Comcast is considering monthly bandwidth caps for all those people on its cable-based internet service. According to a report from Broadband Reports, America's second largest ISP is mulling a plan that would cap user downloads at 250GB a month.
RIAA CEO Questions Need for Net Neutrality Rules
The Recording Industry Association of America's chief voiced skepticism about the need for Net neutrality rules, but warned that the government may need to step in if Internet service providers don't become more proactive in fighting digital piracy. The House of Representatives subcommittee hearing was further evidence that the now years-old debate over Net neutrality is taking on a new dimension, in which concerns about Internet piracy are entering the debate.
Viacom Chairman Wants Help Fighting Piracy Online
Internet service providers, Web site operators, and manufacturers of devices that are used by some to pirate content should play a part in stamping out that piracy, Sumner Redstone, chairman and controlling shareholder of both Viacom and CBS, said. "It is obviously impossible to check every computer or look over the shoulder of every user around the world to see whether they have a license to use our content -- and we don’t want to do that," said Redstone in a keynote address to the Seoul Digital Forum, which was monitored by Web cast in Tokyo.
Yahoo to Flag Dangerous Search Results
Yahoo and McAfee are joining to offer alerts about potentially dangerous websites alongside search results generated at Yahoo.com. With the new security feature, people who search the Internet using Yahoo will see a red exclamation point and a warning next to links McAfee has identified as serving dangerous downloads or using visitors' e-mail addresses to send out spam.
EBay Seller Offering Unsanctioned Mac Computer
Another entrepreneur is trying their hand at selling unsanctioned Mac OS X desktops. AppleInsider spotted an eBay listing for a generic desktop tower running Mac OS X Leopard, weeks after Psystar made a very public show of defying Apple's licensing agreement for Leopard with its Open Computer.
Court Orders Company to Use "Negative Keywords"
A U.S. court has ordered a company to use "negative keywords" to avoid being associated with another firm's trade mark. The innovative order was one of a series of measures ordered by the judge.
Google Removes Open Source Project After DMCA Complaint
Google has removed an open source project that enables the proprietary CoreAVC high-definition video decoder to run in Linux following a complaint from the codec's developer -- but the project could soon return. "In response to a complaint we received under the U.S. Digital Millennium Copyright Act, we have removed project 'coreavc-for-linux,'" Google said in a brief statement posted on the project hosting section of its Google Code web site for developers.
N.Y. Official Proposes Heavier Fines for Copying Movies
New York's attorney general proposed legislation that would set heavier penalties for people who record movies in theaters to illegally sell or distribute. The legislation will make it a felony for people who repeatedly record movies for commercial purposes without permission.
Amazon Sues New York Over Sales Tax Law
Amazon has filed a lawsuit in New York contesting a controversial new state law requiring some online retailers to collect sales tax on purchases shipped to New York's residents, even if they have no offices or employees there. The e-commerce giant filed its challenge to the law in the State Supreme Court in Manhattan, seeking a declaratory ruling that the law is "invalid, illegal and unconstitutional."
Policy Could Allow Agencies to Gather Data Online
America's spy agencies for the first time would be tasked with gathering intelligence on threats to the nation's computer networks under a policy that could be detailed by the White House soon, a senior administration official said. Speaking at a security conference in Washington, the official said the Bush administration wants to harness the intelligence community's offensive capabilities in defense of government and civilian computer systems.
Va. Schools to Launch Internet Safety Lessons
Virginia public schools will soon launch Internet safety lessons across all grade levels, responding to a state mandate that is the first of its kind in the nation. Even though today's students have known no life without the Internet, only a couple of states have laws that recommend schools teach online safety.
Microsoft Hacker Program Focuses on New Threats
The ease with which holes in antivirus software can be discovered and the insidiousness of invisible scripts that can track your Web surfing were two of the notable talks at the BlueHat hacker sessions Microsoft held on its Redmond, Wash., campus, according to a veteran attendee. The invitation-only event, held every six months for the past three years, brings top security researchers to the home of the biggest software company in the world where they discuss the latest and greatest exploits and issues in the world of computer security.
Spam, Still Growing, Marks 30th Anniversary
Spam -- the scourge of every e-mail inbox -- celebrates its 30th anniversary. The first recognisable e-mail marketing message was sent on May 3, 1978, to 400 people on behalf of DEC -- a now-defunct computer-maker.
Court Sets Formula for Internet Music Royalties
A federal court established a formula for determining the Internet royalties owed to thousands of music composers, writers and publishers by three major online services -- Yahoo, AOL and RealNetworks. The American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers hailed the decision, estimating the guidelines could yield as much as $100 million in payments covering a seven-year period ending in 2009.
House Committee Approves Anti-Piracy Legislation
A House committee passed an anti-piracy bill that would stiffen penalties for illegally copying and distributing music and movies and would create an "intellectual property czar" at the White House level -- a job that the Justice Department warned would "undermine" its independence.
Facebook Users Called at Risk for Identity Theft
Personal details of Facebook users could potentially be stolen, the BBC technology programme Click has found. A malicious program, masquerading as a harmless application, could potentially harvest personal data.
Maker of Mac Clones Likely to Face Legal Test
Now that Psystar has satisfied any doubts that it's a real company making real products, the propriety of those products seems bound to be tested. In case you missed it, Psystar is currently selling Open Computers with Apple's Mac OS X Leopard preinstalled, in what appears to be a clear violation of Apple's software license agreement for that product.
Man Gets 30 Months for Operating "Warez" Sites
A Woodbury, Connecticut, man has been sentenced to 30 months in prison for operating Web sites where users could download unauthorized copies of movies, music, and software titles, the U.S. Department of Justice announced. David M. Fish, 26, was sentenced on criminal copyright infringement and circumvention charges in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California in San Jose, the DOJ announced.
Judge Puts Brakes on RIAA's "Making Available Argument"
The recording industry's music piracy fight was dealt a setback when a federal judge rejected the RIAA's "making available" argument in a lawsuit against a husband and wife accused of copyright infringement. In Atlantic v. Howell, Judge Neil V. Wake denied the labels' motion for summary judgment in a 17-page decision, allowing the suit to proceed to trial.
Charity Launches Campaign Against Illegal Music Sharing
The charity Childnet is launching a global information campaign to warn children about the potential dangers of downloading music illegally. The campaign, which is supported by the music industry, will distribute a pocket-sized guide to schools and colleges in 21 countries.
