For two years, the Defense Department has been collaborating with industry to try to better protect the firms' computer networks. Now, as the Obama administration ponders how to strengthen the nation's defenses against cyberattacks, it is considering ways to share the Pentagon's threat data with other critical industries, such as those that handle vastly larger amounts of data, including phone calls and private e-mails.
Judge Orders S.C. to Stop Pursuing Craigslist
A South Carolina judge has ordered the state attorney general's office to stop pursuing criminal charges against Craigslist.com while a lawsuit related to prostitution ads on the popular classifieds site makes its way through the courts. In statements to the media and on his Web site, South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster has accused Craigslist's operators of not doing enough to eliminate ads soliciting prostitution in accordance with an agreement struck last November with 40 states attorney generals.
Cartier Files, Drops Lawsuit Against Apple Over App
A lawyer representing Cartier International N.V. aid it is withdrawing a suit the company filed earlier in the day against Apple Inc. The suit alleged that two applications for the iPhone infringed on the trademark for the luxury brand's Tank watches.
Facebook Settles Trademark Dispute Over Its Name
Facebook and Think Computer have settled a dispute over whether the former actually owns the term "facebook." Under the settlement, Think has agreed to abandon its efforts to get the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office to cancel the trademark issued to Facebook in 2006.
Iranian President Denies Ban on Facebook
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad said he did not call for a ban on Facebook during the country's presidential election. "I should make an inquiry and ask about this," he said when asked about reports that his government blocked access to the online social networking site.
Seven People Indicted Over Prostitution Ring on Craiglist
Seven people accused of publicizing a New York City prostitution ring over Craigslist have been indicted, adding to pressure on the online classified site to vet its ads. Room Service Entertainment, operating from the borough of Queens, continuously advertised in the erotic services section of Craigslist, New York state Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said in a statement.
New Scams Target Users of Facebook, Twitter
A new phishing scam hit Facebook users that, like others in recent weeks, sends them to a Web site which steals their log-in information and also secretly downloads malware onto computers when they visit the malicious Web site in what is known as a "drive-by download." Meanwhile, Twitter users were getting messages from new followers that were posting links to a fake Twitter site with "tvvitter" in the tiny URL, Graham Cluley of Sophos wrote in his blog.
Movie Studios Argue Against Fair Use in DVD Case
Attorneys for the Motion Picture Association of America attacked fair use during a hearing in the RealDVD case, claiming it is not a defense for violating the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. To prove its point, the MPAA relied on RealNetworks' own testimony in a prior case.
Craiglist Sues South Carolina Over Prosecution Threats
Craigslist sued South Carolina's attorney general, Henry McMaster, in federal court. The classified-ad site is asking the court to rule that the attorney general has no right to threaten executives of the company with criminal prosecution for aiding prostitution in the state.
Calif. Wants Supreme Court to Reinstate Video Game Law
California Attorney General Jerry Brown has asked the U.S. Supreme Court to reinstate a law banning the sale or rental of violent video games to minors. In February, the 9th U.S. Court of Appeals struck down the 2005 law as a free speech violation that could limit minors' access to other material under the guise of protecting children.
Microsoft Gets Patent on "Restricted Software" Usage
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.
