Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets • Hacker News Board

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#11

Post by pjmlp » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:18 AM UTC

ChuckNorris89 wrote: post #4

mjevans wrote: post #2

Using copyright tools to try to contain published documentation of facts about anything is roughly where, if possible, I boycott anything involved with that company to the maximum reasonable extent. It is clear that TI no longer has an interest in developing new products, or figuring out better ways of making existing products, and would instead like to rent-seek and make the world a smaller place.

That was clear when Nokia fell and took down TI's OMAP processors with them and they just gave up to Quallcomm's Snapdragon without even putting up a fight. TI is now just rentseeking on their ananlog dominance and whatever sinking boat Intel is, TI is way worse.

Except Nokia is pretty much around, their business was more than just mobile phones, and happen to own Bell Labs nowadays.

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#12

Post by Taniwha » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:27 AM UTC

Marketing stupidity at its highest - if they were doing their job properly they would be doing everything possible to put their data sheets in front of as many designers as possible - I'll just find someone else's part that does the job and choose that

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#13

Post by blowfish721 » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:29 AM UTC

b1ackb0x wrote: post #7

I don’t understand why chipmakers seem to always restrict access to documentation on chips. Their competitors will get it anyway. This only creates more problems for small developers.

Could it be a legacy culture thing? If you’ve ever dealt with traditional broadcast vendors it’s the same thing there, impossible to get even basic documentation and manuals without having an authorized account in most cases. Really is frustrating when you try to shop around for a new setup and all you can get is marketing material.

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#14

Post by williamtwild » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:29 AM UTC

Tepix wrote: post #9

This is obviously wrong. The best way to remedy this is probably to contact TI as a (potential) investor, not complain here. Link: https://investor.ti.com/resources/contact-us

Short of the 1% it is unlikley they are going to care about your $500 in an IRA or some robinhood junky

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#15

Post by b1ackb0x » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:32 AM UTC

Taniwha wrote: post #12

Marketing stupidity at its highest - if they were doing their job properly they would be doing everything possible to put their data sheets in front of as many designers as possible - I'll just find someone else's part that does the job and choose that

And it’s not just TI, the whole industry is like that. Not only datasheets, most of developer documentation is not available for very common chips.

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#16

Post by varispeed » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:34 AM UTC

b1ackb0x wrote: post #7

I don’t understand why chipmakers seem to always restrict access to documentation on chips. Their competitors will get it anyway. This only creates more problems for small developers.

It is to create barriers to entry where possible. If you are rent-seeking greedy co, then why would you give away useful knowledge, not to mention for free? Also good documentation could make you create a replacement product or have better understanding what to look for in a substitute.

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#17

Post by varispeed » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:36 AM UTC

b1ackb0x wrote: post #8

b1ackb0x wrote: post #7

I don’t understand why chipmakers seem to always restrict access to documentation on chips. Their competitors will get it anyway. This only creates more problems for small developers.

Last time I had to find in-depth documentation on a fairly common and new SONY image sensor, there was nothing available officially, found it in some chinese file sharing site though. Seems like they are shooting themselves in the foot by not opening it.

I think this may be some bigger market fixing situation - only big and already established corporations would get documentation preventing any competition to emerge.

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#18

Post by varispeed » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:39 AM UTC

Taniwha wrote: post #12

Marketing stupidity at its highest - if they were doing their job properly they would be doing everything possible to put their data sheets in front of as many designers as possible - I'll just find someone else's part that does the job and choose that

For example Apple is known for having part suppliers to not sell parts to third parties. I wouldn't be surprised if these type of deals but more secret existed, so that big corporations can ensure there won't be any new competition coming up, as they wouldn't have the same access to parts or documentation.

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#19

Post by b1ackb0x » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:41 AM UTC

varispeed wrote: post #16

b1ackb0x wrote: post #7

I don’t understand why chipmakers seem to always restrict access to documentation on chips. Their competitors will get it anyway. This only creates more problems for small developers.

It is to create barriers to entry where possible. If you are rent-seeking greedy co, then why would you give away useful knowledge, not to mention for free? Also good documentation could make you create a replacement product or have better understanding what to look for in a substitute.

Not really, they are only making it less likely that we use their chip in our product because we never tested it and can’t make a prototype with it.

Re: Texas Instruments sent a DMCA takedown to a site archiving data sheets

#20

Post by canofbars » Fri, Jan 08, 2021, 10:43 AM UTC

blowfish721 wrote: post #13

b1ackb0x wrote: post #7

I don’t understand why chipmakers seem to always restrict access to documentation on chips. Their competitors will get it anyway. This only creates more problems for small developers.

Could it be a legacy culture thing? If you’ve ever dealt with traditional broadcast vendors it’s the same thing there, impossible to get even basic documentation and manuals without having an authorized account in most cases. Really is frustrating when you try to shop around for a new setup and all you can get is marketing material.

Most likely. The open source movement in software was still relatively recently and quite radical. The hardware companies are still stuck way in the past.