Start-up Spring Design has been denied an injunction to halt Barnes & Noble from selling its Nook e-reader, according to court documents. The company had requested the injunction, in addition to monetary damages, as part of a recent lawsuit filed in federal court in San Jose, Calif.
Google Allows Limits on Access to Paid News Content
Amid criticism from media companies that it unfairly profits from news content, Google is closing a loophole that allowed some motivated newshounds to read large numbers of articles on subscription-based sites without paying for them. The company's "First Click Free”" program, which publishers of pay sites can choose to participate in, is designed to allow readers to get a taste of a site's content.
Internet Companies Oppose British Copyright Bill
Some of the biggest names on the web have written to Peter Mandelson to express "grave concerns" about elements of the Digital Economy Bill. Facebook, Google, Yahoo and eBay object to a clause that they say could give government "unprecedented and sweeping powers" to amend copyright laws.
Judge Refuses Amazon's Request on Google Books
A federal judge has rejected Amazon.com's request that he withdraw preliminary approval of a settlement between Google and groups of authors and publishers to digitize millions of books. In a ruling, U.S. District Judge Denny Chin said he planned to conduct a "thorough fairness analysis" of the settlement at a February 18, 2010 hearing and Amazon could argue its case then.
EBay Suit Against Craigslist Heading to Trial
A lawsuit filed by EBay against Craigslist heads to a Delaware state courtroom, for a trial that promises to reveal the inner workings of two benchmark Web companies and bring to the witness stand two Internet pioneers: former eBay Chief Executive Meg Whitman and Craigslist founder Craig Newmark. The twice-delayed trial will likely underscore the glaring differences in the companies' approaches to business.
Fake E-mail from CDC on Swine Flu Spreads PC Virus
Hackers are spreading a vicious computer virus through spam e-mail messages that urge recipients to visit a bogus website offering vaccinations to protect them against another virus -- the one that causes swine flu. The e-mail purports to be from the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, directing them to what looks like an official government website to fill out a vaccination form, said researchers from security firms Symantec and AppRiver.
Apple Settles Part of Lawsuit with Mac Clone Maker
Apple has partially settled a copyright lawsuit with a maker of clone computers that come with the consumer electronics giant's operating system software, according to documents filed in the case. Doral, Fla.-based Psystar Corp., which sells computers that run the Macintosh operating system, will pay about $2.7 million in damages and legal fees to Apple, according to papers Psystar's attorneys filed in the case.
Defense Contractor, Universities Team to Fight Cyber Attacks
Northrop Grumman Corp., the defense contractor better known for building the B-2 stealth bomber, is teaming up with several U.S. universities to fight off cyber attacks. Northrop said it plans to invest millions of dollars over the next five years to find new ways to secure computer systems from hackers who are threatening the country's economic and security interests.
EFF Sues Government, Wants Info on Social Networks
The Electronic Frontier Foundation sued the CIA, the U.S. Department of Defense, Department of Justice, and three other government agencies for allegedly refusing to release information about how they are using social networks in surveillance and investigations. The nonprofit Internet rights watchdog group formally asked more than a dozen agencies or departments in early October to provide records about federal guidelines on the use of sites like Facebook, Twitter, and Flickr for investigative or data gathering purposes, according to the lawsuit.
3,500 Sex Offenders Purged from Social Network Lists
New laws passed in 25 states are making it easier for social networking giants Facebook and MySpace to purge their membership lists of convicted rapists, gropers and child molesters. More than 3,500 offenders registered in New York have been kicked off the two popular Web sites in the months since the state implemented a law requiring sex crime convicts to register their e-mail addresses, as well as their dwellings, attorney general Andrew Cuomo announced.
Online Retailer Ends Contract Over "Misleading" Practices
Another e-tailer criticized by federal lawmakers two weeks ago for participating in "misleading" and "deceptive" marketing practices appears to be rethinking its position. VistaPrint, an online printing company, announced it has "terminated its contract" with Vertrue, which came under government scrutiny, along with competitors Affinion and Webloyalty, after investigators started looking into scores of consumer complaints about the marketers -- some going back years.
French Court Fines eBay $2.6 Million in Counterfeit Case
A French court fined eBay 1.7 million euros ($2.6 million) for violating a 2008 injunction that prevents French users of the online auction site from buying or selling LVMH perfumes and cosmetics on any eBay website. EBay said that the Commercial Court of Paris' fine was too high and that the injunction blocking French eBay users from buying or selling LVMH cosmetics, including Christian Dior, Guerlain, Givenchy and Kenzo perfumes, hurts consumers.
U.S. Internet Gambling Rules Delayed Six Months
The Treasury Department and the Federal Reserve are giving U.S. financial institutions an additional six months to comply with rules designed to ban Internet gambling. The two agencies said that the rules, which were to take effect December 1, would be delayed until June 1 of next year.
Largest "Spam Gang" Fined $15.2 Million, FTC Says
A U.S. district court judge has ordered the largest "spam gang" in the world to pay nearly $15.2 million for sending unsolicited e-mail messages marketing male-enhancement pills, prescription drugs, and weight-loss supplements, the U.S. Federal Trade Commission said. Spamhaus, the antispam organization, called the e-mail marketing network the "No. 1 worst spam gang" on the Internet for much of 2007 and 2008.
AT&T Opposes White House Comments on Censorship
AT&T doesn't like the idea of new regulations mandating unfettered access to the Internet, and recent comments from the Obama administration that connected the issue to censorship in China have really gotten under its skin. The telecom giant responded forcefully to remarks by White House deputy chief technology officer Andrew McLaughlin, who said that free speech and network neutrality are "intrinsically linked."
Italy Seeks Prison for Google Executives in Defamation Case
Italian prosecutors asked a judge to issue prison sentences for three Google executives and one former executive accused of defamation and failure to comply with privacy laws in a case that could alter the way Google operates in Italy and the rest of Europe. The prosecutors contend that Google was negligent because it allowed a video of high school kids bullying a disabled classmate to stay on its Italian-language video service for two months in 2006.
Apple Sues Website for Selling Knock-Off Products
Apple filed a patent infringement lawsuit against Media Solutions Holdings, a company based in Anaheim, Calif. that allegedly sells knock-off Apple products through several Web sites. Apple's complaint charges that Media Solutions Holdings, through the Web sites www.laptopsforless.com, www.laptopacadapter.com and www.ereplacements.com, sells "various consumer electronic accessories at retail, including knock-off power adapters for use with genuine Apple portable computers."
British Law Firm Targets 15,000 Suspected Pirates
Around 15,000 suspected pirates may soon get legal letters accusing them of illegally sharing movies and games. ACS:Law plans to send notes to the accused in the new year offering a chance to settle out of court for "several hundreds of pounds."
Oracle Readies Case to EU on Sun Acquisition
U.S. software company Oracle will present to European Union regulators on Dec. 10 its case for buying computer maker Sun Microsystems, two people with knowledge of the matter said. The European Commission has objected to the $7 billion deal, saying the combination of Sun's MySQL database product and Oracle's products could dent competition in the database market, a Sun regulatory filing showed.
New iPhone Worm Could Steal Users' Information
Unlike the previous exploitation, which merely changed a jailbroken iPhone's wallpaper to a picture of Rick Astley of "Rickrolling" fame, a new iPhone worm allows hackers to steal sensitive information. According to security firm Sophos, which wrote about the exploitation after a Dutch ISP spotted it late last week, the worm attacks jailbroken iPhone and iPod Touch devices only.
