copyfight – Page 5

Switching ISPs from Shaw to TekSavvy

SFFaudio Online Audio

Canadians, particularly those in the Vancouver area, may be interested in this post – others not so much.

I’m switching internet service providers.

I’ve had Shaw cable internet for as long as they’ve been in business here. Before that it was Rogers who provided internet access. I only switched when the monopoly in this area was handed over from Rogers to Shaw.

Over the years Shaw has been pretty good. I don’t think they’ve engaged in a lot of the shitty practices I hear many ISPs have.

But, the price has never gone down, and the service hasn’t really improved.

So, when I saw that there was an $3.00 increase scheduled for September 1st, 2012, one without explanation as to how I was getting a better service for it, I decided to look around at the competition.

I think I first heard about Ontario based TekSavvy back in 2010, when the then CEO, Rocky Gaudrault, went on TVO’s Search Engine podcast to talk about usage based billing (here’s that |MP3|).

Gaudrault made a great impression, and I remember thinking that TekSavvy sounded like they were the ideal ISP.

Shortly after beginning my research today I discovered that TekSavvy has started operating in Coquitlam, I gave them a call. They use the same wires as Shaw, but they offer those same wires at a better price and with better download and upload numbers.

Shaw’s “High Speed Internet” for August cost me $58.24 per month (including taxes)

TekSavvy’s “Extreme Cable 25 Unlimited” $50.34 per month (including taxes)

TekSavvy promises numbers about double the download speed and quadruple the upload speed I am currently getting. And it’s cheaper.

Here are the three calls I made today:

First call |MP3| Inquiring To Teksavvy

Second call |MP3| Cancelling Shaw

Third call |MP3| Signing Up With Teksavvy

All three recordings are unedited except for the obfuscation of some non-$$ based numbers.

Here’s all three done up as a YouTube video:

The only downside to today’s switch is the switchover cost. Here’s what I paid out today to switch:

Qty Item Price
1 Shipping – Canada Post $10.00
1 Activation Discount – Rabais d’activation -$20.00
1 DCM475 DOCSIS 3 Modem $99.00
1 TekSavvy Extreme Cable 25 Unlimited / TekSavvy Câble extrême 25 Illimité $44.95
1 Activation Fee – frais d’activation ($79.00) $79.00

Subtotal: $212.95
BC HST : $25.55
Total: $238.50

I’ll let you know how it goes on September 14th, 2012.

Posted by Jesse Willis

The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN

SFFaudio News

The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick

The Unreconstructed M - illustration by Frank Kelly Freas

The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.

It’s public domain status was not previously known because the copyright was thought to have been renewed. But it wasn’t.

The confusion stems from this document:

RE220675

You will note that the renewal form shows The Unreconstructed M as having been published in a magazine called Other Worlds, November 1956.

That is completely false.

Here is the table of contents for the November 1956 issue of Other Worlds:
Other Worlds, November 1956 - table of contents

The Unreconstructed M was actually published in the January 1957 issue of Science Fiction Stories (aka Original Science Fiction Stories).

Here is the table of contents from that issue:
Science Fiction Stories, January 1957 - table of contents (includes The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick)

Here is a |PDF| made from it’s publication in Science Fiction Stories.

The Unreconstructed M by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Strange Eden by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN

SFFaudio News

Strange Eden by Philip K. Dick

Strange Eden by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Its copyright was not renewed within the specified period. This was not generally known previously due to a falsification of the original publication on a 1983 copyright office renewal form (RE190631). The story was first published in the December 1954 issue of Imagination. But the copyright renewal form suggests it was published in the December 1955 issue of Imagination.

It was not.

Here is the evidence:

The table of contents for Imagination, December 1954 (as you can see it includes Strange Eden by Philip K. Dick):
Imagination, December 1954 - table of contents (includes Strange Eden by Philip K. Dick)

Here is a scanned photocopy of the renewal form:
RE190631 - renewal form including Strange Eden

Here is the table of contents for Imagination, December 1955 – the issue that the renewal form states that Strange Eden was published in. Note that it does not contain Strange Eden:
Imagination, December 1955 - table of contents

Strange Eden by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.

I’ve made a |PDF| from it’s publication in Imagination, December 1954.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Foster, You’re Dead by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN

SFFaudio News

Foster, You’re Dead by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.

The story’s copyright was not properly renewed. This was not generally know prior because a copyright office renewal form |HERE| seemed to show that the story had been renewed.

The form shows Foster, You’re Dead as being published in the May 1955 issue of IF: Worlds Of Science Fiction. But an examination of the table of contents page from that issue shows that no such story was published in IF’s May 1955 issue. Observe for yourself:

If Worlds Of Science Fiction, May 1955 - table of contents

Instead, Foster, You’re Dead was originally published in Star Science Fiction Stories No. 3 an anthology of NEW SF that was published in 1955.

Star Science Fiction Stories No. 3

Here are the copyright page copyright page and table of contents from it:

Star Science Fiction Stories No. 3

To make the case even more clearly here is the editorial introduction, written by Frederik Pohl, explicitly detailing the fact that Foster, You’re Dead, and all the other stories in the anthology, had never before been published:

Star Science Fiction Stories No. 3 - editorial introduction by Frederik Pohl

Foster, You’re Dead by Philip K. Dick is PUBLIC DOMAIN.

Here is the |PDF|.

Posted by Jesse Willis

CBC: Spark: Interview with David Fewer about Bill C-11 (Canada’s awful new copyright legistlation)

SFFaudio Online Audio

Here’s Nora Young’s full interview with David Fewer (of the Canadian Internet Policy and Public Interest Clinic) on Bill C-11: |MP3|

A shorter version appeared as a part of Spark #183

From the interview it seems clear that Bill C-11 (like Bills C-32 and C-61 previously) includes a fatal flaw that makes the ordinary activities of Canadians illegal whenever a digital lock is put upon a work. The mere presence of a digital lock will, in actual fact, trump any and all rights that the C-11 looks like it will otherwise provide.

C-11 forbids fair dealing. It forbids satire and parody. It forbids format shifting. Even after a work enters the public domain, if it has DRM on it, it will be illegal to circumvent DRM to get at it.

Bill C-11 is some really fucked up shit.

Posted by Jesse Willis

Adjustment Team by Philip K. Dick

SFFaudio Online Audio

Below you’ll find Gregg Margarite’s reading of Philip K. Dick’s Adjustment Team (courtesy of The Drama Pod) – but first here’s the printable |PDF| I made for it from it’s original publication in Orbit SF.

Adjustment Team
By Philip K Dick; Read by Gregg Margarite
1 |MP3| – Approx. 59 Minutes [UNABRIDGED]
Publisher: The Drama Pod
Published: November 14, 2011
Something went wrong … and Ed Fletcher ended up in the biggest thing in his life. First published in Orbit Science Fiction, No.4 (Sept.-Oct., 1954).

Illustrations by Faragasso:

Adjustment Team by Philip K. Dick

Posted by Jesse Willis