A federal judge has fined a Belize-based company $8,000 for each day it continues to flout his order to halt a major internet operation alleged to have duped more than 1 million computer users into buying bogus malware protection. U.S. District Judge Richard D. Bennett wrote in a ruling that Innovative Marketing is in civil contempt for failing to comply with a temporary restraining order to stop its scareware campaign and turn over financial records.
Study Finds Increase in Amount of Personalized Spam
A new study by Cisco Systems Inc. found an alarming increase in the amount of personalized spam, which online identity thieves create using stolen lists of e-mail addresses or other poached data about their victims, such as where they went to school or which bank they use. Unlike traditional spam, most of which is blocked by e-mail filters, personalized spam, known as "spear phishing" messages, often sail through unmolested.
Microsoft, Alcatel-Lucent Settle Six Patent Suits
Microsoft and Alcatel-Lucent settled most of their patent litigation, officials of the two companies said. The agreement covers six lawsuits, including one that resulted in the largest patent verdict in U.S. history before it was thrown out by a judge.
Microsoft Settles Patent Case with Mouse Maker
Microsoft announced it has reached a settlement agreement with Primax Electronics, a mouse maker the software company sued in July for patent infringement. As part of the settlement, Primax has entered into a nonexclusive licensing agreement that covers Microsoft's patents for U2 and Tilt Wheel technology, for both past and future sales of relevant Primax products in the United States.
Yahoo to Limit How Long It Retains Personal Data
Yahoo, the Internet search company, said that it would limit the time it holds identifiable personal information related to searches to 90 days to address the growing concerns of privacy advocates and government regulators. Yahoo's new data retention policy is the most restrictive among major search engines in the United States and is certain to put pressure on rivals like Google and Microsoft to shorten the time they keep information about their users.
Engineer Gets 15 Months for Taking Software to Iran
An Iranian-born engineer who worked at the nation's largest nuclear power plant was sentenced to 15 months in prison for taking computer software that he obtained at the plant to Iran. Officials at the Palo Verde Nuclear Generating Station west of Phoenix have said the software did not contain enough information to pose a security threat.
Top Intellectual Property Lawyer Leaves Yahoo
Joseph Siino, the lawyer who built Yahoo Inc.'s intellectual property department, is leaving the struggling search giant. Siino, who wasn't part of the cuts, said he's leaving to join the growing patent monetization industry, which includes businesses like patent brokerages.
Pirated Software Sold Openly in Vietnam
In where pirated software -- and virtually any other kind of digital content -- is sold indiscriminately at many local shops for about $15,000 dong (90 cents) per DVD, or half of that for a CD. These shops are open, just like any legitimate business.
Companies Oppose ICANN's Plan for New Domain Names
A controversial proposal to create hundreds of new generic top-level domains is generating harsh criticism as corporations and individuals question the need for additional competition in the domain name marketplace and expense for businesses. Although the ICANN plan would allow companies to run their own domains -- such as .microsoft or .ibm -- the idea has been panned by most corporations that have commented on it so far.
China Blocking Websites Again After Olympic Reprieve
The Chinese government has quietly begun preventing access again to Web sites that it had stopped blocking during the Olympic Games in Beijing in August, Internet experts said. Liu Jianchao, a spokesman for China’s Foreign Ministry, said at his twice-weekly news conference in Beijing that the Chinese government had a right to censor Web sites that violated the country’s laws.
Privacy Groups Seek Support from FTC Under Obama
About a dozen leading privacy and consumer groups met with members of President-elect Barack Obama's transition team to discuss the Federal Trade Commission's role in protecting consumer privacy. While participating organizations addressed a range of problems and potential solutions, the underlying message was clear: the FTC has for too long allowed industries to self-regulate their online privacy practices -- to the detriment of consumers.
Onling Gambling Tycoon Agrees to Plead Guilty
An Internet tycoon who made billions of dollars building an online gambling empire has agreed to forfeit $300 million after pleading guilty to violating the U.S. Wire Act. Anurag Dikshit, co-founder of Gibralter-based PartyGaming, entered the plea in U.S. District Court in Manhattan.
Hasbro Drops Lawsuit Over "Scrabulous" Game
Hasbro has dropped its lawsuit against the makers of a popular online version of board game "Scrabble." Hasbro, which owns the North American rights to the word game, sued Jayant and Rajat Agarwalla, brothers from Calcutta, India, this summer.
Google Counsel Says Company Still Wants Net Neutrality
Google Inc. denied that it had reversed its stance on the issue of "Net neutrality" and dismissed a story in The Wall Street Journal on the subject as "confused." Citing undisclosed sources, the newspaper reported that Google had been in talks with major cable and phone companies about getting preferential treatment for traffic to and from its sites.
Report Faults Congress for Technology Confusion
Attempts by Congress and grassroots advocacy groups to employ different technologies to communicate with each other have done more harm than good, a new report says. "The result has been misunderstanding, frustration, wasted effort, and even anger on both sides, which must be resolved to truly realize the tremendous opportunities for electronic communications between citizens and their representatives in Congress," according to a report from the nonprofit, nonpartisan Congressional Management Foundation.
Australian Judge Allows Service via Facebook
In what appears to be a first in Australia and perhaps the world, Master Harper of the ACT Supreme Court ordered that a default judgement could be served on defendants by notification on Facebook. Master Harper ordered that the defendants in the case could be validly served by the plaintiff sending a message by computer to the Facebook pages of both defendants informing them of the entry of and the terms of the judgement.
Free WiFi Network Creates Filtering Controversy
M2Z Networks' proposal to build a free wireless broadband network is not the only controversial part of its business plan. Just as contentious is its intention to filter the content delivered over that network to block any material deemed inappropriate for children.
FCC Cancels Meeting to Vote on Free Internet Plan
The Federal Communications Commission has canceled a meeting scheduled at which it planned to vote on a controversial free Internet plan. The plan has been met with opposition from several top officials, wireless providers, and even civil rights groups.
Open-Source Group Sues Cisco for Violating License
A group that promotes open source software filed a lawsuit against Cisco, claiming that some of the networking vendor's routers violate the terms of open source licenses that govern the use of software embedded in the products. In court papers filed in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, the Free Software Foundation claims Cisco's Linksys routers violate parts of the GNU General Public License, version 2, and the GNU Lesser General Public License.
Sony Agrees to Pay $1 Million in Child Privacy Case
Sony BMG Music Entertainment has agreed to pay $1 million to settle charges by the Federal Trade Commission that it improperly collected and disclosed personal information on thousands of children under 13 without their parents' consent. The FTC said that the civil penalty is the largest ever to be paid in a case alleging violation of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act.
