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Tag: Denver Post

  • Swarms of Drones Appearing in the Colorado/Nebraska Night Sky and Nobody Knows Why

    Swarms of Drones Appearing in the Colorado/Nebraska Night Sky and Nobody Knows Why

    According to the Denver Post, a swarm of drones numbering anywhere from 17 to 30 have been appearing in the night sky above Colorado and Nebraska.

    The drones are roughly six feet across, and have been appearing and disappearing at the same time every night, and stay between 200 and 300 feet off the ground. Based on a statement by Phillips County Sheriff Thomas Elliot, the drones appear to be searching for something or mapping the terrain.

    “They’ve been doing a grid search, a grid pattern,” Elliot told the Denver Post. “They fly one square and then they fly another square.”

    The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) said it did not know where the drones came from or who was operating them. Meanwhile, the Air Force, US Army Forces Command and Drug Enforcement Administration all denied the drones were theirs. Given the size and numbers of drones, it seems likely the drones are being flown by a company or agency, as an operation of this size would likely be prohibitive for hobbyists.

    The FAA recently proposed a new rule that would give it the authority to identify and track the majority of drones in the skies. Such a rule would make it much easier for the FAA to know who the drones belong to and exactly what they’re doing.

  • Righthaven Strategy Called a “Dumb Idea” By Denver Post Publisher

    Righthaven’s blogger-suing (often referred to as “copyright troll”) business model might be winding down. Though still appealing past rulings, the company has stopped filing new suits (at least for the time being). They may even have to file for bankruptcy after having to pay over $34,000 in fines.

    Now even MediaNews Group, which has employed Righthaven’s services in relation to its newspapers like the Denver Post (it has about 50 of them) is saying the whole thing was a “dumb idea.”

    Wired, who interviewed CEO John Paton, quotes him as saying: “The issues about copyright are real. But the idea that you would hire someone on an — essentially — success fee to run around and sue people at will who may or may not have infringed as a way of protecting yourself … does not reflect how news is created and disseminated in the modern world….I come from the idea that it was a dumb idea from the start.”

    The publisher terminated its relationship with Righthaven in August, and Paton just assumed his new role last week, replacing Dean Singleton.

    It will be interesting to see if Righthaven’s other partners, namely Stephens Media (which publishes the Las Vegas Review Journal), follow the lead of MediaNews Group.

    Judges have been ruling on the side of fair use in recent Righthaven cases, essentially rendering the company’s services ineffective. Though the appeal process must still play out, things aren’t looking incredibly bright for the future of this copyright “protection” strategy.