The parties involved in the Google Book Search settlement have asked a federal court to postpone an October hearing to approve the proposed settlement while they work out a new deal. When the Department of Justice made it clear last Friday that it could not support the settlement as written -- which would give Google unique rights to scan out-of-print books still protected by copyright law -- it said the parties were in talks to amend the settlement.
EU Legal Adviser Supports Google on Keyword Sales
A legal adviser to the European Union’s top court sided with Google on in a high-profile trademark case, saying that the company should be allowed to sell brand names like Louis Vuitton or Coca-Cola as advertising keywords on its search engine. The legal opinion recommends that the European Court of Justice in Luxembourg clear Google of trademark infringement in several lawsuits in France that were brought by LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and other brand owners.
Indian Portal Sues Google for Trademark Keyword Sales
Google has been sued for trademark infringement by an Indian portal company, Consim Info, which claims that the search company uses its trademarks to drive business to its competitors. When a user does a search on Google for BharatMatrimony.com or related matrimonial sites of the company, the user is served up advertisements of its competitors, said Consim CEO Murugavel Janakiraman.
EU Publishes E-mails in Intel Antitrust Case
The European Union published e-mail excerpts from computer makers and Intel to show that Intel pressured chip buyers into choosing Intel over rival Advanced Micro Devices. Intel was hit by a record EU antitrust fine of euro1.06 billion ($1.45 billion) last May for what the EU said were strong-arm sales tactics -- payments, rebates and threats to withhold supplies -- to squeeze out AMD.
Facebook Gives Users in Golan Heights a Choice
Logging onto Facebook as a resident in the Golan Heights, should you enter Syria or Israel as your home country? Decades of war and occupation have not provided an answer to that question -- but the social networking Web site now permits both options, sparking fears about an anti-Facebook cyber-war.
Trademark Suit Against Twitter Over Name Settled
One day after natural gas distributor Oneok sued social networking site Twitter More about Twitter for trademark infringement, the company said the issue has been resolved and it will drop the lawsuit. Oneok filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Tulsa, saying San Francisco-based Twitter wrongly allowed an anonymous customer the user name "ONEOK."
FCC Chairman Outlines Rules for "Net Neutrality"
The chairman of the Federal Communications Commission outlined rules that would prohibit Internet providers from selectively blocking Web content and applications. FCC chairman Julius Genachowski said his proposal would formalize the concept of "Net neutrality."
French Court Finds eBay Liable for Counterfeits
A French court has found eBay responsible for brand counterfeiting and ordered the online marketplace operator to pay the luxury group LVMH 80,000 euros ($118,000) compensation for damages caused to famous perfume brands like Christian Dior and Kenzo. The Paris-based LVMH conglomerate had sued eBay, accusing the San Jose company of using its brands as keywords in Internet searches.
Google Says Keywords Meta Tag Irrelevant in Rankings
Google is telling the world what every seasoned webmaster and search marketer should already know: The keywords meta tag has no impact whatsoever on how Google’s search engine ranks pages.
FCC Plans to Adopt Net Neutrality Rule
The top U.S. communications regulator plans to unveil proposals for ensuring Web traffic is not slowed or blocked based on its content, sources familiar with the contents of the speech said. Federal Communications Commission Chairman Julius Genachowski will announce plans to ask his fellow commissioners to adopt as a rule net neutrality and four existing principles on Internet access issued by the agency in 2005, one of the sources said.
Facebook Settles Class-Action Suit Over Beacon
It's finally over for Beacon, the ill-fated advertising program that the social network initially launched with splashy Madison Avenue fanfare nearly two years ago. The social network has settled a year-old class action lawsuit that targeted the social network's alleged failure to provide adequate information and privacy controls to users with regard to Beacon, which shared information about users' information on third-party partner sites in Facebook news feeds.
Justice Dep't Asks Judge to Reject Google Books Deal
The Justice Department urged a federal judge to reject a controversial settlement between Google Inc., the Authors Guild and the American Assn. of Publishers, citing concerns that the agreement could run afoul of antitrust, class action and copyright laws. At the same time, Justice officials proposed modifications that would make the settlement pass muster, saying the proposal should not be entirely derailed because it has "potential for important societal benefits."
Lawsuit Accuses Scribd of Copyright Infringement
A legal complaint seeking class-action status accuses social-publishing site Scribd of egregious copyright infringement. Scribd managers have "built a technology that's broken barriers to copyright infringement on a global scale and in the process have also built one of the largest readerships in the world," the attorneys representing the class wrote in the complaint.
British Psychiatrists Oppose Pro-Anorexia Websites
As the start of London Fashion Week reignites the debate over ultra-thin models, psychiatrists have called on the British government to act over the soaring numbers of pro-anorexia websites. Encouraged by social networking sites like Facebook and "thinspiration" websites, growing numbers of Britons are looking online to get tips on how to starve themselves or hide extreme weight loss, says the Royal College of Psychiatrists.
Microsoft Files Five Suits to Stop "Malvertising"
Microsoft filed five lawsuits against anonymous creators of what has become known as "malvertising" -- the same phenomenon that hit NYTimes.com. Malvertisements are online ads that appear to be legitimate, until they at some point attack a user's computer with malicious software or a deceptive Web page.
Spammers Target Victims Directly to Gain Edge
Spammers who flood the Internet with generically addressed spam to infect your PC also mix in viral versions targeted at specific individuals.
State Attorney Generals Oppose Google Books Settlement
Five state attorneys general have joined the opposition to Google's settlement with book authors and publishers, objecting to the way the settlement distributes unclaimed funds. The attorneys general for Connecticut, Missouri, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, and Washington joined the chorus of opposition to the settlement this week, filing briefs with Judge Denny Chin of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York before the October 7 hearing to determine whether the settlement should be approved.
Lawmaker Agrees to Co-Sponsor Net Neutrality Bill
Net neutrality supporters got a boost when Chairman of the House Energy & Commerce Committee Henry Waxman (D-Calif.) said he had added himself as a co-sponsor to the Net neutrality bill introduced by Rep. Ed Markey (D-Mass.). Waxman said during a hearing for the subcommittee Thursday that it was time to make sure rules were imposed to keep the Internet open.
EBay Users Oppose Limits on Luxury Goods Sales
EBay has told European lawmakers that more than three quarters of a million people have signed an online petition demanding changes to regulations that let luxury brand makers limit who can sell their products online. The Internet company is embroiled in a longstanding feud with luxury good firms like Tiffany & Co., Louis Vuitton, and Rolex, who say their brands are devalued by sales on ignoble auction websites like eBay.
Music Groups Seek Expanded Compensation from iTunes
Songwriters, composers, and music publishers are making preparations to one day collect performance fees from Apple and other e-tailers for not just traditional music downloads but for downloads of films and TV shows as well. The demands by the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP), Broadcast Music Inc. (BMI), and other performing-rights groups, would likely lead to more price hikes at iTunes.
