Category: Human stupidity

All DMCA Notices Filed Against TorrentFreak in 2019 Were Bogus – TorrentFreak

During 2019, TorrentFreak has regularly reported on the controversial DMCA-related takedown efforts of entertainment companies and their anti-piracy partners. This year several were targeted at our own site, having been filed against us with Google. We can proudly (but sadly) report that every single one of them was completely bogus.

Source: All DMCA Notices Filed Against TorrentFreak in 2019 Were Bogus – TorrentFreak

Marvin Gaye Family Not Done With Pharrell Just Yet: Bring Him Back To Court Claiming Perjury | Techdirt

in a new filing by the Gaye Estate (first noted by THREsq), they’re claiming that Pharrell perjured himself in his deposition by saying that he had no intention to channel Gaye

Source: Marvin Gaye Family Not Done With Pharrell Just Yet: Bring Him Back To Court Claiming Perjury | Techdirt

U.S. Government’s Family Separation Policy Continues


The U.S. government is still taking children from their parents after they cross the border. Since the supposed end of family separation — in the summer of 2018, after a federal judge’s injunction and President Donald Trump’s executive order reversing the deeply controversial policy — more than 1,100 children have been taken from their parents, according to the government’s own data. There may be more, since that data has been plagued by bad record keeping and inconsistencies. The government alleges that separations now only happen when a parent has a criminal history or is unfit to care for a child, but an ongoing lawsuit by the American Civil Liberties Union argues that the current policy still violates the rights of children and families. Border Patrol agents, untrained in child welfare, make decisions that some parents are unfit to stay with their children based solely on brief interactions with them while they are held in custody.

Source: U.S. Government’s Family Separation Policy Continues

Disney’s Decision Not To Renew SecuROM License Bricks ‘Tron: Evolution’ | Techdirt

Back in 2010, Disney released the game Tron: Evolution. The game was laced with SecuROM and suffered many of the same problems as previously described. As an example of how you don’t really own what you buy anymore, the game simply bricked when Disney decided not to renew its SaaS subscription for SecuROM software.

Source: Disney’s Decision Not To Renew SecuROM License Bricks ‘Tron: Evolution’ | Techdirt

ICE Says Students Duped By Its Fake College Sting Should Have Known It Was A Sting | Techdirt

For most of the past year, ICE’s fake college sting has resulted in a long string of arrests, but not very many prosecutions.The sting involved a fictitious university set up by ICE to ensnare foreigners seeking to extend their US stays by complying with the law. That’s the underlying truth that was dismantled by ICE’s fiction. Visitors on student visas are allowed to stay in the country as long as they continue their studies.

Source: ICE Says Students Duped By Its Fake College Sting Should Have Known It Was A Sting | Techdirt

Want To See Pete Davidson Do Standup? There’s An NDA You Have To Sign First… | Techdirt

Whatever you do, never tweet at a Pete Davidson comedy show. The “Saturday Night Live” cast member has recently been doling out non-disclosure agreements before each of his recent comedy shows.Most recently, fans attending Davidson’s standup at the Sydney Goldstein Theater in San Francisco were asked to sign a lengthy contract that forbade them from tweeting or instagramming any opinions about the performance.

Source: Want To See Pete Davidson Do Standup? There’s An NDA You Have To Sign First… | Techdirt

Report: Sacklers using fake doctors, false marketing to sell OxyContin in China | Ars Technica

As Purdue files for bankruptcy, business in China is ramping up.

Source: Report: Sacklers using fake doctors, false marketing to sell OxyContin in China | Ars Technica

Nobel Prize Organization Is Engaged in Genocide Denialism

“The Swedish Academy believes that in an open society there must be room for different opinions about authors and that there must be space for different reasonable interpretations of their literay [sic] works,” the letter said. It was signed by Anders Olsson, chair of the Nobel Committee for Literature, and dated November 15; news of it began circulating on social media two days ago. “We strive for respectful interchange notwithstanding sharply diverging views in important matters,” the letter added.In this instance, the important matter is genocide, and the diverging view is that it did not happen. The letter has a tragicomic aspect too — the world’s most famous literary group was unable to properly spell the word “literary.”

Source: Nobel Prize Organization Is Engaged in Genocide Denialism

‘Royalty-Free’ Music Supplied By YouTube Results in Mass Video Demonetization – TorrentFreak

A YouTuber who used a royalty-free track supplied by YouTube itself has had all of his videos copyright claimed by companies including SonyATV and Warner Chappell. According to the music outfits, Matt Lownes’ use the use of the track ‘Dreams’ by Joakim Karud means that they are now entitled to all of his revenue.

Source: ‘Royalty-Free’ Music Supplied By YouTube Results in Mass Video Demonetization – TorrentFreak