Copyright “protection” at it’s worst: Shop owner ordered to pay for performance license for singing while working…

I often start posts regarding stupid copyright decisions and laws on a negative and cynical note. I figured why not switch it up — this one ends favorably for the accused. So, in the spirit of adventure and trying to always stay fresh, here it is: The accused in this story gets an apology and flowers…that’s it. Whew. Since that’s over, if you’d like to know the reasons why flowers and an apology were warranted, continue on…

How’s this for stupidity — Sandra Burt of Clackmannanshire, Scotland was contacted by the PRS (Performance Rights Society) because of her frequent “performances” at work. Mind you, the only reason she had to sing her days away was because the same organization contacted her employer and demanded a performance royalty for playing a radio within earshot of customers. (Let’s not even begin on how stupid a performance royalty is in the first place as content owners already have several other taxes and royalties that get levied before hand). Since her employers complied with the local Satan, Sandra had no other choice but to begin singing. All seemed well until she herself received a letter claiming she was to pay a performance fee for singing popular music to a crowd. The stupidity is overwhelming though unsurprising from such an organization.

Again, coming back to where we started, all ended up just fine and dandy for Sarah after a mountain of public uproar. After which the PRS sent dear Sandra another letter. This second letter sang a more apologetic tune for “a big mistake” and came complete with flowers to boot. How nice. The question however is how do these sorts of “big mistakes” even happen in the first place? Don’t these organizations of some sort of fact checking or system of checks and balances? Oh well, at least Sandra is free (literally) to sing ’til her hearts content without fear of prosecution.

Don’t you like happy endings…

Slashdot > BBC

Pennsylvania hates technology…school offcials completely incompetent

take a break from the standard MWC reporting to bring you a completely stupid bill/law making it’s way through Pennsylvania.  The bill has been dubbed the “Luddite Bill”.  Since cell phones have taken off into the mainstream and been adopted by every teenie bopper on the face of the planet, schools around the country have been fighting a never ending (and losing) battle against students and cell phones.  Well, if you live in Pennsylvania I have some bad news for you.  In a bill being pushed by local government that clearly illustrates someone wanting a power fix and has no intelligent brain cells in their head what so ever, not only cell phones, but any portable electronics will soon be banned.  Cell phones…gone.  Mp3 players for the bus ride home…ditto.  Laptop for after school homework…banished.  It is a solution to a problem that has been taken waaaay too far.  Banning any form of electronics is surely the worst possible move this *intelligent* government body can do.  So what a kid listens to some tunes on the way home from school.  So what if he uses a laptop at lunch.  Whatever the case may be, if you want your little child to grow up technologically competent, I highly advise from moving to Pennsylvania if this bill does in fact pass.  Apparently Pennsylvania wants its students to be technologically retarded.  Meh, whatever floats your boat.

Source: Tech Dirt

Stupidity prevails: DTV transition officially delayed until June 12th.

Once again, stupidity has prevailed in the U.S. government as the bill to delay the DTV transition passed the House today with a vote of 264 to 158.  Yes folks, the U.S. has just slipped further into the catacombs of technologically handicapped countries.  Before you know it, Mexicans will soon be flying over our borders in flying cars and pigs taking their first steps towards flying while we are still figuring out how to get TV signals in 1′s and 0′s to all of the households in the country.  Better get out the ‘ol horse and buggy, that will surely help global warming.  Way to go America.  Proud to be an American.

Source: Consumerist