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Links - New and Old Censorship, Anti-trust, Privacy Violations and Pollution.

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  • Security



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  • Environment/Energy/Wildlife





  • Finance





  • Anti-Trust

    • Pay TV piracy hits News
      The actions are documented in an archive of 14,400 emails held by former Metropolitan Police commander Ray Adams who was European chief for Operational Security between 1996 and 2002. The Financial Review is publishing thousands of the emails on its website at URL afr.com.

      The emails show that Murdoch used "piracy" as a competitive weapon, helping people to break the digital handcuffs of rival's pay TV boxes. The loss of face and revenue helped Murdoch to consolidate his media empire.



    • Microsoft all but buys Netscape with AOL patent acqusition

      This Microsoft friendly news source uses gloats over this superposed "end of the browser wars" and uses the term "intellectual property" while glorifying and validating software patents.



  • Censorship

    • The reason I'm helping Chris Hedges' lawsuit against the NDAA
      the Homeland Battlefield Bill has already a chilling effect upon my ability to investigate and document matters of national controversy that would ordinarily be subject to my professional inquiry. It has therefore prevented my readers from receiving the full spectrum of truthful reporting which, in a functioning democracy, they have a right to expect.


    • Iraq’s internet on the brink
      A year since the Arab Spring, the internet in the region is facing significant threats from governments trying to gain more control over it.


    • Media companies & ISPs outline plan to stop piracy

      Not so voluntary censorship is set to roll out on people in the US. Appealing accusations of sharing will cost people $35.



    • World Without Web
      ... we underestimate the alarming degree of contingency lurking behind ‘inevitable’ developments. ... The divergence point for this history is in 1983-1984, when the leadership of DARPA lied through its teeth to Congress about who was being allowed access to the Internet. ... what if DARPA had been caught in that lie, funding for its network research scaled back, and a serious effort made to kick randoms off the early net?


    • CISPA – The Sneaky Son Of SOPA

      A good collection of links about a nasty law against sharing.





  • Civil Rights



  • Privacy



  • Education Watch



  • DRM

    • How Adobe DRM Requires People to Pirate Library Books
      Open standards make sense. What makes no sense is that large companies in the field still do not understand this. ... It turns out that a majority of the 6,495 titles available at my local library were accessible only through a locked .acsm file format. ...you can think of a .acsm file as being very much like a .torrent file. If you use Windows or Mac, you can (theoretically) download and install Adobe Digital Editions (ADE). This software reads the .acsm file and then it will download the actual .epub book, complete with DRM. ... there is no legal way to access the content without breaking the law if you are using free (libre) software.

      Tell your local librarian to never use a system like this!





  • Intellectual Monopolies

    • Another Patent Attack on Google with More Wild $$ Predictions ~pj
      Nokia and Microsoft. Partners at law, so to speak. Is this another Microsoft/Nokia outsourced production? Remember when Barnes & Noble told us that it views Microsoft and Nokia's patent campaign as an antitrust violation, a deliberate campaign to destroy Android and maintain Microsoft's monopoly on the desktop and extend it to smartphones, with Nokia piggybacking with its patents for weapons and MOSAID being brought in to do some of the dirty work? So when you read the scare headlines, remember this: Google is awesome at patent litigation. It tends to prevail. I told you that when Oracle first sued Google


    • Oracle’s Position is Worse Than I Thought


    • USPTO Issues Interim Mayo Guidance ~pj
      "...the claimed product or process amounts to significantly more than a law of nature, a natural phenomenon, or an abstract idea with conventional steps specified at a high level of generality appended thereto." Why *wouldn't* that apply to software?


    • Mayo Decision Impacts Myriad Genetics - Judgment Vacated, Remanded ~pj
      Things are looking up in PatentLand


    • Prometheus bound: An important precedent for the next software patent case
      Plainly, this was not a dispute about software patents, but the Court’s unanimous opinion will guide it and lower courts as they analyze future software patent cases.


    • Copyrights

      • Judge rules file sharing is not a "conspiracy"
        The litigators are trying to get around the fact that judges aren't happy with allowing mass lawsuits, so what they are doing is taking one internet user to court but using that lawsuit as a pretext to subpoena other defendants who had participated in the same BitTorrent swarm. ... James Holderman of the Northern District of Illinois raised his eyebrow in disgust at this trick, saying that it was trying to get around the "stiffening judicial headwind."


      • 5000+ Artists Line Up For a Pirate Bay Promotion
        “We’re one of the worlds top 60 sites in the Internet. This brings us a responsibility to use the site to do something good. When I think about it, it’s insane that all the other top 100 sites only blast ads and self-centered stuff on their front pages. We do this for fun and for the love of culture, so we’re everything the major labels are not.”


      • 3 Major Publishers Sue Open-Education Textbook Start-Up

        See also this excllent summary

        To gain access to the digital alternatives, students select the traditional books assigned in their classes, and Boundless pulls content from an array of open-education sources to knit together a text that the company claims is as good as the designated book. The company calls this mapping of printed book to open material “alignment”—a tactic the complaint said creates a finished product that violates the publishers’ copyrights.


      • DRM is crushing indie booksellers online


      • MPAA Lines Up With Porn Studio in Steamy Copyright Dispute

        A video site that published movies as urls is surprised that people would download those movies. They also found a judge that agrees enough to shut down a website where users share the urls, sometimes as embedded movies.







  • Recent Techrights' Posts

    IBM to Announce 'Results' Shortly, Expect Lots of Chaff Like "Quantum" and "Hey Hi" (Nothing Material to Show)
    We're still seeing layoffs and an exodus
    Upcoming Techrights Series About the Failure of the Solicitors Regulation Authority (SRA) to Stop Hired Guns Who Work for Americans That Abuse Women
    The SRA has demonstrated nothing but considerable incompetence at many levels
    The "Alicante Mafia" - Part XIV - The EPO Vice-President Steve Rowan and the Hidden Alicante Connection is a Big Deal
    We'll soon take a closer look at Ernst
     
    Laos and Microsoft: About 10% Windows, 0% Bing
    There are many more nations like it
    EPO Technical Meetings Show no Breakthroughs, a Strike Goes Ahead This Friday
    Apparently there was another (fourth) meeting today [...] The industrial actions are working already
    Google News as the Sole Source of Slop About "Linux", a Feeder of Slopfarms or Serial Sloppers
    At least it's no longer hard to 'contain' the slop problem, knowing which domains are the culprits and seeing that Google is their main 'feeder'
    Links 28/01/2026: ChatGPT Has Financial Problems, White House Sharing Fakes (or Deepfakes) in Official Accounts/Sites
    Links for the day
    Gemini Links 28/01/2026: FlatCube NES Port Finished and "Why I Still Write on the Small Web in 2026"
    Links for the day
    Upcoming Techrights Series About the Public Appearances of Richard M. Stallman (RMS) in the United States
    we plan to drop all pretences about "Open Source" and instead focus on Software Freedom
    Upcoming Techrights Series About the Experiences of EPO Insiders
    We'll start the new series some time next week
    Links 28/01/2026: Microsoft Ordered to Stop Spying on School Children, Apple's Brand Tarnished by Its Complicity With Human Rights Abusers
    Links for the day
    Gemini Links 28/01/2026: Particle and AirMIDI
    Links for the day
    Amandine Jambert (EDPB/CNIL/FSFE), motive for lying, trust in blockchain and encryption
    Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
    Over at Tux Machines...
    GNU/Linux news for the past day
    IRC Proceedings: Tuesday, January 27, 2026
    IRC logs for Tuesday, January 27, 2026
    Expect More XBox Layoffs Shortly
    As expected
    Links 27/01/2026: Japan-China Feud Escalates Again, "Iran's Internet Blackout Persists"
    Links for the day
    Online 'Gathering' Held Today to Organise Industrial Actions in EPO, Strikes Will be Starting Shortly
    "Online Extraordinary General Meeting on Action Plan"
    It's Not About What You Know, It's About Who You Know (and Stay Quiet About the Cocaine)
    This is not an organisation that exists to ensure laws are followed
    FOSDEM 2026: democracy panel: FSFE uses women as stooges, gerrymander
    Reprinted with permission from Daniel Pocock
    Must Use Proprietary JavaScript to Submit Feedback to the European Commission About Moving From GAFAM to Free Software
    Nevertheless, go tell them why Software Freedom would benefit Europe's defence and economy
    Distortion of the Facts About Mass Layoffs at IBM
    more layoffs are ahead
    Gemini Links 27/01/2026: "Waiting Isn't a Waste", Posting from Lynx, and Bookmarks
    Links for the day
    Links 27/01/2026: "Oracle Debt and TikTok Transition Troubles Vex the Ellison Media Empire", Richard Stallman Quoted on Copyrights
    Links for the day
    Steven Field (Red Hat) Speaks of "Recent Layoff" (RA/Wave) in Red Hat
    IBM really doesn't like it when people talk about "RAs"
    The "Alicante Mafia" - Part XIII - Is EPO Vice-President Steve Rowan in Cahoots With the "Alicante Mafia"?
    that deserves much media attention, political intervention, and condemnation
    A Week Ago We Contacted the EPO's Stephen (Steve) Rowan About Cocainegate
    Tomorrow we'll write some more about Rowan
    “Wikilaundering” Explained
    "London PR firm rewrites Wikipedia for governments and billionaires"
    IBM Reports 'Results' Tomorrow, Expect More "RAs" (Mass Layoffs)
    they use words like "efficiency", "optimisation", "AI", "pivot", "modernisation" and so on
    Earlier This Month Microsoft Lunduke Said in Public It Was Good That Renee Good Was Murdered, Now He Mocks or Demonises People for Saying the US is Unsafe
    Don't be easily conned by demagogues
    Google News and "Linux" Slop
    Why won't Google be interested in tackling this issue? Instead Google has been trying to participate in this issue.
    IBM Kills Red Hat in the Darkness
    What IBM does to Red Hat is malicious
    IBM Red Hat's Goal Is Not Real Security (It Probably Never Was)
    Spies and trolls are very malicious people and sometimes they're the same thing
    With Absurd Lies About Slop, Which Lacks Intelligence or Financial Potential, GAFAM and IBM Will Twist Mass Layoffs as 'Efficiency Drive' or 'AI Pivot'
    More layoffs are on the way
    Animal Advocacy Works
    All it takes is effort and determination
    EPO Strike This Week
    What has happened to Europe?
    Over at Tux Machines...
    GNU/Linux news for the past day
    IRC Proceedings: Monday, January 26, 2026
    IRC logs for Monday, January 26, 2026
    For the EPO to Survive, António Campinos and the "Alicante Mafia" Must Fall on Their Sword
    There are EPO insiders who are convinced Campinos too is (or was) a cocaine addict
    Some Slopfarms and Some Real News Sites Cover Richard Stallman’s (RMS) Talk
    If his message about Software Freedom spreads, then we're all better off
    Gemini Links 26/01/2026: Pocket Power Pack, Batteries, and Breaks
    Links for the day
    "Microsoft Vista 11 Emergency Update" as Windows Fails to Boot (Again)
    Microsoft is desperately trying to find some new business model as the debt soars
    4 Hours Ago The Register MS Published Paid-for Spam About "AI" (Slop, Buzzwords)
    "AI" mentioned 13 times in the page
    IBM 'Results' Due Wednesday Evening, Expect Clues About Mass Layoffs
    Don't expect IBM to say anything about "layoffs" or "RAs"
    The Fall of the EPO (or the "Alicante Mafia" at EPO) Will be Due to This Reckless Lawyer Who Does Cocaine in Public While Speaking for the EPO
    The longer European politicians (and media) turn a blind eye to this corruption, the worse it'll get
    Why RMS is Scary to GAFAM 'Engineers' and the GAFAM Apologists (or Addicts)
    especially because of his ideas and his way of life
    Firefox 'Market Share' Down to All-Time Low in 2026, Adding to It User-Hostile 'Features' Only Worsens Things
    What is the goal of Mozilla at this point?
    Links 26/01/2026: Windows Back Doors, American Winter Storm, and Report Says Iran's "Protest Death Toll May Exceed 30,000"
    Links for the day
    Life Got Simpler and Therefore Also Healthier and Happier
    Some people envy not wealth but happiness (which they're unable to attain, even with hoarding and accumulation)
    Richard Stallman's Experiences With 'Cancel Brigades' Ought to Educate Linus Torvalds
    Now they talk about "if Linus dies" scenarios
    Links 26/01/2026: Financial Stress in German Farms and Germany Wants to Take Its Gold Reserves Out of the US
    Links for the day
    Gemini Links 26/01/2026: "Lack of Meaningful Things" and Getting Back to Programming
    Links for the day
    Strong Correlation Between the Slop Ponzi Scheme (or Bubble) and Major Disasters
    BitCoin ruins the planet; so does slop
    We Will Never Allow the "Alicante Mafia" to Hide "Cocainegate"
    transparency typically scares malicious actors
    Fewer Involuntary Interruptions This Year
    This year we're doing much better
    Prisons Are for Dangerous People Who Pose a Threat to the Public, Not People Who Inform the Public
    At the end of the week EPO workers go on strike
    Microsoft Loses Grip on Indian Ocean
    Many countries, including in older allies of the US (such as Canada and the US), look for ways to get out of Microsoft dependence urgently
    XBox Consoles Nearly Dead by Now, the 'XBox' (ex-Box) Brand Now Stands for Something Full of Slop, Spam, Filler, and Chaff
    We're seeing the last day (maybe year) of "XBox"
    The Great "AI" CON Explained by Dr. Andy Farnell
    LLMs are basically advertisers of sorts
    Links 26/01/2026: "Journalists Detained", in Germany "Unjustly Jailed Man Gets €1.3 Million Compensation"
    Links for the day
    Red Hat Quietly Going Extinct After Bluewashing in 2026
    At this point it would be rather foolish to assume that IBM will let Red Hat just "do its own thing" or maintain its corporate culture, identity, projects etc.
    The "Alicante Mafia" - Part XII - Kris De Neef and Roberta Romano-Götsch, Who Stepped in for the Cokehead, Have No Comment on His Cocaine Usage (and the EPO's Cover-up)
    Sh-t floats to the top.
    Over at Tux Machines...
    GNU/Linux news for the past day
    IRC Proceedings: Sunday, January 25, 2026
    IRC logs for Sunday, January 25, 2026
    Gemini Links 26/01/2026: Cold Perception, Software Patches in NixOS, and Sunk Cost Fallacy
    Links for the day