A growing chorus of authors, academics and other book industry figures is objecting to the settlement of a class-action suit that would allow Google to profit from digital versions of millions of books it has scanned from libraries. Those questioning the agreement, which is subject to a court review, have raised concerns about whether it is fair to authors, whether it protects the privacy of people whose reading habits might be tracked and whether Google is being improperly given what amounts to exclusive rights to commercialize millions of out-of-print books.
Facebook Accused of Privacy Violations in Lawsuit
Five people have filed a suit against Facebook, charging the social-networking company with violating California privacy laws and false advertising. Facebook users assume that personal information and photos that they post on the site are shared only with authorized friends, the suit, filed in the Superior Court for California in Orange County, says.
Microsoft Seeks Injunction Against Ban on Word
Microsoft asked an appeals court to halt an injunction that would force the company to stop selling Microsoft Word in its current form. A judge had issued an injunction that would force Microsoft to stop selling versions of Word with a custom XML function that a jury found infringes on a patent held by Canadian software maker I4i.
Smartphone Users Not Concerned About Security
Smartphone users say security isn't a critical concern, with a recent survey finding that the majority of smartphone users are more concerned about losing their phone or personal data. That's in spite of acknowledging the wealth of threats -- ranging from phishing scams to viruses -- that could impact them.
Man Fined $210,000 for Illegal Software Auctions
A U.S. man has been fined $210,000 for selling illegal copies of software through Internet auction sites. Matthew Miller of Newark, Delaware, was hit with $195,000 in damages and $15,000 in legal fees by U.S. District Judge Susan Illston in the case brought in the U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California.
White House Changes Site After E-mail Complaints
The White House implemented several new changes to its Web site, apparently aimed at reducing the number of people who receive unsolicited e-mails from the administration and at battling charges that it's collecting personal information on critics. After the White House took heat for asking people to report "fishy" information about health care reform, the e-mail address set up for that purpose became inactive.
Largest Hacking-Identify Theft Case Announced
Authorities announced what they believed to be the largest hacking and identity theft case ever prosecuted on in a scheme in which more than 130 million credit and debit card numbers were stolen. Three men were indicted on charges of being responsible for five corporate data breaches in a scheme in which the card numbers were stolen from Heartland Payment Systems, 7-Eleven Inc and Hannaford Brothers Co, federal prosecutors said in a statement.
Boxing Promoter Sues Live Video Streaming Site
Live video streaming service Ustream is being sued by Square Ring, Inc, a boxing promotional company owned by professional boxer Roy Jones, Jr. The suit alleges that Ustream has committed “massive and blatant copyright infringement” by allowing 2,377 users to view a broadcast of the fight Roy Jones Jr. vs Omar Sheika free of charge.
"Snooper" Sites Help Compile Personal Information
Until recently, personal information has been scattered across cyberspace, to be found or not depending on the luck and sophistication of the searcher. But a new crop of "snooper" sites is making it easier than ever for anyone with Internet access to assemble the information into a digital portrait.
Iraqis Demonstrate Against Ban on Websites
Iraqis including journalists, writers and booksellers demonstrated in central Baghdad against what they say is state censorship. The protest came as the Iraqi government considers banning some websites and after the imposition of book censorship rules.
Founder of Online Gambling Firm Pleads Guilty
The founder of the defunct British online gambling firm BetOnSports pleaded guilty in U.S. court and agreed to forfeit more than $43 million in criminal proceeds, the Justice Department said. It said Gary Kaplan, 50, who founded the high-profile early player in offshore Internet sports gambling, pleaded guilty to charges of conspiring to violate the federal racketeering and other U.S. laws.
Hate Speech Online Tests Limits of Free Speech
Incendiary talk is proliferating on broadcast outlets and the Internet, from the microphones of well-known commentators to the keyboards of anonymous netizens, testing the limits of political speech. Mark Potok, an editor at the Southern Poverty Law Center who tracks extremists and hate speech, says he thinks "political speech has gotten rougher in the last six months."
China Retreats from Mandatory Internet Filter Plan
Chinese officials retreated from a plan to install so-called anti-pornography software on every computer sold here, saying instead that Internet cafes, schools and other public places must use the program, but that individual consumers will be spared. The industry and information technology minister, Li Yizhong, said the notion that the program, called Green Dam/Youth Escort, would be required on every new computer was "a misunderstanding" spawned by poorly written regulations.
Facebook User Arrested for Impersonating White Supremacist
An African-American man has pleaded guilty after being accused of impersonating a white supremacist in a fictitious Facebook account to make death threats against an African-American university student. Dyron L. Hart, 20, of Poplarville, Mississippi, pleaded guilty before U.S. District Judge Kurt D. Engelhardt to one count of communicating threats in interstate commerce, according to a Department of Justice statement.
FCC Seeking Comments on Limits on iPhone Apps
Who should control wireless applications -- customers, carriers or handset makers? That is the core question being considered by the Federal Communications Commission, which has asked Apple and AT&T, the iPhone's exclusive U.S. distributor, to explain why Google's free voice application, called "Google Voice," is banned from the device.
Immigration Agency Helping to Limit Child Porn Online
The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement agency is best known for its role securing the United States' physical borders against drug and human smugglers and traffickers. But it is now playing a role policing the nation's "virtual frontier" against a surge in child pornography, sex tourism and trafficking in minors carried out over the Internet.
Domain Tasting Drops 97% After Penalties Enacted
ICANN released a report that shows a 99.7% drop in domain tasting since adding new penalties to the practice. “Domain tasting” refers to registering a domain name and then returning it for a full refund during the first five days of registration.
Cell Phones Remain Mostly Unharmed by Viruses
The worry-free ride over cell-phone viruses will continue, at least in the near future, and not just because Apple quickly circulated a software patch to plug a vulnerability in its iPhone. Rather, for their extended peace of mind, users can credit the more tightly controlled -- some would say strangulated -- structure of the mobile phone industry in the United States.
Another Court Rules Against a DVD-Copying Company
Kaleidescape, which had won a rare court victory over the film industry two years ago, saw a California appeals court overturn the ruling. In 2004, Kaleidescape was accused in a lawsuit by the DVD Copy Control Association (DVD CCA), of agreeing to abide by the terms of the Content Scramble System (CSS) license, which it said forbade the copying of DVDs.
Facebook Suggests Privacy Changes for Sharing Feature
Facebook proposed a new version of its Statement of Rights and Responsibilities document, which acts as a terms of service for its users. One of the larger changes is clearer language of Facebook's share to everyone feature, which is now an integral part of the social network's updated search engine.
