Techdirt: This Week in Techdirt History (Aug 10-16)
Techdirt Flashback: Copyright Trolls, FBI Shenanigans, and the Ever-falling Sky
Remember the good old days of the internet? Well, maybe not all of them. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we? This week in Techdirt history is a wild ride through copyright battles, government overreach, and the content industry’s favorite doomsday prophecies.
Copyright Chaos: Trolls and Takedowns
Table of Contents
Fifteen years ago, the copyright landscape was, shall we say, interesting.
Team Prenda’s Sanction Slapdown
Team Prenda, those notorious copyright trolls, got hit with yet another order to pay sanctions. It seems like the courts were finally getting fed up with their antics. Justice prevailed, one sanction at a time!
Rightscorp’s Trollish Ambitions
Then there was Rightscorp, apparently worried they weren’t perceived as “trollish” enough. They hired a law firm to dive headfirst into the copyright lawsuit business. You’ve got to admire their dedication to…something.
Techdirt Targeted: The takedown Tango
Even we weren’t immune! We got hit with a bogus DMCA takedown for reporting on… you guessed it, bogus DMCA takedowns. The irony was thick enough to spread on toast.
2010: FBI Files and Copyright Priorities
Let’s rewind even further, back to 2010.The world was a slightly different place, but some things never change.
ISP vs. FBI: A Six-Year Standoff
An ISP owner finally got the green light to admit he’d been standing up to the FBI for six years over a questionable data request. The catch? He was gagged from talking about it until then. Talk about a David vs. Goliath story! It makes you wonder how many other similar situations were happening behind the scenes.
Missing Persons? Nah, copyright First!
And what was the FBI prioritizing? Copyright issues, apparently more so than, you know, missing persons. It’s enough to make you scratch your head and wonder about resource allocation.
The Copyright Cycle: Censorship’s Encore
Copyright: originally a tool for censorship,then attempted as a tool for incentives,and then… back to a tool for censorship. The cycle continues! It’s a interesting,if frustrating,evolution.
The Sky is falling! (Again)
How many times can content industries claim the sky is falling before people stop believing them? Apparently, quiet a few. But hey, at least more and more people were starting to see how collection societies were distorting copyright law. Small victories, right?
Viacom vs. YouTube: The Neverending Story
And of course, Viacom appealed the ruling in its case against YouTube. Because why wouldn’t they? Some legal battles just seem destined to drag on forever.
So, there you have it: a whirlwind tour of Techdirt’s past. Copyright trolls, FBI shenanigans, and the content industry’s perpetual Chicken Little routine. It’s enough to make you appreciate the present… or at least brace yourself for whatever copyright craziness tomorrow brings.