Congress has passed legislation that will require the government to keep closer tabs on who has access to the Internet and who does not. Supporters hope the Broadband Data Improvement Act will help policymakers better identify areas of the country that are falling behind when it comes to high-speed Internet access.
Apple Won't Enforce iPhone Confidentiality Agreement
Apple has decided to end the nondisclosure agreement attached to software that has already been released for the iPhone, in the latest sign that it is starting to take developer concerns to heart. The company put up a notice on the main Apple developer Web page that, effective immediately, says developers are released from the NDA regarding iPhone software that has already been released.
Palin Kept Separate E-mail Account for State Work
Gov. Sarah Palin maintained a private e-mail account that she used to communicate with a small circle of staff members outside the state government's secure official e-mail system, according to the Wasilla company that established the site. The account was separate from the Yahoo e-mail address that was abruptly abandoned by the McCain campaign on Sept. 17, the day hackers penetrated the account and posted pages from it on the Internet.
Mitnick Detained at Airport for Four Hours
After landing at the Atlanta airport for a security conference, Kevin Mitnick was detained for four hours for reasons still not fully explained. To make matters worse, while customs officials in Atlanta were busy inspecting his cell phone, laptop, and luggage, police in Bogota were ripping open a package he had mailed to his U.S. address on suspicion that it contained cocaine.
Movie Studios Sue to Stop Real's DVD-Copying Software
Hollywood's six major movie studios sued RealNetworks to prevent it from distributing DVD copying software that they said would allow consumers to "rent, rip and return" movies. The studios stand to lose a key revenue source if consumers stop buying DVDs and copy rental discs from outlets like Netflix and Blockbuster instead.
Security Experts Warn of Malware on Cell Phones
Security experts think cell phones could be the next battleground for malware, particularly if it's a smart-phone, a handset that has a full operating system and can run applications much like a desktop computer. The more that phones can perform the same functions as PCs, the greater the chance they will have similar vulnerabilities, experts say.
Lawsuit Accuses Companies of Selling Bogus PC Fixes
Microsoft and the Attorney General's office in Washington state said they have filed seven lawsuits over pop-up ads that scare consumers into paying for software that supposedly fixes critical errors on a PC. One lawsuit alleges a Texas firm sent incessant pop-up ads that falsely claimed the computer had critical errors in its registry and directed people to a Web site where they could download free scanning software to find the problems.
Congress Approves Increased Copyright Enforcement
The U.S. House of Representatives passed a bill that would significantly increase penalties for copyright infringement and create a new office of intellectual-property enforcement coordinator in the White House. The bill, which passed the U.S. Senate by unanimous consent, was stripped of one of its most controversial provisions, which would allow the U.S. Department of Justice to prosecute civil lawsuits on behalf of copyright owners.
Indian Court Rules Against "Scrabulous" Name
Rajat and Jayant Agarwalla, the Indian brothers who came up with the Scrabble-style word game for Facebook called Scrabulous, told fans that their country's courts ruled that their game did not violate Mattel Inc.'s copyrights. It did, however, consider the name Scrabulous a trademark violation and ordered the Agarwallas to stop using the word, the brothers said.
Online Profiles Reshape Jury Duty Selection Process
In the age of MySpace, Facebook, cyberspace sales pitches and blogging, the Internet is proving a treasure trove of insight into the thinking and values of those called for jury duty. And it has transformed the way many jury consultants do their jobs.
House Approves Webcaster Settlement Act
The House of Representatives has unanimously passed a bill that Web radio stations have painted as life or death for their services. The Webcaster Settlement Act, which would allow Internet radio stations to negotiate with the music industry for a royalty rate lower than what Congress mandated last year, passed the House by a voice vote.
Adobe Flaw Allows Free Access to Online Video
A security hole in Adobe Systems software, used to distribute movies and TV shows over the Internet, is giving users free access to record and copy from Amazon.com's video streaming service. The problem exposes online video content to the rampant piracy that plagued the music industry during the Napster era and is undermining efforts by retailers, movie studios and television networks to cash in on a huge Web audience.
Senate Passes Protect Our Children Act
The Protect Our Children Act, introduced by Sen. Joe Biden, D-Del., made it through the Senate. Separate bills authored by Sens. John McCain and Hillary Clinton were folded into the legislation, which authorizes more than $320 million for the Justice Department over the next five years for, among other things, the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force.
RIAA Seeks Sanctions Against File-Sharing Lawyer
A lawyer who is known for defending individuals accused of peer-to-peer sharing of copyrighted works over the Internet is now on the hot seat himself. The Recording Industry Association of America is seeking sanctions against attorney Ray Beckerman in a federal court case in New York, claiming that he has engaged in "obstructionist tactics" and provided "misinformation."
ISPs Promise They'll Get Users' Permission Before Tracking
Three of the four largest ISPs in the U.S. said that they will adopt policies that require them to get meaningful permission from customers before tracking online activities. Representatives of AT&T, Time Warner Cable and Verizon told a U.S. Senate committee that they currently do not engage in behavioral advertising that uses subscribers' Web activities to deliver contextual ads.
Appeals Court Rules for Microsoft in Alcatel-Lucent Case
Microsoft Corp. convinced a federal appeals court that it shouldn't have to pay $1.5 billion in damages to Alcatel-Lucent SA, after a lower court threw out the jury's record verdict over the MP3 digital-music standard. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit affirmed the lower court's decision that one of the two patents wasn't infringed and that Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, had a valid license for the second one.
Regulators Cite Microsoft Progress But Want More
Microsoft has made some progress developing a set of documents required as part of its antitrust consent decree, but the work could be accomplished much more quickly if the company took on a less grudging attitude, state and federal antitrust regulators said. The comments were made during a status conference meeting held to asses Microsoft's compliance with the consent decree.
Aerosmith Musician Sues Blogger for Impersonation
Aerosmith frontman Steven Tyler sued unknown bloggers who the singer said impersonated him on the Web, writing about the death of his mother and other "intimate details" from his life. In a lawsuit filed in Los Angeles, Tyler, 60, said he didn't know the real names of those who have impersonated him and girlfriend Erin Brady on the Web, but he believes the same group was responsible for similar postings in 2007.
New Trial Scheduled for Woman in File-Sharing Case
A federal judge has granted a new trial for Jammie Thomas who was convicted of copyright infringement last year as part of the Recording Industry Association of America's campaign against illegal file sharing. The Minnesota federal judge Michael Davis threw out the verdict against Thomas.
Bush Administration Opposes Copyright Bill
The Bush administration has announced its strong opposition to a bill backed by the recording industry that would let federal prosecutors file civil lawsuits against peer-to-peer pirates. In a letter sent to the Senate Judiciary Committee that amounts to a veto threat, the administration said it was "deeply concerned" that the proposal would divert resources from criminal prosecution to civil enforcement, and create "unnecessary bureaucracy."
