Computer Ethics, Fall 2021

Thursdays 5:30-6:45, online

Class 14

Dec 9, 2021

Read Chapter 3 on free speech



Quad9 DNS case

Quad9 is an alternative DNS provider. It resolves to IP addresses the names of some sites that host pirated music. Quad9 was ordered by a German court to stop doing that. More at www.quad9.net/news/press/german-court-rules-against. The actions of Quad9 are hard to distinguish from merely telling people that, say, sci-hub.se is at address 186.2.163.219 (though this particular DNS address is available through the standard public DNS structure).

Google Removes Some Pirate Bay Search Results After Dutch Court Order

The issue is running Google searches with site:thepiratebay.org in the search-term box. Currently in the Netherlands nothing shows up. Google has long delisted or deranked Pirate Bay search results when searching for just a title, say "Avengers: Infinity War".

Google is cooperating voluntarily; it is not actually named in the court order. More at torrentfreak.com/google-removes-pirate-bay-domains-from-search-results-citing-dutch-court-order-211130.

Mass Copyright expiration for music recordings

All sound recordings made prior to 1923 will enter the pubic domain in the US in January. (Alas, this will not include the recordings of Annette Hanshaw.)

publicdomainreview.org/blog/2021/12/all-sound-recordings-prior-to-1923-will-enter-the-us-public-domain-in-2022.


Debates





What is the deal with software patents?

Obvious in context

Software-patent issues

Broad patents and the Wright brothers

Benson, Flook and Diehr

Federal Circuit

Examples of software patents

Heckel examples

Eolas

E-data

i4i

NTP

Patent trolls

Business methods

Apple patents

Stallman

Graham

Europe

KSR v Teleflex

Bilski

Mayo Labs, Myriad Genetics

Abstract patents; Ultramercial and Alice

Crime