China's Internet Controls Target U.S. Criticism

In the view of both political analysts and technology experts in China and in the United States, China's attempts to tighten its grip on Internet use are driven in part by the conviction that the West -- and particularly the United States -- is wielding communications innovations from malware to Twitter to weaken it militarily and to stir dissent internally. State media have vented those concerns more vociferously since Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton criticized China for censorship and called for an investigation of Google's claim that its databases had been the target of a sophisticated attack from China.

Google Defends Books Settlement Agreement

Google argued in a staunch and sometimes eloquent brief that an agreement reached with the Authors Guild to digitize millions of books was legal and a contribution to human knowledge. Google's ambitious plan has been praised for expanding access to books but the Justice Department criticized it on February 4 on a variety of grounds, saying it potentially violated antitrust and copyright laws.

Online Movie Takes Aim at Chinese Censorship

The latest battle over Internet freedom in China is playing out in an online movie that pits an armored blue beast and his band of antiauthoritarian rogues against a sinister force called Harmony that seeks to clean up the Web. The video, called "War of Internet Addiction," is a send-up of government censorship starring videogame characters that has become one of the hottest things on the Chinese Internet, epitomizing the unruly spirit that thrives on the Web despite an intensifying crackdown on free expression in China.

French Court Orders eBay to Pay $275,000 in Keyword Case

A Paris tribunal found Ebay guilty of misleading consumers by using misspelt versions of luxury brand Louis Vuitton as search engine key words to redirect users to Ebay website links. The tribunal ordered Ebay to pay 200,000 euros ($275,800) in damages and 30,000 euros in legal costs incurred by Louis Vuitton, a leather bags maker owned by LVMH, the world's biggest luxury goods group.

VeriSign Still Plagued by Antitrust Challenge

In recent years, VeriSign Inc. has shed over a dozen businesses, thinned its employee ranks and presented a more disciplined image to Wall Street. But the company's narrowed focus has also made it more dependent on a mainstay Internet domain name operation that is both entirely reliant upon a coveted government contract, and clouded by a stubborn legal challenge.

PayPal Payments Suspended in India Amid "Enquiries From Indian Regulators"

Personal PayPal service is not likely to be restored in India for several months, though the company is taking steps to allow local bank withdrawals during the next few days. PayPal halted personal payments in India amid "questions" from business partners and other stakeholders, a move that also prevented merchants from withdrawing the funds in Rupees to local Indian banks.

More Police Using YouTube to Nab Criminals

YouTube has no way of knowing how often police tap into its videos to make arrests, company spokesman Scott Rubin said, but police across the country say they are increasingly using YouTube and other online social networks to root out criminals. "Technology has revolutionized law enforcement in many ways," said Jack Rinchich, president of the National Association of Chiefs of Police.

Australian Man to Pay $1.5 Million for Copying Video Game

A Queensland man will have to pay Nintendo $1.5 million in damages after illegally copying and uploading one of its new games to the Internet ahead of its release, the gaming giant says. Nintendo said the loss was caused when James Burt made New Super Mario Bros for the Wii gaming console available for illegal download a week ahead of its official Australian release in November last year.

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The GigaLaw Firm helps companies of all sizes protect their brands online, using domain name dispute policies – such as the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) – and other legal tools available to copyright and trademark owners on the Internet.