eircom subscribers online and Eircom forwarding infringement notices to alleged pirates. It was envisioned that those caught three times would be disconnected from the Internet.
In a follow-up move IRMA tried to force another ISP, UPC, to implement the same measures. UPC fought back and over the past several years the matter has dragged on through the Irish legal system.
In January 2015 the case was again before the Commercial Court, with IRMA looking to force a so-called “graduated response” scheme onto UPC and the ISP trying to avoid one and its costs.
The High Court handed down its ruling Friday and it amounts to a massive victory for the labels, a depressing defeat for UPC, and a major concern for the rest of Ireland’s ISPs.
Brushing aside arguments by UPC that it’s not an ISP’s job to police its subscribers’ activities online, Justice Brian Cregan sided almost entirely with the labels.
“The current generation of writers, performers and interpreters of music cannot have their livelihoods destroyed by advances in technology which allow persons to breach their constitutional rights with impunity,” he said.
After ordering UPC to implement a “three strikes” system including the disconnection of repeat offenders, the Judge then informed the ISP it would be picking up most of the bill.
According to Independent.ie the system will cost between 800,000 euros and 940,000 euros to set up. UPC offered to pay 25% of these costs but the Judge disagreed and ordered the ISP to pay 80%.
But it doesn’t end there. Yearly running costs are estimated to be between 200,000 and 300,000 euros or, to put it another way, close to one euro for each of UPC’s 360,000 subscribers.
Then, in a move apparently aimed at keeping costs down, the Judge ordered that the number of warning notifications going out to subscribers should be capped at 2,500 per month instead of the 5,000 originally proposed. That means that even if the staggering setup costs are ignored, each notice could cost 10 euros to send out.
The case was adjourned until next month to allow UPC and the labels to prepare submissions on how Justice Cregan’s order will be implemented. In the meantime the rest of Ireland’s ISPs will be nervously checking their bank balances in the event that they too are required to implement a similarly costly system.
All right, enough about ice density and back to the shit. John A Smith Jr has put together some CG renderings of hoverbikes that look kind of like those ones the stormtroopers ride in Return of the Jedi on the forest moon of Endor.
Now it’s not entirely sure how these would work in real life, and the video doesn’t make it a whole lot clearer – it’s basically just these renderings over bad breakbeat music, and then a still frame with some extremely impressive claims:
250 miles per hour? A revolutionary propulsion system? Absolutely no specifics whatsoever beyond what a third grader might come up with? Sounds super legit and also cool and good.
For a awhile now I have been contemplating what it would be like to build an awesome gaming experience if I were on a high budget. How powerful would it be? What would it look like? How would it operate? These are the questions I would asked myself. Being a college student your really don’t have money to blow on these type of projects so I’m asking today if you would donate so that you can help me get the answers to these questions. This will not just be for me but I will be creating the Ultimate Gaming Experience to share with the community of gamers and you get to help me create it!!! My initial idea was to create an amazing PC build with outrageous specs but I’ve decide to expand that and let you guys help me decide how to create the best possible gaming experience. By donating you’re rewarded with several opportunities like being able to see the ultimate gaming experience come to life and a tutorial on how to make your own.
please give noah $3000 so he can play video game’s all day
The TSA’s PreCheck program also expedites security screening for “notorious convicted felons” and “former domestic terrorists.” Who knew? From the sounds of its in-depth pre-screening efforts, you would think (unnamed) convicted felons wouldn’t be able to sail past the checkpoint without even slowing down, but apparently, that’s exactly what happened. And it’s not just any former felon/domestic terrorist, but one who was previously convicted of murder and offenses involving explosives. (via Kevin Underhill/Lowering the Bar)
The U.S. Office of Special Counsel (OSC) received a whistleblower disclosure alleging a sufficiently notorious convicted felon was improperly cleared for TSA Pre✓ screening, creating a significant aviation security breach. The disclosure identified this event as a possible error in the TSA Secure Flight program since the traveler’s boarding pass contained a TSA Pre✓ indicator and encrypted barcode.
The good news (such as it were) is that the TSA did not grant the unnamed felon/terrorist PreCheck approval through its laborious and intrusive application process. It also didn’t wave him/her through because lines were backing up at the normal checkpoints. (This is called “Managed Inclusion” by the TSA, but it more resembles “For the Hell of It” in practice…) That ends the good news.
It did, however, use its “risk assessment rules” to determine the terrorist/felon to be of no threat. This might be encouraging news for former felons/domestic terrorists, perhaps signaling that government agencies may ultimately forgive some criminal acts and not subject former felons to additional security harassment in perpetuity. Then again, this may just be the TSA’s excuse for waving someone with questionable PreCheck clearance through security because a checkmark — and its own internal bureaucracy — told it to.
We also determined the Transportation Security Officer (TSO) followed standard operating procedures, but did not feel empowered to redirect the traveler from TSA Pre✓ screening to standard lane screening.
The OIG recommends more “empowerment” for rank-and-file. Good luck with that. If officers don’t feel empowered, it’s because management has shown them that questioning the (broken and wildly inconsistent) system isn’t an option. Neither is doing any independent thinking. When this officer attempted to push it up the line, he/she ran into a pretty predictable response.
[T]he TSO knew of the traveler’s TSA Pre✓disqualifying criminal convictions. The TSO followed the standard operating procedures and reported this to the supervisory TSO who then directed the TSO to take no further action and allow the traveler through the TSA Pre✓ lane. As a result, TSA does not have an incident report for this event.
One of the TSA’s Behavioral Detection Officers (highly-trained in the art of the mental coin toss) was also contacted by the concerned officer. And, again, no further action was taken/recommended.
In the end, a felon/terrorist boarded a plane because the TSA’s bureaucratic process can’t handle contradictory variables. The PreCheck approval said “yes,” but the previous convictions said PreCheck approval should never have happened. The TSA deferred to the obviously incorrect checkmark on the boarding pass. And now we have the punchline to the joke that starts, “A murderer with explosives experience walks into a PreCheck lane…”
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