A hacker's theft of millions of Virginia's most sensitive prescription drug records isn't slowing Democratic Sen. Mark Warner's push for electronic medical records. The former governor convened a conference in Richmond about the medical and cost-saving benefits of digitizing hundreds of millions of patient records nationally.
Claiming Names on Social Media Services Often Challenging
Social media domain names -- such as Twitter.com/yourname -- can be doled out arbitrarily. Even if you get a name first on a social network, you are not allowed to sell it and it can be reclaimed by the social network at any time. Legal remedies for dealing with imposters or trademark issues range from murky to nonexistent.
Obama's Antitrust Focus Could Turn to Google
The Obama administration declared a sharp break with the Bush years, vowing to toughen antitrust enforcement, especially for dominant companies. In this new climate, the stakes appear to be highest for Google, the rising power of the Internet economy.
Internet Travel Company to Pay $1 Million in Settlement
California Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown reached a legal settlement with a Midwestern Internet travel business that the state had accused of running "an elaborate pyramid scheme." The company, YTB International Inc. of Wood River, Ill., agreed to pay $1 million in penalties, attorney costs and restitution to California consumers who had filed complaints with the state.
Engadget Asked to Taken Down Photos of Game Console
Engadget is reporting that its Japanese site received a cease-and-desist notice from a "mysterious Chinese firm" demanding that it take down images of what may -- or may not be -- a new, slimmer version of Sony's PS3 game console. Engadget didn't name the firm, but if such a company really exists -- and it did send out a real cease-and-desist letter -- it would lend some credence to the possibility that the photos are real.
CEO of Craigslist Asks South Carolina for Apology
Craigslist's CEO has come out swinging against the South Carolina attorney who has threatened criminal prosecution against the online classifieds site for failing to remove pornographic images and ads for prostitution. In a feisty blog post entitled "An Apology Is in Order," Craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster pointed to a laundry list of other sites advertising more numerous and explicit ads for adult escort services.
Man Convicted of Selling Microsoft Product Keys
Federal authorities accused Adonis Gladney of selling counterfeit Microsoft product keys, and he was convicted of violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Gladney, 24, is believed to be the first person convicted for DMCA violations dealing with the circumvention of security protections on software, according to Assistant U.S. Attorney Craig Missakian.
Judge Orders YouTube to Pay $1.6 Million in Royalty Fees
Google-owed YouTube is being ordered to pay more than a million dollars to musicians in overdue royalty fees.
South Carolina Probing Craigslist Over Erotic Ads
The attorney general of South Carolina is ready to launch a criminal investigation of Craigslist in connection with erotic ads appearing on the classified ads Web site. Attorney General Henry McMaster had given Craigslist a deadline to remove erotically charged material from its South Carolina listings.
Baseball Gets Patent for Blocking Some Fans Online
Major League Baseball has won a patent for technology that blocked certain fans from viewing local games online, and it may open the door for the U.S. sports league to profit by licensing it to media companies. Baseball's advanced media business was awarded a U.S. patent last month for online geolocation technology, a system that uses two or more electronic methods (such as wireless and satellite) to pinpoint the geographic location of a subscriber, the sports league said.
Microsoft to Invest in Hangzhou After Anti-Piracy Promise
In a new tack against piracy, Microsoft Corp. will make a series of investments in the Chinese city of Hangzhou, which has promised to clamp down on illegitimate software. Microsoft will build two new technology centers and make other investments in the wealthy city on China's east coast, with the aim to establish a model city where intellectual-property rights have greater protections than elsewhere in China.
Google to Allow Trademarks in AdWords Copy
Google has revised its policy on trademarks appearing in keyword ads, allowing brand names to appear in AdWords copy. "Under certain criteria, you can use trademark terms in your ad text in the U.S. even if you don't own that trademark or have explicit approval from the trademark owner to use it," Google said.
Hackers Gather Passwords from Some Facebook Users
Hackers launched an attack on Facebook's 200 million users, successfully gathering passwords from some of them in the latest campaign to prey on members of the popular social networking site. Facebook spokesman Barry Schnitt said that the site was in the process of cleaning up damage from the attack.
Company Files Patent Suit Against Music Services
A company called Tune Hunter accused music-finding service Shazam as well as a host of consumer electronics makers, wireless service operators, and digital music retailers of infringing on its patent on a music identification system. Shazam is named along with Samsung, Apple, Amazon.com, Napster, Motorola, Gracenote, Verizon Wireless, LG Electronics, AT&T Mobility, and Pantech Wireless.
Craigslist Agrees to Drop Ads for "Erotic Services"
Online classified site Craigslist will replace its "erotic services" ads with a new adult category following pressure by state authorities after the murder of a masseuse who advertised on the site. The "erotic services" section will end within seven days and be replaced by an "adult services" category where advertisements will be individually screened by Craigslist staff, Craigslist said.
French Court Rules for eBay in Suit by L'Oreal
A French court rejected a claim from the cosmetics company L'Oreal that the online auctioneer eBay was profiting from sales of counterfeit perfumes. The court said that eBay was making a reasonable effort to keep fake goods off its site.
Real Networks Files Antitrust Suit Against Studios
Escalating its already simmering court battle with Hollywood, Real Networks has sued the six major Hollywood movie studios and the DVD Copy Control Association, a cross-industry consortium, in federal court in northern California. The Seattle-based company is accusing the studios and the association of violating antitrust law by illegally colluding to stop consumers from making "fair use" copies of their DVDs and to prevent competing DVD products from hitting the market.
Software Company Sues Google Over Keyword Ads
A small software company from Marshall, Texas, is the latest contender to take on Google in the fight over trademarks. Firepond filed suit against Google in U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas alleging that the search giant had violated its trademark by allowing Firepond's competitors to buy the trademark in a keyword auction.
EC Fines Intel $1.45 Billion for "Anticompetitive Practices"
The European Commission fined Intel a record €1.06 billion, or $1.45 billion, for abusing its dominance in the computer chip market to exclude its only serious rival, Advanced Micro Devices. The E.U. competition commissioner, Neelie Kroes, said the penalty against Intel, the world's largest chip maker, was justified because the company had skewed competition and denied consumers a choice for chips.
Microsoft Releases Patches to Thwart PowerPoint Hackers
Microsoft said that hackers are seeking to attack users of its PowerPoint presentation software for Windows PCs and released patches to protect them against the threat. The world's No. 1 software maker said that a version of PowerPoint for Apple's Mac computers is also vulnerable, though it has yet to find any evidence that hackers are actively seeking to exploit it.
