Category: Global Domination

‘Taco Tuesday’ is no longer a copyrighted phrase – wait you can copyright a phrase like that?!

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Taco Bell succeeded in its petition to remove the “Taco Tuesday” trademark held by Taco John’s, claiming it held an unfair monopoly over the phrase. Taco John’s CEO Jim Creel backed down from the fight on Tuesday, saying it isn’t worth the legal fees to retain the regional chain’s trademark. “We’ve always prided ourselves on Read more about ‘Taco Tuesday’ is no longer a copyrighted phrase – wait you can copyright a phrase like that?![…]

A Bunch Of Authors Sue OpenAI Claiming Copyright Infringement, Because They Don’t Understand Copyright

Posted on by Robin Edgar

You may have seen some headlines recently about some authors filing lawsuits against OpenAI. The lawsuits (plural, though I’m confused why it’s separate attempts at filing a class action lawsuit, rather than a single one) began last week, when authors Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad sued OpenAI and various subsidiaries, claiming copyright infringement in how Read more about A Bunch Of Authors Sue OpenAI Claiming Copyright Infringement, Because They Don’t Understand Copyright[…]

Hollywood studios proposed AI contract that would give them likeness rights ‘for the rest of eternity’

Posted on by Robin Edgar

During today’s press conference in which Hollywood actors confirmed that they were going on strike, Duncan Crabtree-Ireland, SAG-AFTRA’s chief negotiator, revealed a proposal from Hollywood studios that sounds ripped right out of a Black Mirror episode. In a statement about the strike, the Alliance of Motion Picture and Television Producers (AMPTP) said that its proposal Read more about Hollywood studios proposed AI contract that would give them likeness rights ‘for the rest of eternity’[…]

New privacy deal allows US tech giants to continue storing European user data on American servers

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Nearly three years after a 2020 court decision threatened to grind transatlantic e-commerce to a halt, the European Union has adopted a plan that will allow US tech giants to continue storing data about European users on American soil. In a decision announced Monday, the European Commission approved the Trans-Atlantic Data Privacy Framework. Under the Read more about New privacy deal allows US tech giants to continue storing European user data on American servers[…]

Google Says It’ll Scrape Everything You Post Online for AI

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Google updated its privacy policy over the weekend, explicitly saying the company reserves the right to scrape just about everything you post online to build its AI tools. If Google can read your words, assume they belong to the company now, and expect that they’re nesting somewhere in the bowels of a chatbot. “Google uses Read more about Google Says It’ll Scrape Everything You Post Online for AI[…]

Film companies demand names of Reddit users who discussed piracy in 201

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Reddit is fighting another attempt by film companies to unmask anonymous Reddit users who discussed piracy. The same companies lost a previous, similar motion to identify Reddit users who wrote comments in piracy-related threads. Reddit avoided revealing the identities of eight users by arguing that the First Amendment protected their right to anonymous speech. Reddit Read more about Film companies demand names of Reddit users who discussed piracy in 201[…]

Sacramento Sheriff is sharing license plate reader data with anti-abortion states, records show

Posted on by Robin Edgar

In 2015, Democratic Elk Grove Assemblyman Jim Cooper voted for Senate Bill 34, which restricted law enforcement from sharing automated license plate reader (ALPR) data with out-of-state authorities. In 2023, now-Sacramento County Sheriff Cooper appears to be doing just that. The Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) a digital rights group, has sent Cooper a letter requesting Read more about Sacramento Sheriff is sharing license plate reader data with anti-abortion states, records show[…]

Comedian, novelists sue OpenAI for reading books. Maybe we should sue people for reading them as well?

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Award-winning novelists Paul Tremblay and Mona Awad, and, separately comedian Sarah Silverman and novelists Christopher Golden and Richard Kadrey, have sued OpenAI and accused the startup of training ChatGPT on their books without consent, violating copyright laws. The lawsuits, both filed in the Northern District Court of San Francisco, say ChatGPT generates accurate summaries of Read more about Comedian, novelists sue OpenAI for reading books. Maybe we should sue people for reading them as well?[…]

Amazon claims it isn’t a “Very Large Online Platform” to evade EU rules

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amazon doesn’t want to comply with Europe’s Digital Services Act, and to avoid the rules the company is arguing that it doesn’t meet the definition of a Very Large Online Platform under EU law. Amazon filed an appeal at the EU General Court to challenge the European Commission decision that Amazon meets the criteria and Read more about Amazon claims it isn’t a “Very Large Online Platform” to evade EU rules[…]

An Alarming 87 Percent Of Retro Games Are Being Lost To Time

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] The Video Game History Foundation (VGHF) partnered with the Software Preservation Network, an organization intent on advancing software preservation through collective action, to release a report on the disappearance of classic video games. “Classic” in this case has been defined as all games released before 2010, which the VGHF noted is the “year when Read more about An Alarming 87 Percent Of Retro Games Are Being Lost To Time[…]

France Allows Police to Remotely Turn On GPS, Camera, Audio on Phones

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Amidst ongoing protests in France, the country has just passed a new bill that will allow police to remotely access suspects’ cameras, microphones, and GPS on cell phones and other devices. As reported by Le Monde, the bill has been criticized by the French people as a “snoopers” charter that allows police unfettered access to Read more about France Allows Police to Remotely Turn On GPS, Camera, Audio on Phones[…]

Amazon’s iRobot Roomba acquisition under formal EU investigation

Posted on by Robin Edgar

European Union regulators have opened an official investigation into Amazon’s proposed $1.7 billion acquisition of iRobot, the company behind the popular Roomba lineup of robot vacuum cleaners. In a press release, the European Commission said it’s concerned that “the transaction would allow Amazon to restrict competition in the market for robot vacuum cleaners (‘RVCs’) and Read more about Amazon’s iRobot Roomba acquisition under formal EU investigation[…]

People Are Using Forged Court Orders To Disappear Content They Don’t Like using DMCA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Copyright is still high on the list of censorial weapons. When you live in (or target) a country that protects free speech rights and offers intermediaries immunity via Section 230, you quickly surmise there’s a soft target lying between the First Amendment and the CDA. That soft target is the DMCA. Thanks to plenty of Read more about People Are Using Forged Court Orders To Disappear Content They Don’t Like using DMCA[…]

$6.3b US firm Telesign breached GDPR, reputation-scoring half of the population of the planet with mobiles

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A US-based fraud prevention company is in hot water over allegations it not only collected data from millions of EU citizens and processed it using automated tools without their knowledge, but that it did so in the United States, all in violation of the EU’s data protection rules. The complaint was filed by Austrian privacy Read more about $6.3b US firm Telesign breached GDPR, reputation-scoring half of the population of the planet with mobiles[…]

Broadcom squeezed Samsung, now South Korea’s squeezing back

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As the Commission explained in a Tuesday adjudicaiton, Broadcom and Samsung were in talks for a long-term supply agreement when the American chipmaker demanded the Korean giant sign or it would suspend shipments and support services. Broadcom share price pops on VMware rumors Broadcom’s share price jumped from $805 to $860 on Tuesday, after Reuters Read more about Broadcom squeezed Samsung, now South Korea’s squeezing back[…]

Fitbit Privacy & security guide – no one told me it would send my data to the US

Posted on by Robin Edgar

As of January 14, 2021, Google officially became the owner of Fitbit. That worried many privacy conscious users. However, Google promised that “Fitbit users’ health and wellness data won’t be used for Google ads and this data will be kept separate from other Google ad data” as part of the deal with global regulators when Read more about Fitbit Privacy & security guide – no one told me it would send my data to the US[…]

Amazon’s Ring used to spy on customers, children, FTC says in privacy settlement

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A former employee of Amazon.com’s Ring doorbell camera unit spied for months on female customers in 2017 with cameras placed in bedrooms and bathrooms, the Federal Trade Commission said in a court filing on Wednesday when it announced a $5.8 million settlement with the company over privacy violations. Amazon also agreed to pay $25 million Read more about Amazon’s Ring used to spy on customers, children, FTC says in privacy settlement[…]

Meta ordered to suspend Facebook EU data flows as it’s hit with record €1.2BN privacy fine under GDPR – 10 years and 3 court cases later

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] Today the European Data Protection Board (EDPB) announced that Meta has been fined €1.2 billion (close to $1.3 billion) — which the Board confirmed is the largest fine ever issued under the bloc’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR). (The prior record goes to Amazon which was stung for $887 million for misusing customers data Read more about Meta ordered to suspend Facebook EU data flows as it’s hit with record €1.2BN privacy fine under GDPR – 10 years and 3 court cases later[…]

Online age verification is coming, and privacy is on the chopping block

Posted on by Robin Edgar

A spate of child safety rules might make going online in a few years very different, and not just for kids. In 2022 and 2023, numerous states and countries are exploring age verification requirements for the internet, either as an implicit demand or a formal rule. The laws are positioned as a way to protect Read more about Online age verification is coming, and privacy is on the chopping block[…]

The Supreme Court’s Warhol decision could have huge copyright implications for ‘fair use’, apparently made by blind judges

Posted on by Robin Edgar

The Supreme Court has ruled that Andy Warhol has infringed on the copyright of Lynn Goldsmith, the photographer who took the image that he used for his famous silkscreen of the musician Prince. Goldsmith won the justices over 7-2, disagreeing with Warhol’s camp that his work was transformative enough to prevent any copyright claims. In Read more about The Supreme Court’s Warhol decision could have huge copyright implications for ‘fair use’, apparently made by blind judges[…]

European Media Freedom Act is a free pass to spread fake news, directly goes against DSA

Posted on by Robin Edgar

“Disinformation is a threat to our democracies” is a statement with which virtually every political group in the European Parliament agrees. Many political statements have been made on the subject calling for more to be done to counter disinformation, especially since the Russian attack on Ukraine. As part of that effort, the EU recently adopted Read more about European Media Freedom Act is a free pass to spread fake news, directly goes against DSA[…]

Ed Sheeran, Once Again, Demonstrates How Modern Copyright Is Destroying, Rather Than Helping Musicians

Posted on by Robin Edgar

To hear the recording industry tell the story, copyright is the only thing protecting musicians from poverty and despair. Of course, that’s always been a myth. Copyright was designed to benefit the middlemen and gatekeepers, such as the record labels, over the artists themselves. That’s why the labels have a long history of never paying Read more about Ed Sheeran, Once Again, Demonstrates How Modern Copyright Is Destroying, Rather Than Helping Musicians[…]

Microsoft Tests Sticking Ads in Windows 11 Settings Menu as well as start menu

Posted on by Robin Edgar

[…] In addition to ads in the Start menu, the latest test build for Windows 11 includes notices for a Microsoft 365 trial and more in the Settings menu. On Friday, Windows beta user and routine leaker Albacore shared several screenshots of the latest Insider Preview build 23451. These shots come from the ultra-early Canary Read more about Microsoft Tests Sticking Ads in Windows 11 Settings Menu as well as start menu[…]

Mercedes Locks Better EV Engine Performance Your Car Has and you paid for Behind Subscription

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Last year BMW took ample heat for its plans to turn heated seats into a costly $18 per month subscription in numerous countries. As we noted at the time, BMW is already including the hardware in new cars and adjusting the sale price accordingly. So it’s effectively charging users a new, recurring fee to enable Read more about Mercedes Locks Better EV Engine Performance Your Car Has and you paid for Behind Subscription[…]

Microsoft is forcing Outlook and Teams to open links in Edge, ignore OS default browser settings

Posted on by Robin Edgar

Microsoft Edge is a good browser but for some reason Microsoft keeps trying to shove it down everyone’s throat and make it more difficult to use rivals like Chrome or Firefox. Microsoft has now started notifying IT admins that it will force Outlook and Teams to ignore the default web browser on Windows and open Read more about Microsoft is forcing Outlook and Teams to open links in Edge, ignore OS default browser settings[…]