Links 12/06/2024: Ukraine War Updates and Many Patents Being Subjected to Squashing Bounties
Contents
-
Leftovers
-
Mexico News Daily ☛ 35 pre-Columbian artifacts returned to Mexico by US Department of Homeland Security
Mexico has repatriated a total of 87 pre-Columbian artifacts from the United States so far this year.
-
Education
-
Reason ☛ Can Biden's New Student Loan Program Be Stopped?
Several lawsuits are attempting to stop the SAVE program but with uncertain impact.
-
-
Hardware
-
University of Michigan ☛ Electronic dust and museums: My crush on physical photos
In Netflix’s 2017 “Kodachrome,” an ode to the end of Kodak’s film stock of the same name, fictional photojournalist Ben Ryder (Ed Harris) makes an apocryphal observation. “People are taking more pictures now than ever before,” the character muses. “Billions of ‘em. But, there’s no slides, no prints. They’re just data, electronic dust.
-
Tom's Hardware ☛ Unexpected defective chip maker Intel military chip contract drained $3 billion from CHIPS Act, Senate mulls auction to restore funds
The U.S. Senate is looking for ways to increase CHIPS Act funding after the Pentagon pulled out of its $2.5 billion commitment to the 'Secure Enclave' project for building defense chips.
-
-
Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
-
European Commission ☛ Remarks by Commissioner Stella Kyriakides at the Press Seminar on Antimicrobial Resistance
European Commission Speech Brussels, 11 Jun 2024
Good morning to everyone,
for the first time at EU level, health has really been given the importance that it deserves.
-
-
Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
-
Tedium ☛ Adobe’s Slow Decay
The problem with Adobe is not any single decision it has made. It is the company’s longer track record, which suggests a genuine lack of respect for non-enterprise users. They’re allowing things to rot.
-
-
Security
-
Privacy/Surveillance
-
Security Week ☛ Supreme Court Will Take Up Meta’s Bid to End Lawsuit Over Cambridge Analytica Privacy Scandal
The Supreme Court will take up Meta’s bid to end the lawsuit over the Cambridge Analytica privacy scandal.
-
RFA ☛ Police video of detained Vietnamese 'monk' allays fears
Internet sensation Thich Minh Tue had gone missing after authorities raided his pilgrimage camp last week.
-
-
-
Defence/Aggression
-
ADF ☛ Saudi-Emirati Rivalry Stokes Conflict in Sudan
ADF STAFF Two Gulf countries are playing an outsized role in Sudan’s civil war as they compete for diplomatic and military influence. Rivals Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been accused of making Sudan’s conflict more intractable by taking opposing sides.
-
ADF ☛ Ghana Navy’s First Female Commanding Officer Inspires Others
One of the many points of pride in the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF) is its embrace of gender equality and policies to integrate women into the military. Lt. Cdr. Priscilla Ami Dogbeda Dzokoto, the first female commanding officer of a Ghana Navy ship, embodies the GAF’s success. “We have had females be generals.
-
Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Taiwan amps up security after ex-Chinese navy captain enters illegally by boat
Taiwanese authorities on Tuesday identified a Chinese national arrested for illegally entering the island by boat as a former naval captain, saying they could not rule out the possibility the incursion was a “test” of their defences.
-
ADF ☛ Counterfeit Currency in the DRC Funds Terrorism and Human Trafficking
In early 2023, Ugandan officials arrested a 24-year-old man from the Democratic Republic of the Congo who had entered the country illegally with forged documents. In his luggage they found $500,000 in counterfeit money.
-
New York Times ☛ Chiquita Banana Held Liable for Paramilitary Group’s Killings During Colombian Civil War
A South Florida jury found the company liable for killings committed by a paramilitary group that was on the banana producer’s payroll.
-
New York Times ☛ Here’s a Look at the U.N.-Endorsed Cease-Fire Proposal for Gaza
The Security Council can’t force anyone to adopt the plan, but its passage of a resolution backing it increases pressure on both sides to make a deal.
-
New York Times ☛ Middle East Crisis: Israel and Hamas Signal Openness to Cease-Fire Plan, but Stop Short of Accepting It
The fate of a U.S.-backed cease-fire proposal remained unclear a day after the U.N. Security Council voted to endorse it.
-
France24 ☛ UN Security Council adopts US resolution for 'immediate and complete cease-fire' in Gaza
The UN Security Council on Monday approved its first resolution endorsing a cease-fire plan aimed at ending the eight-month war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
-
France24 ☛ New Haiti government formed to tackle gang violence, political chaos
A new government was formed in Haiti on Tuesday, tasked with restoring security and stability in the Caribbean nation that is ravaged by gang violence and political chaos.
-
Atlantic Council ☛ Friend-sourcing military procurement: Technology acquisition as security cooperation
Jim Hasik reviews the nine cases of US "friend-sourcing" of major military systems and finds they brought good quality, speed, and economy.
-
Democracy Now ☛ “Clear Shift” Toward the Far Right: Anti-Immigrant Nationalists Gain Ground Across Europe
Residents in all 27 countries of the European Union went to the polls this weekend to vote for the European Parliament, which resulted in a surge of support for far-right parties across much of the continent while many liberal and Green parties stumbled. Far-right parties did especially well in Italy, Germany and France, prompting French President Emmanuel Macron to dissolve the National Assembly and call snap elections. Lawmakers in the European Parliament can veto and shape laws, though they cannot introduce them. They also set the EU’s budget and approve the selection of the European Commission president — a powerful role currently held by Ursula von der Leyen of the center-right European People’s Party, which remains the strongest bloc. For more on European politics, we speak with Mehreen Khan, the economics editor at The Times of London and a former Brussels and EU correspondent for the Financial Times. Khan says that while some observers celebrated the relative strength of mainstream conservative parties, that is more a reflection of how successful racist, nationalist parties have been in reshaping the continent’s politics, particularly on immigration. “These formerly center-right parties are now definitely occupying territory that we used to call that of the far right,” she says.
-
Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
-
European Commission ☛ President von der Leyen attends the 2024 Ukraine Recovery Conference
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen participated at the annual Ukraine Recovery Conference and highlighted in her opening speech [...]
-
European Commission ☛ Opening speech by President von der Leyen at the Ukraine Recovery Conference
-
European Commission ☛ Commission proposes to extend temporary protection for people fleeing Russian aggression against Ukraine until March 2026
European Commission Press release Brussels, 11 Jun 2024 Today, the Commission has proposed to extend the temporary protection for people fleeing Russia's aggression against Ukraine for another year [...]
-
Latvia ☛ Stoltenberg in Rīga: 'We need to step up support to Ukraine'
NATO Secretary General Jens Stoltenberg was in Rīga, Latvia, June 11 to attend the B9 summit and collect a state decoration, as previously reported by LSM.
-
Latvia ☛ Baltic, Polish parliamentary speakers call for more help for Ukraine
The parliamentary speakers of Poland, Latvia, Lithuania, Estonia and Ukraine today issued a joint declaration in Białystok, Poland.
-
Latvia ☛ Latvia on board with new Ukraine Communications Group
Latvia is part of a new initiative that aims to cut through the vast trash of Russian disinformation and propaganda about its war in Ukraine.
-
Atlantic Council ☛ What to know about the upcoming Swiss Summit on Peace in Ukraine
Russia will not be present, but there are two big reasons to watch what happens at the June 15-16 summit in Switzerland.
-
Atlantic Council ☛ The terrible cost of Russia’s war is being felt far beyond the battlefield
From mental health and population decline to the economy and education, the Russian invasion of Ukraine has had a profoundly negative impact on Ukrainian society that will be felt for generations to come, writes Mark Temnycky.
-
Atlantic Council ☛ Seven ways to reboot G7 sanctions on Russia
Russia is adapting to Western sanctions, but there are viable options to intensify the economic hit on its economy for its brutal war on Ukraine.
-
France24 ☛ Russia, Belarus launch second stage of joint tactical nuclear weapons drills
Russia and its ally Belarus on Tuesday launched a second stage of drills intended to train their troops in tactical nuclear weapons, part of the Kremlin's efforts to discourage the West from ramping up support for Ukraine.
-
JURIST ☛ Amnesty International urges focus on human rights in Ukraine-related conferences
Amnesty International urged the global community to focus on “human rights, justice for victims of violations, and the voice of civil society groups” during two major peace and reconstruction conferences in Ukraine, in a statement issued on Monday.
-
RFERL ☛ New Measures To Punish Russia To Be Unveiled At G7 Summit, U.S. Says
The White House on June 11 said new measures will be announced to punish Russia for its aggression against Ukraine when the G7 meets this week, including action on the use of frozen Russian assets to aid Kyiv.
-
RFERL ☛ EU Commission Seeks To Allow Ukrainian Refugees To Stay Until March 2026
The European Commission on June 11 proposed a move to allow Ukrainians who have fled "Russian aggression" to remain in the European Union until March 4, 2026, extending its Temporary Protection Directive by one year.
-
RFERL ☛ Russian Man Gets 10 Days In Jail For T-Shirt With Ukrainian Symbols
A Moscow court on June 11 sentenced a 59-year-old resident to 10 days in jail for wearing a T-shirt emblazoned with Ukrainian symbols and the slogan "Glory to Ukraine."
-
RFERL ☛ U.S. Lifts Weapons Ban On High-Profile Ukrainian Military Unit With A Controversial Past
The U.S. has removed restrictions on the transfer of American weapons and training to the controversial Ukrainian military unit the Azov Brigade.
-
RFERL ☛ Zelenskiy Seeks Billions For Ukraine's Defense, Postwar Recovery At Conference
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy says he expects to secure billions of euros in pledges for his country's defense and postwar reconstruction while attending the Ukraine Recovery Conference in Berlin.
-
TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ US will send Ukraine another Patriot missile system after Kyiv’s desperate calls for air defenses
The United States will send Ukraine another Patriot missile system, two U.S. officials said Tuesday, answering Kyiv’s desperate calls for more air defenses as it battles an intense Russian assault on the northeastern Kharkiv region.
-
The Straits Times ☛ Two Indian nationals killed in the Russia-Ukraine conflict
Two Indian nationals recruited by the Russian army were recently killed in the war between Russia and Ukraine, the Indian foreign ministry said on Tuesday.
-
New York Times ☛ U.S. to Send Another Patriot Missile Battery to Ukraine
The system is one of the best air-defense weapons, but the United States and its allies have a limited supply.
-
New York Times ☛ America Needs Big Wins. These Would Be Three.
Israel, Ukraine and American democracy are on the line.
-
Site36 ☛ Thinning air for conscripts: Berlin is balancing interests of Kiev with human right to conscientious objection
Do conscripted Ukrainians have to return home to renew their passports? The German Federal Ministry of the Interior sees an obligation to do so – actually. Before the Ukraine Reconstruction Conference in Berlin, Development Minister Svenja Schulze ( Social Democratic Party, SPD) ruled out the possibility of forcing Ukrainian refugees to return to Germany.
-
Latvia ☛ ERR: Baltics to unplug from BRELL next February
The Baltic States will be disconnected from the BRELL electricity supply loop connecting Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia with Belarus and Russia on February 8, 2025, Estonian public broadcaster ERR reports June 11.
-
Latvia ☛ UK ambassador in Latvia visits Daugavpils
The British Ambassador to Latvia, Paul Brummell, visited the second-largest Latvian city Daugavpils on June 10, LSM's Russian language service reports.
-
LRT ☛ Lithuanian customs officers seize firearms parts from Russian citizen
Lithuanian customs officials have seized suspected firearms parts from a Russian citizen who tried to bring them in from Belarus.
-
RFERL ☛ Kremlin Critic Novikov Sentenced In Absentia
A Moscow court on June 11 sentenced in absentia noted Russian lawyer and outspoken Kremlin critic Ilya Novikov to 8 1/5 years in prison on charge of spreading false information about Russia's military.
-
RFERL ☛ Court Denies Early Release For Mother Of Chechen Activists Over Change Of Diagnosis
A court in Russia's North Caucasus region of Chechnya rejected a request by Zarema Musayeva, the imprisoned mother of three self-exiled outspoken Chechen opposition activists, for an early release over her state of health.
-
RFERL ☛ Second Probe Reportedly Launched Against Self-Exiled Tatar Activist
The Chelny-biz.ru website in Russia's Republic of Tatarstan said on June 11 that local officials have launched a second probe against self-exiled Tatar activist Rafis Kashapov. According
-
CS Monitor ☛ The Soviets stifled volunteerism in Russia. Torrential flooding may be reviving it.
The idea of volunteers organizing to help in a crisis is not new in the West. But when it happened amid recent massive flooding in Russia, it was a surprise.
-
Meduza ☛ ‘They knock you out and put you on the plane’: To keep its ranks filled, Russia is imprisoning objectors and sending them to war at gunpoint — Meduza
-
RFERL ☛ Former Wagner Fighter Jailed For Murder After Return From Ukraine War
A court in the Russian Urals region of Orenburg on June 11 sentenced a former Wagner mercenary group fighter to 18 years in prison for stabbing to death his friend's mother, attempting to murder his friend, and theft.
-
LRT ☛ Belarus sentences Lithuanian woman to 6 years in prison for espionage
The Minsk court has found Lithuanian citizen Elena Ramanauskienė guilty of espionage and sentenced her to six years in prison, the country’s media reports.
-
RFERL ☛ Poland To Reintroduce Buffer Zone At Belarusian Border On June 13
Poland will reintroduce a buffer zone at its border with Belarus, the Deputy Interior Minister Czeslaw Mroczek said on June 10.
-
Atlantic Council ☛ Victory in Ukraine would dramatically strengthen Putin’s war machine
Victory in Ukraine would greatly strengthen Russia militarily, economically, and strategically, while severely weakening the West. Faced with such uniquely favorable circumstances, it is fanciful to suggest a triumphant Putin would simply stop, writes Peter Dickinson.
-
The Straits Times ☛ North Korea's Kim boasts of 'invincible' ties with Russia amid talks of Putin visit
This comes amid speculation over President Vladimir Putin's impending visit to North Korea.
-
-
-
-
Environment
-
Energy/Transportation
-
H2 View ☛ Grey hydrogen users will be first major green hydrogen producers
“Green hydrogen is an inevitable material for refineries,” the MOL Group executive told H2 View. “Where supply security questions also arise, I believe refineries are going to need local production of green hydrogen.”
-
-
Wildlife/Nature
-
ADF ☛ Report: Wildlife in Sub-Saharan Africa Decimated by Traffickers
ADF STAFF Sub-Saharan Africa plays a major role in the global illicit trade in wildlife materials, particularly in the flow of materials into Asia, according to a new analysis by the United Nations.
-
-
-
Finance
-
Pro Publica ☛ Georgia Fails to Help Foster Youth in Need of Housing Vouchers
Malik Johnson thought he was doing well after he turned 21 and left foster care, working two jobs to afford his apartment south of Atlanta.
But last fall, everything started to fall apart: His car transmission failed, so he couldn’t reach his second job. He fell behind on rent.
-
Economic Jitters Press Companies To Cut Workforce In Waves
-
Activision QA supplier Lionbridge accused of retaliatory layoffs in "union busting" move
US labour union the CWA (Communications Workers of America) have filed Unfair Labor Practice charges against Activision QA supplier Lionbridge Technologies. As Game Developer reports, the CWA allege that Lionbridge fired an entire 160-person team in Idaho in retaliation for union-related activities.
The CWA accuse Lionbridge, who also subcontract labour to Activision owner Microsoft, of making the layoffs "in retaliation for workers engaging in protected organizing activities and protected speech when raising issues regarding their working conditions."
-
Latvia ☛ Financial services still a relatively small sector in Latvia
Data published by Eurostat June 10 suggests that Latvia's banking, financial services and insurance sector remains a relatively small part of the economy compared with most EU peers, despite its high profile.
-
New York Times ☛ Is America Getting Interest Rates Wrong?
Why higher rates are replacing inflation as the thing to hate.
-
-
AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
-
New York Times ☛ Robert De Niro Doesn’t Mind Being Celebrated
Blake Lively, Jude Law, Selma Blair and many more turned out for the Tribeca Film Festival’s annual artists dinner, ahead of a weekend devoted to Mr. De Niro’s work.
-
New York Times ☛ Modest Needs Charity Founder Charged With Embezzling Funds for His Lifestyle
Prosecutors say that Keith Taylor, head of Modest Needs, crowdsourced donations for the poor but spent hundreds of thousands of dollars at high-end restaurants.
-
Press Gazette ☛ Media manifestos 2024: Conservatives want to reform BillBC complaints process
The Conservative Party has pledged to continue its policy of not reviving Leveson 2.
-
The Kent Stater ☛ Hunter Biden convicted on all 3 charges at federal gun trial
CNN — A federal jury has convicted Hunter Biden on all three federal felony gun charges he faced, concluding that he violated laws meant to prevent drug addicts from owning firearms.
-
-
Censorship/Free Speech
-
JURIST ☛ Slovakia public media employees strike decrying government censorship
Employees of Slovakia’s public radio and television broadcaster, Radio and Television Slovakia (RTVS), went on a three-hour walkout strike Monday to protest against government plans to overhaul the broadcasting service in a manner that they say allows the government to insert influence on news and other media content.
-
-
Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
-
ADF ☛ Juntas Turning Sahel into ‘Information Desert’
When reports surfaced in late April that the Burkinabe Army massacred hundreds of civilians, its military-led government sprang into action. It suspended a host of media outlets, blocked websites, and shut down radio and television broadcasts, while warning international media networks not to report on the story.
-
JURIST ☛ Israel extends Al Jazeera ban by 45 days after cabinet agrees broadcasts ‘threaten national security’
The Israeli Ministry of Communications on Sunday announced an extension to the ban on broadcasts/news channel Al Jazeera to 45 days after unanimous support by the government.
-
Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong prosecutors close case against Jimmy Lai, defence to argue in July insufficient evidence to proceed
Hong Kong prosecutors have closed their case against pro-democracy media tycoon Jimmy Lai in a landmark national security trial. The proceedings will resume in late July, when the defence lawyers are set to argue that Lai has “no case to answer.”
-
-
Civil Rights/Policing
-
OpenRightsGroup ☛ ORG publishes digital rights priorities for next government
Open Rights Group has published its six priorities for digital rights that the next UK government should focus on. The pledges are part of a wider agenda for digital rights that was sent to political parties earlier this year.
-
OpenRightsGroup ☛ Digital Rights Manifesto
We are asking all candidates in the General Election to protect digital rights in the next Parliament. ORG’s Digital Rights Manifesto After a sustained period of attacks on our rights to privacy and freedom of expression, we call on all candidates and political parties to protect digital rights.
-
France24 ☛ 'Strategist of nonviolence': US civil rights leader Rev. James Lawson dies at 95
The Rev. James Lawson Jr., an apostle of nonviolent protest who schooled activists to withstand brutal reactions from white authorities as the Civil Rights Movement gained traction, has died, his family said Monday. He was 95.
-
-
Patents
-
Unified Patents ☛ PATROLL’s Crowd-Sourced Submissions Available For Download
PATROLL is the world’s first crowd-sourced prior art contest forum where Unified Patents puts a monetary bounty on PAE- and NPE-owned patents. We engage the general public to submit prior art to improve overall patent monopoly quality. All submissions are reviewed by Unified's legal team to identify winning prior art, and we provide the invalidity claim chart to the world on the PATROLL portal.
Over the last decade, PATROLL has evolved into a massive platform with hundreds of contests and nearly 5,000 submissions, establishing itself as the world’s largest repository of crowdsourced prior art.
-
Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Advanced Meter Systems meter reading patent monopoly prior art
Unified Patents added a new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on at least claim 1 of U.S. Patent 7,088,239, owned by Advanced Meter Systems, LLC (f/k/a Akoloutheo, LLC). The ‘239 patent monopoly relates to an apparatus for remote utility meter reading, including responses at the premises to fires, gas leaks, and other hazards, by sending alarms to utility companies, the fire department, and other emergency responders, and also emergency adjustment of electricity and gas connections.
-
Unified Patents ☛ $10,000 for Longhorn Automotive auto patents prior art
Unified has added 5 new PATROLL contests, each with a $2,000 cash prize, seeking prior art on the list below. The patents are owned by Longhorn Automotive Group, LLC, an entity of Alpha Alpha Intellectual Partners LLC. The patents generally relate to auto manufacturing and supplies. The patents have all been asserted against Nissan.
-
Unified Patents ☛ OptiMorphix networking patent monopoly challenge instituted
On June 11, 2024, less than three weeks after Unified filed an ex parte reexamination, the Central Reexamination Unit (CRU) granted Unified’s request, finding substantial new questions of patentability on the challenged claims of U.S. Patent 7,031,314, owned by OptiMorphix, Inc. The ‘314 patent monopoly is generally directed to providing differentiated services within a network communication system at a service module.
-
Kluwer Patent Blog ☛ Lost in Translation
Patent claims, and therewith infringement, can get lost in translation. The Dutch first instance court limited a patent’s scope of protection based on the Dutch translation of the claims. The Court of Appeal saw it differently. A thorough review of the translation of the claims remains necessary to avoid unwanted discussions on claim interpretation.
-
Dennis Crouch/Patently-O ☛ Design Patent Examination Updates
Ten years ago – 2014 – the Supreme Court decided Alice Corp v. CLS Bank, holding that – yes indeed – the expansive language of Mayo v. Prometheus (2012) applies equally to software and technology patents. A few weeks later, the USPTO began a dramatic transformation – pulling back notices of allowance and issuing thousands of supplemental office actions. The Federal Circuit’s May 2024 en banc decision in LKQ v. GM is perhaps as dramatic a change for the design patent monopoly arena as Alice was for utility patents. The old Rosen-Durling test made it almost impossible to reject a design patent monopoly as obvious except for extreme cases involving either direct copying or extremely broad claims.
-
Kangaroo Courts
-
JUVE ☛ Case numbers at German courts continue to fall as UPC takes off
The seven German courts specialising in patents recorded 601 new patent monopoly lawsuits in 2023 — a decline of 23.6% compared to the previous year. For the first time, the number fell well below 700 cases. This represents a decrease of one third compared to 2017 when JUVE Patent first analysed the figures.
-
-
-
Trademarks
-
TTAB Blog ☛ Precedential No. 11: TTAB Upholds 2(a) False Connection Refusal of LEATHERNECKS for Motorcycle Club Membership
The Leathernecks Motorcycle Club was thwarted in its attempt to register the collective membership mark LEATHERNECKS in the design form shown immediately below. The Board found that the mark, which indicates membership in a motorcycle club, falsely suggests a connection with the United States Marine Corps in violation of Section 2(a) of the Trademark Act. In re Leathernecks Motorcycle Club International, Inc., Serial No. 90498154 (June 6, 2024) [precedential] (Opinion by Judge Cindy B. Greenbaum).
-
-
Copyrights
-
New York Times ☛ Elon Musk Withdraws His Lawsuit Against Proprietary Chaffbot Company and Sam Altman
The Tesla chief executive had claimed that the Hey Hi (AI) start-up put profits and commercial interests ahead of benefiting humanity.
-
TwinCities Pioneer Press ☛ American investor Martin Shkreli accused of copying and sharing one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album
By JAKE OFFENHARTZ (Associated Press) NEW YORK (AP) — American investor Martin Shkreli is facing a new lawsuit for allegedly retaining and sharing recordings from a one-of-a-kind Wu-Tang Clan album that he was forced to sell following his 2017 conviction on securities fraud charges.
-
Public Domain Review ☛ Looking Backward: Images of Rückenfiguren (ca. 1497–1925)
Spanning half a millennium, these images feature a perspective that art historians call the *Rückenfigur* — a focus on the human back.
-