I'm impressed, Tom. Truly brilliant. |
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I hate yo all so very much
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Yikes!
I guess radar.spacebar.org is the #1 discussion site for Killer Japanese Seizure robots in the world! |
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They are too small for windows, unless you're making dollhouses or something. I mostly just smash them up. |
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187. Tom 7 (gs82.sp.cs.cmu.edu) –
02 May 2002 18:16:35
[ FLAMING TEXT ]
Not sure why this is spam central, but oh well! |
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All I have to say is "BRAVO!!" I must say that your arguments are laid out beautifully to attack the allegations in the C&D letter. I wish you the best of luck! -Bob |
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185. Hock (cmu-29070.wv.cc.cmu.edu) –
02 May 2002 13:23:42
[ Slashdotted... ]
I think you are thinking of this story, not Tom's:
http://slashdot.org/yro/02/05/01/1348256.shtml |
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Good page. Good fight. Stand up to 'em. |
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Hi Tom,
First, thanks for having the balls to stand up to these
idiots. It goes without saying that you're absolutely
right and that they have no case at all. I noticed your
reply, above, discouraging people from contacting the
parties involved to complain about their tactics; I'm
assuming you meant the law firm itself. If you meant
Agfa, I respectfully disagree -- unless people (specifically
their customers) let them know that what they are doing
is objectionable, there's no reason to think they will
ever understand the errors of their ways. I, for one,
submitted a comment on AGFA's website saying in no uncertain
terms that I found their conduct in this matter to be
arrogant, asinine, and incredibly short-sighted -- and that
I would never do any further business with them again. |
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Last I heard FONTS ARE NOT COPYRIGHTABLE. I don't know if something has changed in the last few years, but there was a court case on the particular issue if the bitmaps or splines or whatever could be copyrighted, and it was found that the mathematical description or shapes could not be copyrighted. The only IP protection for a font is a trademark on the typeface name, e.g. Helvetica or New Century Schoolbook, or even Times (remember Swiss and Dutch typefaces in some packages from long ago?).
That said, the programs are, and if you buy fonts or such a program, there might be a license that prohibits flipping bits, or might prohibit the use of programs like embed, but that is a different issue. |
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Tom, that was very brave of you not to submit to the
threats of AGFA and the likes. I feel scared of the
tendency that shows in the USA. When the corporate
ambitions and the greed for money can produce such
ridiculous laws as the DMCA (or slated to be born the
CBDTPA). And the question of the source code to be
a form speech is not relevant any more. Because laws
state that if your speech poses a risk to their profits
(be it disclose of their trade secrets or some other
junk like their thought-to-be control on the embedding
of the fonts) then they can stifle anyone. And the sad
example of DeCSS shows that a tool that can be used
inappropriately casts a great danger to its creator. And
the arguments of legal use of such a tool have no reasoning
power on judges. The thing that strikes me to death is
absolute ignorance of the rights granted by the
First Amendment. What one can say if a person gets sued
for the comments he posted to the message board where he
expressed his own _opinion_ about lousy way of doing
business with customers.
As for your particular case, I was shocked (as I always am
when I hear similar stories)! They demand you to remove
the program from your web-site although they provide
no evidence of your infringing their copyrights. And the
thing that makes me really baffled is that your tool
is needed for font creator to set embedding bits
(hey! he is _creator_). So how one will set level of
embedding? Use the Micro$oft's "Font properties extension"
tool? Well, its possible but people have a right to use an
alternative if they want! And the fact that specification
of TrueType fonts is available freely makes the whole
case absurd.
I do hope that you will be a winner in this situation
and you will set a precedent for future so that human
rights won't be oppressed in favor of someone's folly greed.
with regards,
Sergei. |
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Why not just modify embed.c to detect when the font is a product of Agfa/ITC, and refuse to change the bits? That ought to make them happy . Of course, if anyone then takes that version of embed.c and hacks it to remove the detection, *you* could sue *them* via the DMCA. |
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Tom,
I just zipped off an email to AGFA, saying that I and my clients won't do business w/ them until they stop hounding you. Nevermind, that I haven't purchased new fonts in 5 years, but what the heck, I might buy some... it just won't be from them!
Good Luck!
-Choi Kwok |
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Tom,
Just wanted to say that I greatly appreciate your effort. As a slashdot reader from Europe, you are the kind of person one needs to remember that there is Hope for the U.S. and therefore for Europe as well.
Because sooner or later, we (EU) will start emulating the legislative sillyness in a quest for Mo' Money for Icky Big Corporations and Ze Stripping Of Ze Power From Ze People.
Cheers,
Chris Winter |
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Good Luck Tom,
Your utility (embed) appears to me to be simply a useful aide written by you and for you that you where kind enough to release as freeware.
It would appear to me Agfa Monotype and International Typeface Corporation are incorrect in their assertions. The tone of the letters seems to me to be intentionally coercive and threatening.
This tactic has backfired. The facts as presented by you convinced
me to offer any help I can. You are not alone.
Statements above are my own and soley based on opinion. Lawyers |
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Good Work Tom.
I'm not an american, but I can still see this corporate bullying has got to be stopped. Corporations need to be told that there's more to the Law than deep pockets and scare tactics.
As a graphic designer I'll also be dropping all purchase of AGFA-Monotype products. I'm not going to support this kind of behaviour. |
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Sigh ... Corporate America at its most arrogant (and the Repubs would no doubt call you "unpatriotic")!
Hang in there! Two things the rest of us can do is to call this to the attention of EFF, and to boycott AGFA-Monotype in our own professional work (and let AGFA-Monotype know what we're doing, and why). If enough of us do this ... !
All the best --
Sue F. |
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This is the sad truth about the DMCA--companies can make all the
ridiculous claims they want about circumvention, knowing that most
people are unwilling to fight them (for obvious reasons). It takes
guts to stand up to corporate America, espically when the courts seem
so willing to always take their side. I admire you. Hopefully, if
we get a few more people like you willing to stand up to corporate
intimidation, we can stop corporations from using the DMCA to bully
individuals |
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Do not forget to keep the providers of your site up to date with this stuff, and get their view before AGFA contact them directly over your head and start threatening them. If not they may act first then worry about you later.
Get their support.
GM |
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I am a professional font designer (azalea.com). AGFA, Monotype, and ITC are resellers of my fonts. Their lame-ass efforts to intimidate and coerce you are a classic case of bullying. If would like, Azalea Software would be PROUD to host your embed program on our web sites to further the cause of free speech.
Shame on AGFA. Bad corporation. Bad.
Jerry Whiting, President/CEO
Azalea Software, Inc. |
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I am a professional font designer (azalea.com). AGFA, Monotype, and ITC are resellers of my fonts. Their lame-ass efforts to intimidate and coerce you are a classic case of bullying. If would like, Azalea Software would be PROUD to host your embed program on our web sites to further the cause of free speech.
Shame on AGFA. Bad corporation. Bad.
Jerry Whiting, President/CEO
Azalea Software, Inc. |
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I wish you the best of luck. FWIW, I have downloaded a copy of embed to do my bit (npi) to spread it around the world. Let's hope it becomes as famous as DeCSS!
I fear that the stupidity of the DMCA is not going to stop lawsuits such as this. Instead the idiots that file such charges will end up putting out the fire with gasoline. This just causes them to be despised and to suffer universal ridicule.
-apm
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The very first step that is part of any big corporation policy is LIE. 99% of the time it works; that's why they do it. These people have nothing. If I were you, I'd sue them over threats, stress and defamation of character.
Good luck! |
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AGFA is a piece of crap, dishonest group of thugs. They LIE about their rebates, and ripped me off, Their AGFA 1212p scanner is a piece of crap that won't run in Linux because it is propriatary, the software has errors in Windows as well in 95,98,NT4 (SCSI error contact manufactor) Yet when you contact the manufactor they SPAM your email, they take a bunch of personal marketing information about you. There is no REAL AGFA support contact, just automated spam.
Their tech support first say's one thing then another. e.g. Conflicting answers.
The FTC won't do anything about it because not enough folks have complained. I hope you burn this stinking dung group of thugs to the ground. Take every fucking last cent they have for this frivolous lawsuit's pain and suffering, and libel
Their lawyers ought to have their feet laid in cement and dropped to the bottom of the ocean for causing the trouble they have. I HATE AGFA . HATE THEM!!!!!
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Another example of the DMCA runing amuk. I'm glad to see you take a stand. I'll be watching your page for updates. Good Luck, Best wishes.... |
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