24 Jan 2006
New RIAA/MPAA Plan

This is incredible... if this goes on, we'll have essentially surrendered a veto power on new technology to the "content industry". And I can add nothing to what the noted scifi author Robert A Heinlein said about such attempts:

There has grown up in the minds of certain groups in this country the notion that because a man or corporation has made a profit out of the public for a number of years, the government and the courts are charged with the duty of guaranteeing such profit in the future, even in the face of changing circumstances and contrary to public interest. This strange doctrine is not supported by statute or common law. Neither individuals nor corporations have any right to come into court and ask that the clock of history be stopped, or turned back.

Ars Technica is reporting that the EFF has dug up plans by the RIAA/MPAA to stifle the consumer electronics market by replacing it's "fair use" policy with something called "Customary Historic Use". This new policy would effectively keep anyone from inventing any new type of media device without the RIAA/MPAA's say-so.

(link) [Slashdot]

00:00 /Copywrongs | 1 comment | permanent link

Google agrees to censorship in China

Is Google's new motto "First, do no evil, save that for second"? Nothing disgusts me quite like companies and individuals seeking economic gain by political means. This is not a free market - this is a system of state monopolies, carefully controlled and tended by those in power to their benefit. People keep telling me we live in a capitalist world, but it sure looks a lot like a warped, modern version of mercantilism to me.

Anybody out there know a good search engine that won't suck up to the nearest politician?

Online search engine leader Google Inc. has agreed to censor its results in China, adhering to the country's free-speech restrictions in return for better access in the Internet's fastest growing market.

(link) [CNN.com]

00:00 /Politics | 2 comments | permanent link

Poll: Most Find Medicare Program Puzzling

That's because it is. And it's worse than confusing, it's downright deceptive. As reported here previously, my mom had decided not to sign up for this, as it would only save her a whopping $24/year, and add considerable forms, paperwork and aggravation to her medical care.

But she'll be signing up later this week. You see, she went to get her prescriptions filled earlier this month, and the prices (for her) had actually gone up! Why? It wasn't that the drug companies had raised prices, it was that they've stopped the numerous discount programs that they used to operate to save senior citizens some dough on drugs. But since Medicare now covers pharmaceuticals, they dropped the discounts. And the net cost to my 82 year old mother went up by nearly 35%!

So she'll fill out the forms, and file the papers. And come out about where she was before the new program, only more frustrated and angry at government. And I can't blame her.

AP - Most people, particularly senior citizens, say they are having a hard time understanding the new Medicare prescription drug program, an AP-Ipsos poll found.

(link) [Yahoo! News: Top Stories]

00:00 /Politics | 2 comments | permanent link