Links 19/10/2023: Russia Detains More Journalists, Another Copyright Infringement Lawsuit Over Computer-Generated Nonsense ("AI" Hype)
Contents
- Leftovers
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Leftovers
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Latvia ☛ EU Court rejects Ryanair's claim against Latvian state aid to airBaltic
The second supreme court of the European Union (EU) has rejected an appeal by Irish low-cost airline Ryanair against the European Commission (EC) regarding financial support provided by Latvia to the national airline airBaltic to cope with the consequences of the coronavirus pandemic, LETA reported October 19.
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Stéphane Graber: Setting up a new house
Introduction
A year ago today, my girlfriend and I (along with our cat), moved into our new house. It’s a pretty modern house, on a 1.5 acres (~6000 sqm) piece of forested land and even includes an old maple shack!
Fully moving all our stuff from our previous house in Montreal took quite some time, but we got it all done and sold the Montreal house at the end of July.
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Ruben Schade ☛ Not one, but two beigetastic Presario towers!
Ten years ago here, I talked about my hunt for a Compaq Presario desktop from my childhood. All my school friends had these slightly strange desktops in the late 1990s, which my overeager imagination thought bore a passing resemblance to a rocket ship. Maybe the sculpted plastic looked like fins, and their port covers the launch pad.
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Ruben Schade ☛ The Tangara open portable music player
If you’re one of the people from Hacker News or Reddit who had a meltdown after I posted about my modern Japanese Sony Walkman, and the subsequent FAQ, avert your gaze! Because there’s something infinitely cooler coming.
My friend Robin Howard is part of a team behind a new open music player called the Tangara:
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Science
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Science Alert ☛ Human Consciousness Could Be a Side Effect of Entropy, Study Suggests
It's all connected.
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Hardware
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CNX Software ☛ KAMRUI AK1 Plus Processor N95 mini PC comes with a detachable base for SATA storage expansion
Alder Lake-N mini PCs keep on coming, the latest model is the KAMRUI AK1 Plus with an Intel Processor N95 CPU and a detachable base that can take a 2.5-inch SATA hard drive or SSD.
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Silicon Angle ☛ Chip equipment supplier ASML shares slide on mixed sales forecast
ASML Holding NV, a major equipment supplier to the chip industry, today posted mixed third-quarter earnings and a 2024 sales forecast that fell short of analyst expectations. Shares of the Netherlands-based company dropped more than 4.5% on the results.
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Health/Nutrition/Agriculture
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Science Alert ☛ In a Huge First, Scientists Transfer Alzheimer's to Healthy Young Animals
"An important step forward in our understanding of the disease."
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The Straits Times ☛ IAEA should play constructive role to monitor Fukushima water discharge, says China
China believes the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) should play a constructive role and shoulder responsibility to monitor Japan's water discharge from the crippled Fukushima nuclear plant, the Chinese foreign ministry said on Thursday.
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Science Alert ☛ For The First Time, Scientists Show Structural, Brain-Wide Changes During Menstruation
Period brain is real.
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Proprietary/Artificial Intelligence (AI)
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MIT Technology Review ☛ How Meta and AI companies recruited striking actors to train AI
One evening in early September, T, a 28-year-old actor who asked to be identified by his first initial, took his seat in a rented Hollywood studio space in front of three cameras, a director, and a producer for a somewhat unusual gig.
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New York Times ☛ An Industry Insider Drives an Open Alternative to Big Tech’s A.I.
The nonprofit Allen Institute for AI, led by a respected computer scientist who sold his company to Apple, is trying to democratize cutting-edge research.
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New York Times ☛ Researchers Say Guardrails Built Around A.I. Systems Are Not So Sturdy
OpenAI now lets outsiders tweak what its chatbot does. A new paper says that can lead to trouble.
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Security
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Privacy/Surveillance
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New York Times ☛ Clearview AI Successfully Appeals $9 Million Fine in the U.K.
A court ruled that a British agency does not have jurisdiction over how foreign law enforcement agencies use citizens’ data.
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Silicon Angle ☛ Controversial US facial recognition company evades punishment in UK
One of the most controversial tech companies in the U.S., the facial recognition outfit Clearview A.I. Inc., has just beaten a case in the U.K. and avoided a £7.5 million ($9.1 million) fine. Clearview A.I. has been in business since 2017, founded by Australian entrepreneur Hoan Ton-That and U.S. politician Richard Schwartz.
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Defence/Aggression
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Federal News Network ☛ A sweeping gun bill aimed at tightening firearm laws passes in the Massachusetts House
The Massachusetts House has approved a sweeping gun bill aimed at tightening firearm laws, cracking down on unregistered “ghost guns” and strengthening the state’s assault-style weapons ban. The bill passed Wednesday would prohibit individuals from carrying a gun into a person’s home without their permission and require key gun components to be serialized and registered with the state. The 125-page bill is in part a response to a 2022 U.S. Supreme Court ruling that U.S. citizens have a right to carry firearms in public for self-defense. The House passed the bill on a 120-38 vote. It's now up to the Massachusetts Senate to come up with its version of the bill.
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The Straits Times ☛ China formally arrests Astellas employee suspected of spying, Japan urges release
Kyodo news agency identified the man being held as an employee of drugmaker Astellas Pharma.
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The Straits Times ☛ Philippines military chief sees no current, future engagements with Taiwan
October 19, 2023 11:10 AM
The Philippines observes the "One China Policy", but has a Manila Economic and Cultural Office in Taiwan.
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The Strategist ☛ Putting global catastrophic risk on the Australian intelligence community’s radar
The 2024 independent review of Australia’s national intelligence community has kicked off.
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New York Times ☛ Israel-Hamas War: Biden Concludes Israel Trip as Protests Spread Over Gaza Hospital Blast
The president said he had convinced Egypt to allow 20 truckloads of aid into Gaza. Biden earlier said U.S. intelligence supported Israel’s claim that the blast was caused by a rocket fired from Gaza.
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Russia, Belarus, and War in Ukraine
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Latvia ☛ Latvian collector coin sales raise 165,000 euros for Ukraine
Latvijas Banka, the Latvian central bank (LB), has transferred a donation of nearly 165,000 to the Ministry of Social Policy of Ukraine, it said October 19.
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Latvia ☛ Rīga to send public buses to Chernihiv, Ukraine
Rīga City Council on Wednesday, October 18, supported the donation of ten 'Rīgas Satiksme' public transport buses to the municipality of Chernihiv, the municipality said in a statement.
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Latvia ☛ Latvia will help rebuild Ukraine's ICT infrastructure
On October 18, 2023, Ukraine's Ministry of Digital Transformation signed a 10-point Memorandum of Cooperation with Latvia's Ministry of Transportation to support Ukraine in the immediate restoration of broadband internet as well as support the country's development of information and communications technology (ICT) infrastructure and its integration into EU and joint projects.
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RFA ☛ Russia’s Lavrov arrives in Pyongyang, meets leader Kim
The move could strain US’s global security strategy amid its engagements in the Ukraine and Israel conflicts.
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RFERL ☛ Bucharest Says Kyiv Recognizes Romanian As Official Language of Romanian Minority
Romanian Prime Minister Marcel Ciolacu said Kyiv has decided to officially recognize Romanian as the language of Ukraine's Romanian minority and welcomed President Volodymyr Zelenskiy's backing of the move.
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RFERL ☛ Four Ukrainian Regions Targeted By Russian Strikes, Kyiv Says
Russia has unleashed another wave of drone and missile strikes on four Ukrainian regions overnight, Ukraine's military said on October 19, but most of them were intercepted and destroyed by air defenses.
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RFERL ☛ Russian, North Korean Foreign Ministers Meet Amid Western Suspicions About Weapons Transfers
The foreign ministers of Russia and North Korea met on October 19 in Pyongyang for talks expected to focus on how to boost their military ties, days after the United States accused the North of sending fresh shipments of munitions to Russia to support its war efforts in Ukraine.
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RFERL ☛ Ukrainian Court Sentences Ex-Police Officers Over 2014 Maidan Shootings
A Ukrainian court on October 18 handed a former police officer a life sentence and gave two others 15-year prison terms over the deaths of dozens of people killed in 2014 during the Maidan protests that toppled pro-Russian President Viktor Yanukovych.
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The Straits Times ☛ Russia’s foreign minister thanks North Korea for supporting its war in Ukraine
Mr Sergei Lavrov pledged Moscow's "complete support and solidarity" with Mr Kim Jong Un.
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New York Times ☛ Biden to Deliver Address as He Seeks Aid for Israel and Ukraine
President Biden is expected to ask Congress to approve about $100 billion in emergency funds to arm Israel, Ukraine and Taiwan and fortify the U.S.-Mexico border.
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New York Times ☛ Ukraine’s Economy Starts to Rebound as It Adapts to War
Economists predict a return to growth, but many challenges lie ahead, including the rebuilding of war-torn cities and labor shortages.
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RFERL ☛ Head Of Nuclear Test Ban Treaty Organization Says Russia's Move To De-Ratify Treaty 'Regrettable'
The head of the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO) said on October 18 it was "deeply regrettable" that Russian lawmakers had moved toward revoking ratification of the treaty.
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RFERL ☛ Number Of Russians Convicted Of Terrorism Has Increased Eightfold
The number of Russians convicted under the country’s terrorist act has increased eightfold this year, according to the Telegram channel We Can Explain, which cited researchers who studied statistics from the Supreme Court.
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The Straits Times ☛ Russia's Lavrov meets North Korea's Kim - Russian foreign ministry
October 19, 2023 4:45 PM
Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov met North Korean leader Kim Jong Un during his visit to Pyongyang, the Russian foreign ministry said on Thursday.
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Latvia ☛ 'Moscow House' nationalization plan moves ahead in Saeima
On Thursday, October 10, the Saeima moved the proposal on reclaiming the 'Moscow House' for viewing in the committees. This would see the state takng over the building in Rīa, Marijas Street 7.
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LRT ☛ Moscow-bound plane lands in Vilnius
A Southwind Airlines Boeing 777-312 flight from Antalya to Moscow landed in Vilnius on Wednesday night.
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Environment
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong mobilised over 500 civil servants for flooding clean-up, in first test of ‘extreme conditions’ drill
Over 500 civil servants were deployed to assist the post-rainstorm clean-up in September, when the government made its first-ever “extreme conditions” announcement amid widespread flooding and landslides brought on by torrential rain, the security minister has said.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Hong Kong to ban single-use plastic tableware from next April
Hong Kong will ban disposable plastic tableware from next April, as lawmakers on Wednesday approved a bill aimed at making the city “plastic-free.” The Legislative Council (LegCo) passed the Product Eco-responsibility (Amendment) Bill 2023 on Wednesday in its first meeting after the summer recess.
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The Straits Times ☛ California governor Newsom to visit China next week to discuss climate action
October 19, 2023 11:25 AM
California governor Gavin Newsom will visit China next week to discuss climate cooperation, promote bilateral economic development and tourism and encourage cultural exchanges, his office said in a statement on Thursday.
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Science Alert ☛ What Happens to Greenland if We Miss Climate Targets? You Likely Don't Want to Know
That's a whole lot of ice.
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Finance
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European Commission ☛ EU foreign investment screening and export controls help underpin European security
European Commission Press release Brussels, 19 Oct 2023 The European Commission analysed over 420 foreign direct investments (FDI) into the EU over the past year, according to the Annual Report on FDI Screening released today.
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The Strategist ☛ China’s Belt and Road Initiative and quasi-IMF lending
China’s Belt and Road Initiative, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary this week, has now advanced more than US$330 billion, which is about 80% of the lending of the World Bank over that period.
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Hong Kong Free Press ☛ Indebted Chinese property developer Country Garden denies founder, chairwoman have fled country
Chinese property giant Country Garden denied Thursday its founder and chairwoman had fled the country, as the debt-saddled builder flirts with a default that could send shockwaves through the industry.
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JURIST ☛ Former Bank of China chairman and 2 others arrested on bribery charges in China
Chinese officials arrested former chairman of the Bank of China Liu Liange on corruption charges, Chinese official state news agency Xinhua reported on Monday.
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The Straits Times ☛ ST Picks: Why China’s economic recovery is on firmer footing
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AstroTurf/Lobbying/Politics
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The Strategist ☛ Australia can better leverage states and territories in US alliance and AUKUS
Australia’s foreign policy and place in the world have long been considered the domain of diplomats, defence officials and national-security decision-makers in Canberra.
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RFA ☛ Police arrest former opposition councilor amid call to boycott poll
Derek Chu's arrest comes as former elected politicians call on Hong Kongers to boycott the 'fake election.'
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RFA ☛ Israel conflict not to affect US-Taiwan arms sales: AIT chairperson
‘Support for Taiwan is the top priority of the Biden administration,’ said Rosenberger.
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RFA ☛ China agrees to finish bridge to North Korea
The bridge has been finished since 2014, but got bogged down on the North Korean side.
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Misinformation/Disinformation/Propaganda
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Censorship/Free Speech
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RFERL ☛ Belarusian Activist Handed Another Year In 'Strict-Regime' Prison
Zmitser Dashkevich, a well-known Belarusian activist who was not released from prison in July after finishing an 18-month term he was handed for taking part in the 2020 anti-government rallies, has been sentenced to another year in a strict-regime prison.
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Reason ☛ New York's Online Hate Speech Law Raises Serious First Amendment Concerns
Even content creators outside of New York would feel its effects.
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Reason ☛ Defamation Lawsuit Against Afroman Filed by Ohio Cops Will Partially Proceed
A judge tossed two of the claims against Afroman, finding that "the issue appears to be the humiliation and outrage that the officers feel at having their likenesses displayed and mocked."
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Reason ☛ Taxing Nudity: Discriminatory Taxes, Secondary Effects, and Tiers of Scrutiny—part 4 in a series
Serial-blogging my recent article in the Journal of Free Speech Law
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Breach Media ☛ Ontario NDP to fight Doug Ford’s attack on Muslim MPP defending Palestine
Progressive Conservatives’ attempt to muzzle Sarah Jama comes as Western governments crack down on criticism of Israel
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Breach Media ☛ Human rights orgs say about Israel what Canada’s political class won’t
Canada’s political class is bent on supporting Israel’s escalation on Gaza—even as human rights organizations warn of ethnic cleansing and war crimes
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Freedom of Information / Freedom of the Press
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France24 ☛ Russian-American journalist working for Radio Free Europe detained in Russia
A Russian-American journalist working for Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty has been detained in Russia and charged with failing to register as a foreign agent, her employer and a journalist watchdog group said Wednesday.
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RFERL ☛ RFE/RL, CPJ Call For Immediate Release Of Journalist Detained In Russia
Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty (RFE/RL) and the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) have called for the immediate release of RFE/RL journalist Alsu Kurmasheva, who was detained in Kazan, Russia, while awaiting the return of her passports.
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New York Times ☛ Russia Detains a U.S. Journalist, Alsu Kurmasheva
Alsu Kurmasheva, who holds dual U.S.-Russian citizenship and works in Prague, was charged with failing to register as a foreign agent after going to Russia for family reasons.
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Civil Rights/Policing
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New Yorker ☛ Are Straight Couples O.K.?
From “Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?” to “Kramer vs. Kramer,” stories about heterosexual marriages have served as a battleground for the social politics of the day. In the wake of #MeToo, two new films explore the emotional fallout when traditional gender roles are flipped.
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New York Times ☛ What South Korea’s Frequent Protests Say About Its Politics
Part rock concert, part revival meeting, the rallies reveal a country increasingly polarized over its leader, Yoon Suk Yeol.
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Reason ☛ Shane Mauss: Finding the Humor in Psychedelics
The psychedelic comedian talks cognitive liberty and the mind-blowing pace of legalization efforts.
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CS Monitor ☛ How far do parental rights go? A California case offers clues.
A lawsuit against a California school district over a requirement to alert parents if a student identifies as a different gender highlights a lack of trust between some educators and families.
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RFA ☛ Hong Kong protester shot by police gets 4-year prison sentence
Shooting of the teen prompted widespread public anger at police violence towards protesters.
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RFA ☛ Sky High Spat
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Digital Restrictions (DRM)
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Digital Music News ☛ Netflix Raising Prices Again in the US, UK, and France Following Steady Subscriber Gains [Ed: Captive and paying for it]
Netflix is raising its prices again in the US, UK, and France after steady subscriber gains, the streaming giant says in its third-quarter earnings report.
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Monopolies
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New York Times ☛ In Antitrust Trial, Google Argues That Smart Employees Explain Its Success
While the Justice Department says Google has squeezed partners and made expensive deals to maintain its search dominance, the company has a more genteel story to tell.
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Patents
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Unified Patents ☛ $2,000 for Rainforest Innovations data transmission patent prior art
A new PATROLL contest, with a $2,000 cash prize, was added seeking prior art on at least claim 1 of U.S. Patent 8,265,096, owned by Rainforest Innovations, an NPE and entity of The University of New Mexico. The ‘096 patent generally relates to a method of constructing a frame structure for data transmission.
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Trademarks
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TTAB Blog ☛ Divided CAFC Panel Reverses TTAB's Chutter v. Great Concepts Fraud Decision
A divided panel of the CAFC reversed the TTAB's decision in Chutter, Inc. v. Great Management Group, LLC and Great Concepts, LLC [TTABlogged here], concluding that "a Section 14 cancellation proceeding is not available as a remedy for a fraudulent Section 15 incontestability declaration." The CAFC remanded the case to the Board for consideration of "whether to declare that Great Concepts’ mark does not enjoy incontestable status and to evaluate whether to impose other sanctions on Great Concepts or its attorney." Great Concepts, LLC v. Chutter, Inc., 2023 USPQ2d XXXX (Fed. Cir. 2023)
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Copyrights
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Digital Music News ☛ Universal Music Group, Concord, ABKCO Sue Amazon-Backed Anthropic AI for Copyright Infringement
Universal Music Group, Concord Music Group, and ABKCO are suing the Amazon-backed Anthropic AI over ‘systematic and widespread’ copyright infringement. UMG’s publishing arm Universal Music Publishing Group, along with Concord Music Group and ABKCO, are suing AI platform Anthropic — which just last month received a multi-billion dollar investment from Amazon — for copyright infringement.
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