Leftovers

• Hackaday ☛ Designing A Simpler Cycloidal Drive

  Cycloidal drives have an entrancing motion, as well as a few other advantages – high torque and efficiency, low backlash, and compactness among them. However, much as [Sergei Mishin] likes them, it can be difficult to 3D-print high-torque drives, and it’s sometimes inconvenient to have the input and output shafts in-line. When, therefore, he came across a video of an industrial three-ring reducing drive, which works on a similar principle, he naturally designed his own 3D-printable drive.

• Hackaday ☛ Step Into My Particle Accelerator

  If you get a chance to visit a computer history museum and see some of the very old computers, you’ll think they took up a full room. But if you ask, you’ll often find that the power supply was in another room and the cooling system was in yet another. So when you get a computer that fit on, say, a large desk and maybe have a few tape drives all together in a normal-sized office, people thought of it as “small.” We’re seeing a similar evolution in particle accelerators, which, a new startup company says, can be room-sized according to a post by [Charles Q. Choi] over at IEEE Spectrum.

• Hackaday ☛ DIY Synth Takes Inspiration From Fretted Instruments

  There are a million and one MIDI controllers and synths on the market, but sometimes it’s just more satisfying to make your own. [Turi Scandurra] very much went his own way when he put together his Diapasonix instrument.

• Science

  • European Commission ☛ Digital skills should receive the same amount of attention at school as reading, mathematics, and science latest Eurobarometer reveals

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 11 Dec 2025 Nine in ten Europeans would include digital skills into education at all levels, according to a new Eurobarometer survey published today.

  • Science Alert ☛ Scientists Explain Why You Wake Up Minutes Before Your Alarm

    It might seem strange, but you didn't wake up by chance.

• Hardware

  • Hackaday ☛ Amiibo Emulator Becomes Pocket 2.4 GHz Spectrum Analyzer

    As technology marches on, gear that once required expensive lab equipment is now showing up in devices you can buy for less than a nice dinner. A case in point: those tiny displays originally sold as Nintendo amiibo emulators. Thanks to [ATC1441], one of these pocket-sized gadgets has been transformed into 2.4 GHz spectrum analyzer.

  • Hackaday ☛ Extremely Rare Electric Piano Restoration

    Not only are pianos beautiful musical instruments that have stood the test of many centuries of time, they’re also incredible machines. Unfortunately, all machines wear out over time, which means it’s often not feasible to restore every old piano we might come across. But a few are worth the trouble, and [Emma] had just such a unique machine roll into her shop recently.

  • CNX Software ☛ Up to 16-core AMD EPYC Embedded 2005 Series Zen 5 processors support up 28 PCIe Gen5 lanes, offer 10-year availability

    After the release of the high-performance EPYC Embedded 9005, AMD has now introduced the EPYC Embedded 2005 Series, a mid-range processor family also based on the “Zen 5” architecture and designed for space-constrained networking, storage, and industrial edge applications. The new SoCs feature up to 16 cores (32 threads) with 64 MB L3 cache, support dual-channel DDR5-5600 memory with ECC, and offer 28 lanes of PCIe Gen5 connectivity. It also supports advanced RAS capabilities, BMC, PCIe Hot Plug, multi-SPI ROM, and AMD Infinity Guard security. The processors come in a compact 40 x 40mm BGA package, which, according to AMD, is up to 2.4x smaller than competing enterprise solutions (Intel Xeon 6500P-B).

• Health/Nutrition/Agriculture

  • New York Times ☛ She Studied Mosquitoes to Prevent Malaria. Then She Lost Her Job at U.S.A.I.D.

    Jenny Carlson Donnelly traveled to malaria-affected countries to test mosquitoes and save lives. Then she lost her job at U.S.A.I.D.

  • New York Times ☛ Affordable Care Act Subsidies Are Set to Expire

    Also, Indiana Republicans rejected Convicted Felon’s redistricting push. Here’s the latest at the end of Thursday.

  • Latvia ☛ Blood donations especially welcome ahead of holidays in Latvia

    The State Blood Donor Center (VADC) is awaiting the last two weeks of December with great concern. At the end of this year, there will be two weeks with many days off and only two working days. Therefore, anyone who can is invited to come forward and donate blood before the holidays, Latvian Television reported on 10th December.

  • Latvia ☛ Ninety per cent of Latvia's flu vaccines used up

    Last week, a sharp increase in influenza cases was observed in all areas monitored by the Disease Prevention and Control Centre (SPKC) and in all age groups of the population. Despite this, residents have been actively vaccinating this year, using 90% of the purchased vaccines so far, according to data from the SPKC and the Ministry of Health (VM).

  • Science Alert ☛ One Critical Factor Predicts Longevity Better Than Diet or Exercise, Study Says

    It's vital for almost every aspect of our well-being.

  • Science Alert ☛ Your Blood Type Affects Your Risk of Early Stroke, Study Reveals

    It's important to know.

  • Science Alert ☛ 'Ozempic' For Cats Is Coming, And Vets Are Testing It on Overweight Pets

    It's still very early days.

  • Science Alert ☛ New Blood Pressure Guidelines Mean You Could Now Have Hypertension

    The bar has been lowered.

  • Science Alert ☛ Microplastics Can Spread Dangerous Pathogens, Scientists Warn

    It's not always just plastic.

• Proprietary

  • Artificial Intelligence (AI) / LLM Slop / Plagiarism

    • NYPost ☛ ChatGPT chatbot’s jaw-dropping response when asked about its alleged role in murder-suicide case

      OpenAI hasn't commented on ChatGPT's alleged culpability in the Connecticut murder -- but its chatbot sure did.

    • Press Gazette ☛ London news website publishes misleading ‘AI-generated fiction’

      AI red flags include multiple subheadings stating 'Inverted Pyramid Structure'.

    • Futurism ☛ Another AI-Powered Children’s Toy Just Got Caught Having Wildly Inappropriate Conversations

      Let an Hey Hi (AI) toy introduce your tot to the concept of "pet play."

    • Futurism ☛ Time Magazine Deploys Hey Hi (AI) “Ask Me Anything” Box That Covers Up Its Actual Journalism and Can’t Be Closed

      Thanks, we hate it.

    • Futurism ☛ Project to Resurrect Dead Grandmas Sparks Controversy

      Let's live, Grandma!

    • Futurism ☛ McDonald’s Issues Extremely Weird Response to Its Disastrous Hey Hi (AI) Ad

      "There is no consequence these companies cannot survive, they can not be held accountable, therefore they do not actually respond to backlash."

    • New York Times ☛ Can Proprietary Chaffbot Company Respond After Surveillance Giant Google Closes the Hey Hi (AI) Technology Gap?

      A new technology release from Proprietary Chaffbot Company is supposed to top what Surveillance Giant Google recently produced. It also shows Proprietary Chaffbot Company is engaged in a new and more difficult competition.

  • Social Control Media

    • The Straits Times ☛ Reddit files lawsuit against Australia’s social control media ban

      Reddit called the ban “invalid on the ground that it infringes the implied freedom of political communication".

    • New York Times ☛ After Australia, Which Countries Could Be Next to Ban Social Control Media for Children

      Governments are studying the decision to prohibit youths from using platforms like Facebook (Farcebook) and Fentanylware (CheeTok) as worries grow about the potential harm they cause.

• Security

  • Privacy/Surveillance

    • Martin Thompson: The Hacklore Letter and Privacy

      Before I start, go and read https://www.hacklore.org/letter.

      When it comes to endpoint security, unless you are operating in the “Mossad” threat model^[1], this is solid advice.

      The letter is absolutely right that the advice we used to give people about operational security practices has not aged well.

    • Digital Music News ☛ Shazam Can Now Tell You the Most Popular Moment of a Song

      Shazam rolls out a new feature that reveals the most popular moments of a particular song among its listeners. Apple-owned song identification platform Shazam has announced a new feature, Popular Segments, that shows exactly which parts of a song are the most popular among listeners.

    • Privacy International ☛ The Forrest Dump Administration wants your DNA and social control media

• Defence/Aggression

  • France24 ☛ Is the US interested in Venezuela's oil?

    The US' motives are unclear after it seizes a sanctioned oil tanker off the coast of Venezuela. France's last major home appliance maker goes bust. Disney strikes a deal with OpenAI. And, Lidl gets creative with its advertising, with a competition to win its "Eau de croissant".

  • JURIST ☛ ECOWAS declares state of emergency as coups threaten rule of law

    The Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) on Tuesday announced a regional state of emergency following a wave of coups and attempted coups that have destabilized several member countries on the western region bloc.

  • New York Times ☛ Man Accused in Charlie Kirk Killing Makes First Court Appearance in Person

    Tyler Robinson faces murder charges in Utah in the Sept. 10 assassination of Mr. Kirk, the political activist and ally of Hell Toupée.

  • New York Times ☛ Hamas Committed War Crimes in 2023 Attack on Israel, Amnesty International Says

    The rights group said it had documented atrocities committed by Palestinian armed groups, including murder, imprisonment, torture and sexual violence.

  • JURIST ☛ ICC sentences Sudan militia leader to 20 years for atrocities committed during civil war

    The International Criminal Court (ICC) handed down a 20-year prison sentence on Tuesday to former Janjaweed militia leader Ali Muhammad Ali Abd-Al-Rahman for war crimes and crimes against humanity committed in the Darfur region of Sudan.

  • Hong Kong Free Press ☛ US, Japan conduct joint air exercise after China-Russia patrols

    Japan said Thursday it held a joint air exercise with the United States in a show of force, days after Chinese-Russian patrols in the region and following weeks of diplomatic feuding between Tokyo and Beijing.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Trampolines and live music: Carnival mood at Thai evacuation camp can’t mask villagers’ anxiety

    Resumption of hostilities between Thailand and Cambodia has forced more than half a million people to flee their homes.

  • France24 ☛ 'Dihydroxyacetone Man's foreign policy toward Venezuela unclear, with actions edging dangerously close to red line'

    The United States has seized an oil tanker near the Venezuelan coast, which Caracas denounced as "blatant theft". Maduro maintains that US operations are aimed at toppling his government and seizing Venezuela's oil reserves. All the while, Nobel Peace laureate Maria Corina Machado confirmed publicly that the United States helped her secretly escape Venezuela to travel to Norway to claim her Nobel Peace Prize award, and controversially expressed support for US military action against her country. Ms. Machado, who vanished in January after challenging the rule of authoritarian strongman Nicolas Maduro, emerged on a hotel balcony in Oslo to cheering supporters where she vowed to return home. For in-depth analysis and a deeper perspective, Genie Godula welcomes Dr. Eduardo Rios, Director of Gnosis Advisory, member of the CERI-Sciences Po’s Political Observatory of Latin America and the Caribbean (OPALC).

  • The Straits Times ☛ 2 dead after collapse at South Korea library construction site

    The collapse occurred while concrete was being poured at the construction site.

  • The Straits Times ☛ North Korea’s Kim Jong Un lauds sending troops overseas, vows to root out ‘evil’

    At least 600 North Korean troops have died and thousands more sustained wounds, according to South Korean estimates.

  • The Straits Times ☛ ‘Make her ugly so she wouldn’t see other men’: Man in South Korea under probe for scalding Thai wife

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia’s prosecution drops appeal against acquittal of ex-PM Najib’s wife Rosmah

    “We are relieved that she has been completely freed from the charges,” said Rosmah's lawyer.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Japan, US defence chiefs agree China radar incident damaging

    Tokyo claims a Chinese fighter jet used its weapons-targeting radar on Japanese planes on Dec 6.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Demon Slayer movie screening not extended in China amid dispute with Japan

    The film ranks among the 10 highest-grossing overseas animation movies in China.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Radioactive pendant found on passenger at China airport, described as ‘talisman’ from friend

    It registered 168.6 microsieverts per hour – 1,686 times above normal background levels.

  • New York Times ☛ Mexico Approves 50% Tariffs on Many Chinese Imports

    The tariffs will apply to goods from China and other nations. Washington has been pressuring Mexico to move away from dealing with China.

  • Mexico News Daily ☛ China urges Mexico to reverse 50% tariffs ‘as soon as possible’

    The new tariffs are not a political measure but rather aim to protect Mexican industry from cheap imports, Economy Minister Ebrard said Thursday.

  • The Straits Times ☛ China keeps buying sushi, Japan’s cars as Pooh-tin keeps spat in check

    Asia’s top economies might be at loggerheads, but for China’s 1.4 billion shoppers it’s largely business as normal.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Pakistan’s ex-spy chief jailed for 14 years in rare military rebuke

    The charges ‍included ⁠misuse of authority and resources and causing wrongful loss to individuals.

  • New York Times ☛ Pakistan’s Ex-Spy Chief Sentenced to Prison After Court-Martial

    Lt. Gen. Faiz Hameed, an ally of the former prime minister, Imran Khan, once led Pakistan’s powerful Inter-Services Intelligence agency.

  • JURIST ☛ Indonesia repatriates drug trafficking convicts to the Netherlands

    Indonesia repatriated two Dutch nationals, with one of them on death row, to the Netherlands on Monday, following a bilateral agreement signed between the two countries. Both were convicted of smuggling illegal substances and had served lengthy sentences under the Indonesian drug laws before their repatriation.

  • New York Times ☛ Louvre Heist Was Filmed Live, but the Guards Weren’t Watching

    Investigators said that a security camera recorded thieves preparing to burgle the Louvre. The museum’s director said previously that the camera was facing the wrong way.

  • New York Times ☛ America Is Entering Its Third Civil War

    Dihydroxyacetone Man is not interested in refighting the Cold War. He is, in my view, interested in fighting the civilizational war over what is the American “home.”

  • New York Times ☛ Kristi Noem Testifies Before House Panel Amid Immigration Crackdown

    Kristi Noem, the homeland security secretary, has overseen Hell Toupée’s immigration policy, including efforts to detain more immigrants and pause visa applications.

  • France24 ☛ More than 400 civilians killed in fighting in eastern Congo

    In tonight's edition, Regional officials say over 400 civilians have been killed since December 1st in the area of Uvira in the Democratic Republic of Congo: we speak to the DRC Minister of Communication, Patrick Muyaya. Also, Kenya has pulled the brakes on a landmark health pact with the United States, over data privacy concerns. And in Ivory Coast the story of Sundiata Keita, the founder of the Mali Empire, meets the stage.

  • Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine

    • LRT ☛ Former Snoras bank owners detained in France on Lithuanian arrest warrant

      Russian citizen Vladimir Antonov, one of the former shareholders of Lithuania’s collapsed Snoras bank, has been detained in Baden, France, under a European arrest warrant issued by Lithuanian prosecutors, the Prosecutor General’s Office said Thursday.

    • RFERL ☛ In Stark Warning, NATO's Rutte Says Alliance Is 'Russia's Next Target'

      NATO chief Mark Rutte warned members of the military alliance must treat the threat posed by Moscow more urgently as they may be "Russia's next target."

    • Atlantic Council ☛ Russia’s insistence on a defenseless Ukraine betrays Putin’s true intentions

      Russia's key demands during US-led peace talks all appear designed to leave Ukraine disarmed and defenseless. This is a clear indication of Vladimir Putin's intention to continue his invasion and complete the conquest of Ukraine, writes Peter Dickinson.

    • France24 ☛ The US proposal for "free economic zone" in Ukraine's east 'is a trap', analyst says

      The US is pushing for a demilitarised "free economic zone" between Russian and Ukrainian troops in the east of the country as part of a settlement to end the war, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said Thursday. Speaking on FRANCE 24, Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative says that Russian President Vladimir Putin 'has gotten himself an ally such as the US President and is gangpressing Europeans into going along with a capitulatory peace agreement'.

    • European Commission ☛ Commissioner Kos: Press Point after informal ministerial meeting in Lviv

      Ukraine's future EU membership is the political arm of Europe's security guarantee for Ukraine. It is the surest way to a prosperous and stable Ukraine.

    • European Commission ☛ Joint Statement between Commissioner Marta Kos and Deputy Prime Minister of Ukraine Taras Kachka

      On 11 December 2025, following the informal meeting of Ministers for European Affairs held in Lviv, we reaffirm our shared commitment to advancing Ukraine's [...]

    • Bridge Michigan ☛ Russian cargo jet grounded 16 years in Upper Peninsula may soon fly again

      The plane was grounded in 2009 amid court battles over who had rights to the aircraft. Today, Ukrainian engineers plan to ready the plane for new life.

    • France24 ☛ Zelensky says US still pushing territorial concessions from Ukraine as part of peace plan

      The US is still trying to convince Kyiv to concede territories to Russia, Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky said on Thursday. Washington wants for Ukraine – and not Russia – to withdraw its troops from parts of the Donetsk region, where a "free economic zone" would be installed, Zelensky told reporters.

    • France24 ☛ Frozen assets debate: 'this is no time for legal niceties', analyst says

      Russian frozen assets will have to be used for Ukraine at some point, Belgium's deputy prime minister Vincent Van Peteghem said on Thursday, adding however Belgium "would not take any reckless compromises" before it agreed to any deal over this. Peter Zalmayev, Director of the Eurasia Democracy Initiative, says Belgium has been pushing a 'defeatist rhetoric', 'repeating Kremlin's lines about how Russia is pre-destined to win this war'.

    • France24 ☛ NATO chief Rutte warns allies to step up defence spending or be Russia's next target

      NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday urged alliance members to realise that they are Russia's next targets, urging them to step up defence efforts to prevent a possible war with Moscow "on the scale our grandparents endured". Rutte also argued that a peace plan in Ukraine would be a test of whether Russia "really wants peace".

    • New York Times ☛ Zelensky Says Revised U.S. Plan Still Calls for Ukraine to Leave Donbas

      The Ukrainian leader rejected the demand, making clear that territorial issues remain unresolved as Ukraine and Europe sent a counterproposal to the United States.

    • New York Times ☛ Russia Warns Poland Over Arrest of a Researcher Wanted by Ukraine

      Poland detained a Russian archaeologist who works on an ancient site in Crimea, which Russia seized in 2014. Ukraine calls the work illegal.

    • Meduza ☛ Russia’s Central Bank sues Belgian clearinghouse Euroclear over frozen assets as E.U. weighs ‘reparations loan’ to Ukraine — Meduza

    • Meduza ☛ How Ukrainian and Belarusian hackers wreaked havoc on Russia’s flagship airline and exposed its role in the war — Meduza

    • Latvia ☛ Former Latvian bank owner Antonov arrested in France

      A banker who presided over the collapse of an historic Latvian bank and fled to Russia appears finally to be within the reach of justice, the LETA newswire reports.

    • France24 ☛ NATO's Rutte warns allies they are Russia's next target

      NATO chief Mark Rutte on Thursday urged allies to step up defence efforts to prevent a war waged by Russia that could be "on the scale of war our grandparents and great-grandparents endured". FRANCE 24's Dave Keating reports from Brussels.

    • Meduza ☛ Russian lawmakers draft new repressive laws targeting citizens abroad convicted on political charges — Meduza

    • LRT ☛ Chronology of contraband balloon ‘hybrid attack’ – here’s what you should know

      Flights at Vilnius Airport were affected 15 times between October 4 and December 7 amid an influx of smuggling balloons that the Lithuanian officials are calling a hybrid attack by Belarus. Kaunas Airport was also closed once due to threats to aviation safety.

    • LRT ☛ Lithuania seeks EU, US backing to pressure Minsk over smuggler balloons - PM

      Lithuania will press the Belarusian government, with backing from the European Union and the United States, to stop smugglers’ balloons from entering its airspace, and is prepared to impose national measures if those efforts fail, Prime Minister Inga Ruginienė said Thursday.

    • Atlantic Council ☛ “Youth as merchandise”: Iraqi mercenaries in Ukraine

      In Season 2, Episode 13 of the Guns for Hire podcast, host Alia Brahimi is joined by the Iraqi political analyst Mohammed Salih to discuss the legion of Iraqi men turning up on the frontlines of the war in Ukraine.

• Environment

  • New York Times ☛ U.S. Helped to Weaken Report at U.N. Environment Talks, Participants Say

    American officials joined Russia, Saudi Arabia and Iran in objecting to language on fossils fuels, biodiversity and plastics in a report that was three years in the making.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysia to provide cash aid to Indonesian students affected by floods

    Indonesia is one of the largest sources of international students in Malaysia.

  • Science Alert ☛ Mars Has a Surprising Influence on Earth's Climate, Scientists Discover

    Even from 140 million miles away.

  • Energy/Transportation

    • New York Times ☛ Ford’s Car of the Future, Hatched in a Skunk Works Near Los Angeles

      Desperate to catch up with Chinese automakers, Ford is redesigning its fleet with a Silicon Valley-style team. Is it too late?

  • Wildlife/Nature

    • New York Times ☛ Killer Whales Find an ‘Unlikely Friend’ in Dolphins

      Off the coast of British Columbia, dolphins lead killer whales to salmon and earn their share of lunch, a new study reveals.

• Finance

  • RFERL ☛ Bulgarian PM Zhelyazkov Resigns After Mass Protests Against Tax Hikes, Corruption

    Prime Minister Rosen Zhelyazkov and his government resigned on December 11 following some of the largest protests in modern Bulgaria's history over a 2026 budget that would see taxes hiked and social-security contributions raised by a government many Bulgarians view as corrupt.

• AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics

  • European Commission ☛ Europeans see strong benefits from EU membership and call for a more assertive Union

    European Commission Press release Brussels, 11 Dec 2025 The latest Eurobarometer shows that nearly three quarters of EU citizens consider that their country has benefited from EU membership. Support for the euro, as well as for common defence and security, is among the highest ever recorded. In a contested geopolitical environment, Europeans increasingly call for a stronger and more assertive EU with reinforced economic independence and a common defence and security policy.

  • New Yorker ☛ How Bad Is It?: Three Political Scientists Say America Is No Longer a Democracy

    They do argue, however, that there are ways out of the United States’ authoritarian moment.

• Censorship/Free Speech

  • JURIST ☛ Ecuador criticized for freezing indigenous and environmental group bank accounts

    The Ecuadorian government’s financial agency froze indigenous and environmental groups’ bank accounts using secret intelligence information in an apparent effort to silence protests, Human Rights Watch said on Tuesday.

  • AccessNow ☛ Internet shutdowns in armed conflict: a typology of harms

    Our latest report, Internet shutdowns in armed conflict: a typology of harms, unpacks the serious harms that internet shutdowns inflict on civilian populations during armed conflict.

  • AccessNow ☛ Connectivity as a weapon of war: how internet shutdowns harm civilians in armed conflict

    Access Now’s latest report, Internet shutdowns in armed conflict: a typology of harms, unpacks the serious harms that internet shutdowns inflict on civilian populations during armed conflict.

• Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press

  • Press Gazette ☛ UK-based sports publisher cuts 60 staff due to Surveillance Giant Google updates

    GRV Media is fighting back with its own community platform.

• Civil Rights/Policing

  • OpenRightsGroup ☛ Civil society urges the ICO to investigate the Home Office’s failing eVisa system

    19 civil society organisations have called on the Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO) to formally investigate data protection breaches and accessibility issues arising as a result of the Home Office’s eVisa scheme.

  • The Straits Times ☛ Batam customs office uncovers new way to smuggle used clothing

    Used clothing imports are banned and believed to pose a risk to public health in Batam.

  • Scoop News Group ☛ Warrant requirements, Democratic worries could factor into spy law renewal debate

    A fresh effort is mounting in Congress to require federal agents to obtain a warrant before searching a government surveillance database for information about U.S. citizens, as Congress again faces an impending deadline, in four months, to renew a major surveillance law.

  • EDRI ☛ Migrant smuggling laws: European Commission found in breach of transparency rules

    The European Ombudsman has found that the Commission disregarded important transparency rules while preparing the Europol Regulation, which is a part of the legislation to "counter migrant smuggling". The inquiry concluded that the Commission didn't provide enough evidence to justify the claims of "urgency" to bypass their own 'Better Regulation' rules, and skipping public consultations, thorough impact assessments and evidence gathering.

  • EDRI ☛ EDRi-gram, 11 December 2025

    What has the EDRi network been up to over the past few weeks? Find out the latest digital rights news in our bi-weekly newsletter. In this edition: 2025 might be almost over, but we aren’t done fighting for digital rights

  • The Straits Times ☛ Malaysian police must accept reports without conditions, says Home Minister

    This comes after two women were stopped from entering a police station because of their attire.

Monopolies/Monopsonies

• Tom's Hardware ☛ Intel fails to get EU antitrust ruling overturned in longstanding 16-year AMD competition case — chipmaker sees $1.2 billion fine reduced to $278 million

  Intel lost its challenge to overturn an EU antitrust ruling on Wednesday, meaning it now faces a fine of $278 million.

• Patents

  • Kangaroo Courts

    • JUVE ☛ Arnold Ruess takes trophy for UPC Firm of the Year [Ed: UPC is illegal and these fake, phony awards get given by the PR mill of Team UPC]

      A year ago, JUVE Patent announced the winner of the first ever JUVE Patent Award for UPC litigation, UK-based firm Powell Gilbert. The trophy made a lengthy journey to London, reaching Powell Gilbert by airmail after complicated Brexit-related customs checks.

    • JUVE ☛ The price war for UPC work [Ed: UPC is still illegal and JUVE is still paid to promote this illegality]

      Many law firms are now pursuing UPC work with highly competitive prices. This is according to lawyers from firms of all sizes and tiers in the new JUVE Patent UPC ranking. But what constitutes a competitive rate in this context?

• Trademarks

  • TTAB Blog ☛ CAFC Upholds TTAB's Grant of Counterclaim for Cancellation: Applicant Proved Priority Through Assignment of Common Law Mark After Proceeding Commenced

    The CAFC affirmed the Board's December 2023 decision [TTABlogged here] granting a counterclaim petition for cancellation of a registration for the mark I AM MORE THAN AN ATHLETE. GP GAME PLAN & Design (shown below) for "charitable fundraising services by means of selling t-shirts to raise funds for educational and entertainment programs." Game Plan, Inc. opposed six applications to register the marks I AM MORE THAN AN ATHLETE and MORE THAN AN ATHLETE for clothing and entertainment services, claiming likelihood of confusion with its registered mark. The sole issue for the Board was priority, and Applicant UNIP came in first. UNIP based its priority claim on a 2019 assignment of common law rights of the mark MORE THAN AN ATHLETE, rights that UNIP acquired after the opposition was commenced. Neither the Board nor the CAFC saw a problem with that. Game Plan, Inc. v. Uninterrupted IP, LLC, Appeal No. 024-1407 (December 10, 2025) [precedential].

  • Digital Music News ☛ Federal Judge Tosses MF Doom Estate’s Temu Trademark Suit — Dismissal Motion Hearing Scheduled In Twenty One Pilots’ Similar Complaint

    A federal judge has tossed the MF Doom estate’s Temu trademark infringement suit with leave to amend.

• Copyrights

  • Press Gazette ☛ Google announces Hey Hi (AI) deals with publishers [Ed: Pre-settlement for plagiarism]

    Cash payments come as search giant announces new features to improve referral clicks.

  • New York Times ☛ Disney Agrees to Bring Its Characters to OpenAI’s Sora Videos

    The deal is a watershed for Hollywood, which has been trying to sort through the possible harms and upsides of generative artificial intelligence.

  • France24 ☛ Disney, Proprietary Chaffbot Company strike landmark deal to let fans create AI-generated videos

    Walt Disney and Proprietary Chaffbot Company agreed a three-year licensing deal on Thursday allowing users to generate short videos featuring Disney characters with artificial intelligence. It is the first time a major studio has permitted such broad generative-AI use of its protected characters, from Mickey Mouse to Marvel heroes and Star Wars icons.

  • Digital Music News ☛ Sonos Scores a Critical Judgment Against SoundExchange — But Everything’s Now Riding on SoundExchange’s Appeal Against SiriusXM

    A federal judge has stayed SoundExchange’s Sonos Radio royalties lawsuit pending the resolution of an appeal in “a very similar action” involving SiriusXM.  Judge Hernán Vera just recently made that stay official following a mid-November oral argument on Sonos’ related request.