Web security experts say they have seen an uptick in the number of ads harboring malware as the economy has soured and publishers, needing to boost their ad revenues, outsource more of their ad-space sales. A number of such attacks have occurred this year, as perpetrators exploit the complex structure of business relationships in the online advertising, with its numerous middlemen and resellers.
U.K.'s Virgin Media, Universal to Offer Free Music
British cable TV operator Virgin Media is to launch an unlimited music download subscription service through a partnership with the world's largest music company, Universal. The music industry has been desperate to boost digital sales in recent years to overcome online piracy, and the agreement comes a day before a British report sets out how the creative and telecoms industries should tackle the problem.
Apple Wants to Force Psystar to Defend Itself in Court
Apple filed a motion asking the court to modify a stay of proceedings and to compel Mac clone-maker Psystar to show up in court in November as previously scheduled. Psystar got an automatic stay of proceedings when it filed for bankruptcy in May, but Apple doesn't think the company should be able to use the bankruptcy laws to do so.
Amazon.com to Pay Toys R Us $51 Million Settlement
Amazon.com will pay Toys R Us $51 million to settle a five-year-old lawsuit, the Seattle-based Internet retailer disclosed in a regulatory filing. Toysrus.com, a division of Wayne, N.J.-based Toys R Us, sued Amazon in 2004, accusing it of violating an exclusivity agreement by letting other merchants sell toys, games and baby products on the Amazon Web site.
U.S., Italy Arrest Hackers for Stealing from Phone Companies
U.S. and Italian authorities said they arrested a group of hackers and conspirators who allegedly stole from phone companies around the world. The illegal profits funded terrorist activities, Italian officials alleged. A federal grand jury in New Jersey indicted three people, including one man who has been linked to al Qaeda.
Pentagon Cybercommand Raises New Privacy Concerns
A plan to create a new Pentagon cybercommand is raising significant privacy and diplomatic concerns, as the Obama administration moves ahead on efforts to protect the nation from cyberattack and to prepare for possible offensive operations against adversaries' computer networks. Senior Pentagon and military officials say that Mr. Obama's privacy assurances may be challenging to guarantee in practice, particularly in trying to monitor the thousands of daily attacks on security systems in the United States that have set off a race to develop better cyberweapons.
Spam King Could Face Criminal Charges from Facebook Action
In a move that could land Sanford Wallace in jail if convicted, a federal judge referred a lawsuit Facebook filed against the "spam king" to the U.S. Attorney's office for possible criminal proceedings. The action came at a hearing on a Facebook motion that Wallace be found in criminal contempt for allegedly continuing to send spam on Facebook.
Company Says Chinese Filtering Software Has Stolen Code
A Santa Barbara company said that the Internet-filtering software that China has mandated for all new personal computers sold in that country contains stolen programming code. Solid Oak Software Inc. said parts of its filtering program, which is designed for parents, can be found in the Green Dam Youth Escort filtering software that must be packaged with all computers sold in China starting next month.
Many IT Workers Access Sensitive Data, Survey Says
In a survey of more than 400 senior IT professionals in the U.S. and the United Kingdom, Cyber-Ark Software, a Newton, Mass.-based security-software company, found that 35% of IT administrators admitted to accessing corporate information like human-resources records, customer databases and M&A plans, up from 33% a year ago. Moreover, if fired, 47% of the staffers surveyed said that they would take company financial reports and M&A plans with them, a sixfold increase from the previous year's survey.
Microsoft to Sell Windows Without Browser in Europe
Countering pressure from European regulators, Microsoft plans to ship the newest version of its Windows operating system in Europe without its Internet Explorer web browser. The abrupt reversal comes shortly before the European Commission is due to rule on antitrust charges brought against Microsoft in January, claiming that the world's largest software company abuses its dominant position by bundling its Internet Explorer browser, shielding it from head-to-head competition with rival products.
Microsoft Settles Miss. Antitrust Suit for $100 Million
The U.S. state of Mississippi settled an antitrust suit with Microsoft for $100 million and said businesses, individuals, schools and local government were eligible for a share of the money. "They (Microsoft) were over-charging customers and creating a monopoly... Anyone who made a purchase from January 1, 1996, to today is eligible for a share of the money," said Jan Schaefer, spokeswoman for Mississippi Attorney General Jim Hood.
Group Launches Campaign Against "Ugly" Internet Laws
NetChoice, a group backed by AOL, Yahoo, eBay, Oracle and other online companies, launched a campaign against proposed laws across the country that it says would harm e-commerce and consumers. The list is dubbed iAwful, a catchy acronym for Internet Advocates' Watchlist for Ugly Laws.
Facebook Disables "I Hate Muslims" Group
While it stopped short of changing its stance with respect to Holocaust-denial groups on its Web site, Facebook has confirmed that it has disabled a group called "I Hate Muslims in Oz." "We disabled the 'I Hate Muslims in Oz' group a day or so ago because it contained an explicit statement of hate," Facebook's Barry Schnitt said in an e-mail.
Judge Dismisses Patent Suit Over Wii's Parental Controls
Nintendo Co., the maker of the Wii video-game system, won dismissal of a Texas company's claim that the system infringed its patent for a way to impose parental controls on video systems. A federal judge in Los Angeles said the Wii doesn’t use technology patented by Guardian Media Technologies Ltd.
Composers Want Copyright Law Changes for Downloads
Composers, along with publishers, are urging Congress to change copyright law so that when music airs in an audio-visual download, it is considered a public performance that earns them royalties. The stakes are high: Industry experts believe composers could potentially earn nearly $100 million in additional royalty payments annually as Internet viewing grows -- if the law was changed to deem downloads of music in audio-visual works as public performances.
French Council Limits Internet Piracy Plan
The highest constitutional body in France defanged the government's plan to cut off the Internet connections of digital pirates, saying the authorities had no right to do so without obtaining court approval. The decision, by the Constitutional Council, which reviews legislation approved by Parliament before it goes into effect, is a major setback for the music and movie industries, which had praised the French law as a model solution to the problem of illegal file-sharing.
U.S. Tech Group Wants China to Reconsider Filters
A Washington-based group representing information technology companies called on China to reconsider its requirement that Internet filtering software be bundled with new computers. Chinese regulations mandate "Green Dam," a program developed by Jinhui Computer System Engineering Co., be pre-installed on personal computers manufactured or shipped after July 1.
DOJ Formally Notifies Google of Book Investigation
Google has received formal notice from the U.S. Justice Department that antitrust investigators are looking into its settlement with publishers that would help make millions of books available online. The Justice Department's antitrust division has also sent formal information requests to Lagardere's Hachette Book Group and another publisher.
Symantec, McAfee Agree to Better Disclose Renewal Policies
Security software vendors Symantec and McAfee will pay a combined $750,000 and disclose more to consumers about their renewal policies under an agreement announced by New York's attorney general.
Court Blocks NYC in Internet Cigarette Sales Case
New York's top court says New York City lacks legal standing to sue Internet cigarette retailers for lost taxes under state business laws.
