World Intellectual Property Review (WIPR) is reporting that the European Patent Office, EPO, has threatened Roy Schestowitz with a defamation lawsuit over a blog post he did. Schestowitz writes the Techrights blog, which I personally think can go overboard with some of its stories at times. However, to argue that his stories are defamation, especially by a government agency, is crazy.
Source: European Patent Office Threatens Blogger With Defamation Lawsuit For Criticism | Techdirt
A software pirate is facing the most unusual punishment ever seen in a copyright infringement action. The man lost a case brought by an anti-piracy group but couldn’t pay damages, so instead agreed to star in PSA showcasing his life as a pirate. If that film doesn’t get 200K hits on YouTube, he’ll be required to pay a large fine.
Source: Busted Pirate Told to Get 200K YouTube Hits or Face Huge Fine – TorrentFreak
Turing will offer hospitals and patients discounts, but high list price stands.
Source: $750/pill pharma company reverses decision to lower drug price | Ars Technica
The NSA continually plays this shell game with Congressional overseers. Whenever an intelligence-community official testifies that something is not being done under this particular program, or this particular authority, you can be sure that it’s being done under some other program or some other authority. In particular, the NSA regularly uses rules that allow them to conduct bulk surveillance outside the US — rules that largely evade both Congressional and Judicial oversight — to conduct bulk surveillance on Americans. Effective oversight of the NSA is impossible in the face of this level of misdirection and deception.
Small Dublin-based Allergan will buy Pfizer to form world’s largest drug maker.
With $160 billion merger, Pfizer moves to Ireland and dodges taxes
Source: With $160 billion merger, Pfizer moves to Ireland and dodges taxes | Ars Technica
The “manual” was “discovered” by analysts at the Combating Terrorism Center, based out of the US Military Academy at West Point. Thankfully, Buzzfeed has the details, noting that the guide, created by a cybersecurity firm in Kuwait, named Cyberkov, is actually a guide for journalists and activists to protect their communications from oppressive governments. And there’s nothing particularly secret about it, as apparently it’s basically just repurposed stuff from the EFF’s website
Despite being widely discredited, a British-designed bomb detector based on pseudoscience continues to be used at sensitive security sites across the world.
Source: This Fake Bomb Detector Is Blamed for Hundreds of Deaths. It’s Still in Use.
Defense claims covert recordings violated Constitution, moves to have them thrown out.
Source: Feds bugged steps of Silicon Valley courthouse | Ars Technica
State bar regulators say Hansmeier hid money, lied in court.
Source: Legal regulators move in on Prenda’s Paul Hansmeier, who may get disbarred | Ars Technica
Nicolas Maduro called monitoring of state oil-company emails — revealed by The Intercept and teleSUR — “illegal action in light of international law.”
Source: Venezuelan President Calls NSA Spying on State Oil Company “Vulgar,” Orders Official Inquiry
