Google lost its bid to get European Union-wide trademark protection for "Gmail," the name of its Web-based e-mail service. The Gmail name is too similar to an existing German trademark, according to a ruling by the EU's trademark agency published on its Web site.
Software Center Claims Victory in Open-Source Suit
The Software Freedom Law Center is claiming victory in yet another infringement lawsuit over the use of the open source GPL license. The case hinges on Verizon's distribution of a wireless router.
Court Wants Explanation of Missing White House E-mails
A federal court gave White House officials three days to explain why they should not be required to make copies of all e-mails on computers in the Executive Office of the President. In a three-page order, U.S. Magistrate Judge John Facciola expressed concern that a large volume of electronic messages may be missing from White House computer servers.
Moroccan Jailed for Facebook Impersonation Freed
A Moroccan computer engineer jailed for setting up a Facebook account in the name of King Mohammed's brother has been freed after a royal pardon, his lawyer said. Fouad Mortada, 26, was jailed for three years and given a 10,000 dirham ($1,370) fine on February 23 for falsifying data and imitating Prince Moulay Rachid without his consent.
Facebook Introduces New Privacy Controls
Facebook said it is introducing new privacy controls that give users of the fast-growing social-network site the ability to preserve social distinctions between friends, family and co-workers online. Facebook executives told reporters at the company's Palo Alto, California headquarters of changes that will allow Facebook's more than 67 million active users worldwide to control what their friends, and friends of their friends see.
Company Fails to Get Documents Behind .xxx Rejection
The company behind the proposed .xxx top-level domain, which was rejected after the Bush administration intervened, has been trying to dig up embarrassing government documents through a federal lawsuit. But a federal judge on March 12 granted summary judgment to the Bush administration in the Freedom of Information Act lawsuit brought by the ICM Registry.
Chinese Activist Tried on Subversion Charges
Hu Jia, a human rights activist and commentator, was tried in a Beijing court on charges of inciting subversion against the Chinese government through his writings on the Internet. Hu was detained Dec. 27 in what was seen as part of a crackdown by Chinese censors and security services to rid the Internet of dissidents in the lead-up to the 2008 Olympic Games in Beijing this August.
Man Gets 51 Months for Online Identity Theft
A Seattle man was sentenced to 51 months in prison for using file-sharing software to steal people's identities and buy merchandise under their names. Calling Gregory Kopiloff a "highwayman in the virtual world," U.S. District Judge James Robart declined a defense recommendation for a two-year sentence.
Dotcast Drops Patent Case Against Movie Gallery
Dotcast Inc. will withdraw its patent infringement lawsuit against Movie Gallery Inc. under a new settlement that Movie Gallery says will save it money. The deal prevents Dotcast, which engineers and provides digital broadcast technologies, from filing any claims against Movie Gallery in its Chapter 11 case.
Breach at Grocery Exposes 4.2 Million Card Numbers
A security breach at an East Coast supermarket chain exposed 4.2 million credit and debit card numbers and led to 1,800 cases of fraud, the Hannaford Bros. grocery chain announced. Hannaford said credit and debit card numbers were stolen during the card authorization process and about 4.2 million unique account numbers were exposed.
Italian Rule Bans Spying on Illegal File Sharers
Italian companies may not spy on individuals who engage in illegal file-sharing, according to a controversial new ruling. The ruling of Francesco Pizzetti, president of the official Italian body for Guaranteeing the Protection of Private Data, follows the attempts of a German record label, Peppermint, which last year began using the Swiss computer firm Logistep to gather the IP addresses of at least 300 Italians who were illegally sharing files.
Court Affirms Rejection of Minn. Video Game Law
The video game industry and free-speech proponents landed yet another legal victory, when a federal appeals court affirmed a 2006 rejection of a Minnesota law restricting minors' access to violent titles. The Minnesota law would have imposed up to a $25 fine on minors younger than 17 caught buying or renting video games rated "M" for mature or "AO" for adults-only, under the video game industry's rating system.
Supreme Court Refuses to Hear Microsoft-Novell Case
The U.S. Supreme Court handed Microsoft a defeat by refusing to rule on the software giant's request to halt an antitrust suit brought against it by Novell in 2004. Court papers filed in the suit by Novell, based in Waltham, Massachusetts, said that Microsoft "deliberately targeted and destroyed" its WordPerfect and QuattroPro programs to protect its Windows operating system monopoly.
Dalai Lama Wants Chinese Ban of YouTube Investigated
People all over China are reporting that YouTube access has been blocked, possibly in connection with a Chinese government crackdown on Tibet. The Dalai Lama called for an international investigation of the crackdown, as Tibetan rioting against Chinese rule spread to other provinces.
ValueClick to Pay $2.9 Million in Advertising Case
Online advertiser ValueClick Inc has agreed to pay $2.9 million to settle charges that one of its subsidiaries deceived consumers when it promised free plasma televisions, iPods and other expensive gifts, the Federal Trade Commission said. The commission also had accused ValueClick and its subsidiaries Hi-Speed Media and E-Babylon of failing to secure consumers' financial information.
Botnets Blamed for More Illegal Activity on Internet
Largely unnoticed by the public, botnets have come to inundate the Internet. On a typical day, 40% of the 800 million computers connected to the Internet are bots engaged in distributing e-mail spam, stealing sensitive data typed at banking and shopping websites, bombarding websites as part of extortionist denial-of-service attacks, and spreading fresh infections, says Rick Wesson, CEO of Support Intelligence, a San Francisco-based company that tracks and sells threat data.
Parents Struggle to Fight Lewd Photos Online
An Orange County mother was shocked last fall to discover that someone had photographed her 13-year-old son in his tight-fitting swimsuit at a high school water polo meet and posted the image on an adult Web site that invited lewd comments. Scouring the Internet, parents soon found other such photos, hundreds of them. But their horror turned to disbelief upon learning that police could do little to stop the practice.
Bush Wants Billions to Spend on Fighting Cyberattacks
A sudden spike in the number of successful attacks against federal government information systems and databases has led President Bush to propose a multibillion-dollar response. The number of incidents reported to the Department of Homeland Security rose by 152% last year, to nearly 13,000, according to a new government report.
Court Dismisses Fair Housing Act Suit Against Craigslist
A federal appeals court dismissed a discrimination suit against craigslist, ruling the online classified advertising site is immune from accusations that it violates the federal Fair Housing Act of 1968. At issue is whether the site can be liable for allowing its customers to post discriminatory housing ads that say, for example, whites only, or those that forbid gays and lesbians.
Top Spammer Pleads Guilty to Federal Fraud Charges
A man once desribed as one of the world's top 10 computer spammers has pleaded guilty to federal charges of mail fraud, wire fraud, and failure to file a tax return. 29-year-old Robert Alan Soloway, dubbed "the spam king" by prosecutors, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Seattle to three of the charges listed in a 40-count indictment.
