Microsoft was granted a patent for a way of limiting access to certain features of an operating system depending on whether a user has paid for those features. The patent, titled "Restricted software and hardware usage on a computer," covers a means by which it can offer software that has features either enabled or not enabled depending on which edition a user has purchased.
National Archives Offers Reward for Missing Hard Drive
The U.S. National Archives said it is offering a $50,000 reward for information leading to the recovery of a missing hard drive that contains personal information of former Clinton administration staff and visitors. The small portable hard drive was being kept as a backup, the National Archives explained in a question-and-answer document on its Web site.
Some Photos "Deleted" Online Still Available
User photographs can still be found on many social networking sites even after people have deleted them, Cambridge University researchers have said.
Germany Tells Google to Change Street View Service
A German data protection official threatened Google, the world's largest search company, with "unspecified sanctions" if the company did not change its Street View panoramic photo mapping service to conform to the country's strict privacy laws. Johannes Caspar, the data protection regulator for the German city-state of Hamburg, where Google has its German headquarters, said officials would be forced to pursue unspecified sanctions if he did not receive written guarantees from Google agreeing to changes.
Appeals Court Protects White House Office E-mails
A federal appeals court ruled that the office that has records about millions of possibly missing e-mails from the Bush White House does not have to make them public. The appeals court in Washington ruled that the White House Office of Administration is not subject to the Freedom of Information Act.
Amazon.com Sues Discovery Over Online Shopping Patents
Amazon.com sued Animal Planet TV channel operator Discovery Communications over patents for a way to conduct searches on Internet shopping sites. The Internet retailer contends that Discovery's online store is infringing four patents related to ways consumers refine searches for products or get recommendations based on previous purchases.
Google Founder Cites Problems in Deleting Data
Forcing Google to delete user data after six months could dent its ability to predict pandemics such as swine flu, said the search giant's co-founder. Larry Page said he thought more debate was needed around the issue of storing user data.
Despite Hacking, Senator Pushes E-Health Records
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.
