According to documents released to the ACLU, the Oregon DOJ has problems complying with both state and federal laws. Law enforcement agencies are forbidden from conducting surveillance of First Amendment-protected activities unless they can demonstrate beforehand that there is evidence of criminal activity tied to it. But the DOJ’s own presentations suggest agents should perform surveillance first and fix it in post. According to its instructions, agents should be “creative” when looking for justification for surveillance of First Amendment-protected activities. Literally, “any crime will do.”
Month: May 2016
Rep. Issa Calls Out Civil Asset Forfeiture As Letting ‘Cops Go Treasure Hunting’ | Techdirt
Civil asset forfeiture allows police to seize property as long as they believe that the assets in question were somehow connected to criminal activity. “As long as they believe” — that’s the key part. Authorities don’t have to actually prove the person was guilty of a crime. They don’t have to even file charges. The presumption of innocence is thrown to the wayside. It’s an egregious violation of the 4th Amendment, but that’s not even the most glaring problem with the system. Under current law, most states allow police departments to absorb up to 100% of the value of the confiscated property — whether it’s cash, cars, houses or guns — and use the proceeds to pad their budgets. It’s an obvious conflict of interest — and boy, is it profitable for law enforcement agencies.
Source: Rep. Issa Calls Out Civil Asset Forfeiture As Letting ‘Cops Go Treasure Hunting’ | Techdirt
Game Developer Forced To Change Game’s Name Because ‘Wasteland’ Is A Trademark, Apparently | Techdirt
Several years ago, we wrote about InXile, a game studio that rode Kickstarter success to producing Wasteland 2. The theme of the post was about how open and awesome InXile had been to its backers and other Kickstarter projects, bringing a gracious attitude to the former and promising to use some of the game’s proceeds to pay it forward to the latter. These actions built a nice reputation for InXile, somewhat unique in gaming circles, by engaging with fans and customers alike, while also acknowledging the rest of the industry. In short, InXile was human and awesome. Yet, since then, InXile has occasionally acted aggressively in enforcing the trademark it has on the term “Wasteland” for the gaming industry. First, in 2013, it forced a smalll gaming studio to change the name of a game it had originally called Wasteland Kings to Nuclear Throne after InXile contacted them. And, now, InXile has gone a step further and fired off a cease and desist letter to a single developer attempting to produce his own shooter game, which he had entitled Alien Wasteland.
FBI Harassing Core Tor Developer, Demanding She Meet With Them, But Refusing To Explain Why | Techdirt
Word got to my lawyer in the US, who decided to call FBI Special Agent Mark Burnett, on that Friday, saying that he represented me and my family. Burnett said the FBI simply wanted to ask me some questions. My lawyer responded by stating that, as my invoked representation, all questions should be directed to him rather than to me or my family. The agent agreed, paused while some muffled male voices were heard in the background, and asked to call back in five minutes. Five minutes later, Burnett called back and said, “I don’t believe you actually represent her.” Burnett stated additionally that a phone call from me might suffice, but that the FBI preferred to meet with me in person. After a pause he said, “But… if we happen to run into her on the street, we’re gonna be asking her some questions without you present.”
FBI Told Cops to Recreate Evidence From Secret Cell-Phone Trackers
Feds tell locals that they need to find other ways “to corroborate information concerning the location of the target obtained through the use of this equipment” if they want to introduce it at trial.
Source: FBI Told Cops to Recreate Evidence From Secret Cell-Phone Trackers
Vice Media Sends Cease And Desist To ViceVersa Over Trademark Infringement | Techdirt
Vice Media, a company valued at $2.5 billion whose CEO once spent $300,000 on dinner, wants ViceVersa, an unsigned Los Angeles indie band whose members are struggling to pay rent, to change its name — or else. In a cease-and-desist letter sent to the band, a copy of which was obtained by The Huffington Post, the media behemoth says the three-piece rock outfit’s name and logo both sound and look too similar to Vice’s own name and logo. The band, the letter argues, is “infringing on the exclusive rights held by Vice Media in the VICE® Mark” and is “likely to confuse consumers as to the source of services offered under [ViceVersa’s] mark, and wrongly implies that Vice Media sponsors, endorses or is otherwise affiliated with [ViceVersa].”
Source: Vice Media Sends Cease And Desist To ViceVersa Over Trademark Infringement | Techdirt
Cops deploy StingRay anti-terror tech against $50 chicken-wing thief • The Register
Whaddaya mean abuse of privacy?!
Source: Cops deploy StingRay anti-terror tech against $50 chicken-wing thief • The Register
Monster Cloud and an angry customer wanting a refund: A Love Story • The Register
Biz tells Reg reader his email was ‘full of attitude’, adds ‘price increase was only 340%’
Source: Monster Cloud and an angry customer wanting a refund: A Love Story • The Register
“A good day for Martin Shkreli,” who may try to pin fraud on former counsel | Ars Technica
Feds mulling additional charges as CEO’s former company, Turing, gets sued.
Source: “A good day for Martin Shkreli,” who may try to pin fraud on former counsel | Ars Technica
Zappa Threatens Zappa Over Zappa Plays Zappa | Techdirt
This month, the Zappa Family Trust, which owns the rights to Mr. Zappa’s music, informed Dweezil that he did not have permission to tour as Zappa Plays Zappa — the name is a trademark owned by the trust — and that he risked copyright infringement damages of $150,000 each time he played a song without proper permission.
Source: Zappa Threatens Zappa Over Zappa Plays Zappa | Techdirt