Category: Censorship

Stupid Patent of the Month: Using A Computer To Count Calories | Electronic Frontier Foundation


This month’s stupid patent, like many stupid patents before it, simply claims the idea of using a computer for basic calculations. U.S. Patent No. 6,817,863 (the ’863 patent) is titled “Computer program, method, and system for monitoring nutrition content of consumables and for facilitating menu planning.” It claims the process of using a computer to track nutrition information like calorie or vitamin intake. It is difficult to think of a more basic and trivial use for a computer.The ’863 patent is owned by a patent troll called Dynamic Nutrition Information, LLC. Dynamic Nutrition filed a lawsuit this month in the Eastern District of Texas accusing Australian company Fatsecret of infringing the ’863 patent. Dynamic Nutrition had filed four other lawsuits. Consistent with a pattern of nuisance litigation, each of those earlier suits settled very quickly.

Source: Stupid Patent of the Month: Using A Computer To Count Calories | Electronic Frontier Foundation

US Embassy Threatens to Close Domain Registry Over ‘Pirate Bay’ Domain – TorrentFreak


The US Embassy in Costa Rica has threatened to have the country’s domain registry shut down unless it suspends ThePirateBay.cr. The registry says it won’t comply without a court order and has written to the ICANN organization to complain about harassment and personal insults.

Source: US Embassy Threatens to Close Domain Registry Over ‘Pirate Bay’ Domain – TorrentFreak

Cloudflare goes berserk on next-gen patent troll, vows to utterly destroy it using prior-art bounties • The Register


Web giant wants to invalidate Blackbird Tech’s designs, get them thrown out of profession

Source: Cloudflare goes berserk on next-gen patent troll, vows to utterly destroy it using prior-art bounties • The Register

We are ‘heroes,’ says police chief whose force frisked a photographer • The Register


Brit plod used Terrorism Act to collar snapper. Hello, 2005

Source: We are ‘heroes,’ says police chief whose force frisked a photographer • The Register

This Startup Made Journalists Agree To Write Positive Reviews Or Pay Them $2,000


It’s time we had another talk about relationships between journalists and things they cover. Tech website The Verge recently reported on a troubling offer from a startup, JetSmarter, to “demonstrate” its services with a free flight. To accept, a reporter had to agree to publish a positive story, quickly, or be charged $2,000 by JetSmarter.

Source: This Startup Made Journalists Agree To Write Positive Reviews Or Pay Them $2,000

Soundcloud Tells Guy It Needs To Kill His Account Of 8 Years Because Someone Else Trademarked His Name | Techdirt


Bas Grasmayer is not allowed to use any version of his own damned name in a URL or Display Name. Of course, if you’re in SoundCloud’s shoes, you’re in a tough spot. They don’t want to get sued, and the intermediary liability protections around trademark are even weaker than they are for copyrights.After writing back to SoundCloud with a “hey, but that’s my name…” message, the company has told Bas if he can prove that’s his name then maybe, just maybe, the company can push back on his behalf

Source: Soundcloud Tells Guy It Needs To Kill His Account Of 8 Years Because Someone Else Trademarked His Name | Techdirt

Apple Wants To Stop You Fixing Your iPhone And iPad: Source Says It Will Testify Against ‘Right To Repair’ Legislation | Techdirt

an Apple representative, staffer, or lobbyist will testify against the bill at a hearing in Lincoln on March 9. AT&T will also argue against the bill, the source said. The source told me that at least one of the companies plans to say that consumers who repair their own phones could cause lithium batteries to catch fire.

Source: Apple Wants To Stop You Fixing Your iPhone And iPad: Source Says It Will Testify Against ‘Right To Repair’ Legislation | Techdirt

New PayPal T&Cs prevents sellers trash-talking PayPal • The Register


PayPal’s released a new batch of User Agreements that includes a new “non-discouragement clause for sellers” that prevents them from talking down the service, plus price hikes a-plenty.The new new clause reads as follows:
“In representations to your customers or in public communications, you agree not to mischaracterize PayPal as a payment method. At all of your points of sale (in whatever form), you agree not to try to dissuade or inhibit your customers from using PayPal; and, if you enable your customers to pay you with PayPal, you agree to treat PayPal’s payment mark at least at par with other payment methods offered.”

Source: New PayPal T&Cs prevents sellers trash-talking PayPal • The Register

Federal Court Basically Says It’s Okay To Copyright Parts Of Our Laws | Techdirt

For many years, we’ve written about Carl Malamud and his non-profit organization Public.Resource.org, which goes to great lengths to make sure that the law and other government documents are widely available to the public. While he’s gotten lots of attention for battling states over their claims to hold a copyright in the law, perhaps his biggest fight has been over the question of whether or not private standards that are “incorporated by reference” into the law, are still covered by copyright. And, unfortunately, the federal district court in Washington DC has just ruled against him, and effectively said it’s okay to lock up some important elements of the law with copyright. This is bad news.

Source: Federal Court Basically Says It’s Okay To Copyright Parts Of Our Laws | Techdirt