"To promote the Progress of Science and useful Arts, by securing for limited Times to Authors and Inventors the exclusive Right to their respective Writings and Discoveries."

That single sentence from Article I, Section 8, Clause 8 of the U.S. constitution has enabled so many creators and inventors over the past 200+ years to earn a living from their creations. Unfortunately the patent and copyright laws that arise from that clause are no longer benefiting the progress of science and useful arts.

Big corporations and "non-practicing entitities" (aka patent trolls) now abuse both copyright and patents to line their pockets at the expense of society without adding anything useful.

In just the past few weeks Google, Microsoft, Apple, Oracle, RIM and others have spent $17 billion to acquire portfolios of thousands of patents that will be used to either beat up on competitors or defend against such lawsuits.

What that $17 billion won't do is create a single useful job aside from the lawyers that perpetuate this travesty. That's one hell of a tax on productivity and innovation. We deserve better.

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TechCrunch | The Terrible Cost Of Patents
The cost of patents is going up, and that is not a good thing. After all, Google is paying $12.5 billion for Motorola largely for its huge mobile patent portfolio. In July, an anti-Google consortium…

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India ranks in the middle of the pack for corruption sandwiched between the likes of China and Colombia one side and Egypt and Mexico on the other. While the United States does much better on the Transparency International index of 178 nations, ranked 22, it could be much better.

http://www.transparency.org/policy_research/surveys_indices/cpi/2010/results

Reshared post from +Jeff Jarvis

India's culture of bribery and petty corruption explained by the Guardian in light of Anna Hazare's protest against it.

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Corruption in India: 'All your life you pay for things that should be free'
As Anna Hazare leaves prison to continue his protest, residents in Delhi explain how bribery forms part of everyday life

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It should come as no surprise to anyone that the hypocrisy of the US government extends to "freedom." While the US has always espoused freedom here and abroad, it has long propped up dictators around the world including Mubarak, Suharto, the Saudi Royals, Ferdinand Marcos and so many others.

Even here on home ground, the Hoover-era FBI regularly monitored enemies like JFK and John Lennon. Today, the feds are fighting to require back doors in encryption tools and trying to suppress the spread of information through WikiLeaks and other channels.

Thankfully there are limits to what authorities can achieve even if they do manage to pass new laws because important technology like Truecrypt is already in the wild. Truecrypt like many of the best tools is open source and if used properly, it's virtually impervious to cracking. Use the tools and fight back at the polls by voting against any politician that doesn't support true freedom.

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Glenn Greenwald: A prime aim of the growing Surveillance State
As economic anxiety and social unrest increase, control over Internet technology and communication becomes vital

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Back in December 2006, I was still relatively new on the automotive journalism scene but I got invited to a General Motors background briefing in New York City. Jon Lauckner, Beth Lowery, Tony Posawatz and others from GM spent the next two hours describing a new kind of electric (please, please don't call it a hybrid) car that was designed to overcome the problem of "range anxiety."

Three weeks later Bob Lutz rolled onto the stage at Detroit's Cobo Hall in the original Chevrolet Volt concept. Over the next four years I had the opportunity to talk many of the leaders on the Volt development team, and drive various prototypes while writing hundreds of stories for AutoblogGreen, Autoblog and GreenFuelsForecast. I've now compiled much of that material along with articles about related technology and concepts into a new eBook.

Recharging the Car is now available on the Amazon Kindle and Barnes & Noble Nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/charging-into-the-future-sam-abuelsamid/1104806909?ean=2940013095755&itm=1&usri=abuelsamid) stores. As retail availability of the Volt expands nationwide over the next few months, it might worth reviewing how the Volt came to be and how it works.

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Amazon.com: Recharging the Car eBook: Sam Abuelsamid: Books
Amazon.com: Recharging the Car eBook: Sam Abuelsamid: Books

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If you want to know about how to build wealth and grow the economy who would you take advice from? Political ideologues llike Paul Ryan and Michelle Bachmann or one of the most successful investors of the past century, Warren Buffet?

Buffett has frequently spoken out against Republican tax policy over the past decade, particularly payroll and estate taxes. In an op-ed today in the New York Times Buffet lashes out against the idea that the wealthy won't invest if they have pay taxes on their winnings.

Buffett acknowledges that despite paying nearly $7 million in taxes in 2010, it was not nearly enough. His tax payments amounted to just 17.4 percent of his taxable income at the same time that the 20 people that work in his office paid out an average of 36 percent of their income. Buffett calls for an immediate tax increase on all incomes over $1 million and an even larger increase on incomes over $10 million.

This country would be a lot better off we listen Warren Buffett right now than anyone in the GOP leadership.

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Stop Coddling the Super-Rich
We mega-rich should not continue to get extraordinary tax breaks while most Americans struggle to make ends meet.

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This is all part of the continuing efforts to keep Americans in a state of fear in order to justify continuing unending war.

Remarkably, George Orwell described this tactic almost perfectly in 1984 and if you haven't read it, now is the time to head down to the library or bookstore. Read it and start fighting back.

Everyone in Long Beach should start carrying a camera at all times and randomly taking photos, especially when they see a police officer.

Reshared post from +Dan Gillmor

UPDATED

Assuming this story is true, America's War on Photography has pushed the limits in Long Beach, California, where police chief says his cops will "approach" photographers pretty much at will — an obvious attempt to intimidate folks. To the extent that photographers are actually detained, that's likely to cost Long Beach taxpayers a bundle over time, as what the city is doing is almost certainly illegal.

Hope the ACLU is on this case…

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Long Beach Post: Police Chief Confirms Detaining Photographers Within Departmental Policy

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Rather than allow AT&T to buy T-Mobile USA, it's actually time to go back to 1984 and break up what has already been reconsolidated.

Reshared post from +Dan Gillmor

A letter written by AT&T (and ineffectively redacted at the FCC) shows that AT&T's rationale for buying T-Mobile is exactly we've known from the beginning. The point is to reduce competition, period. If this buyout goes through, it will be terrible for everyone but the shareholders of AT&T.

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Leaked AT&T Letter Demolishes Case For T-Mobile Merger – Lawyer Accidentally Decimates AT&T's #1 Talking Point | DSLReports.com, ISP Information

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Too funny!

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Cement truck gets stuck in road
This cement truck driver in China must have been confused when he tried to pull away and couldn't because his back tire had sunk into the roadbed. Local officials discovered three large pits under th…

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Screw Apple! I've always like OS X and my Macbook Pro rocks and it's hard to beat an ipod as a portable media player. But I've always been hohum about iOs and and with all of this patent litigation bullshit they won't be getting any more of my money any time soon.

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Apple also files complaint against Motorola Xoom design, may seek injunction | Android Central
Apple suing Motorola for the Xoom design

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