“In short, Aaron Swartz was not the super hacker breathlessly described in the Government’s indictment and forensic reports, and his actions did not pose a real danger to JSTOR, MIT or the public. He was an intelligent young man who found a loophole that would allow him to download a lot of documents quickly. This loophole was created intentionally by MIT and JSTOR, and was codified contractually in the piles of paperwork turned over during discovery.”

Alex Stamos

The truth about Aaron Swartz’s “Crime.” 

If you’re not familiar with Aaron Swartz & his recent suicide, there are a number of articles you could read. But the one that resonated most with me? The one written by Alex Stamos, who was chosen to be an expert witness for the case being brought against Aaron. 

Is Jay-Z’s 99 problems legally accurate? A law professor explains in a line-by-line reading.

I’m usually happy to pick either side of a debate - But if we’re arguing about Jay-Z, I’d have to say that 99 Problems is one of his best songs ever. A catchy rap that you can sing along to… And apparently it’s truthful about Jay’s early days. (Yep, I went with Jay. He was paying my salary from 2007-2009 so I’m taking the first name liberty.) But is it legally accurate? Insightful and interesting, a law professor dissects the lyrics.

Why copying isn’t theft.

Stuart Green’s op-ed in the NY Times (When Stealing Isn’t Stealing), he shows why, in economic terms, copying digital files isn’t exactly theft. The Freakonomics post sums it up in two sentences: “If a thief steals your car, he has it, and you don’t. But if someone illegally downloads your song, he has it - but so do you.”

Source youtube.com