Human Rights Group Wants Craigslist to End Adult Services

Craigslist came under fire again when a human rights group took out an ad that detailed the ordeals of two women it described as survivors of Craigslist sex trafficking, and asked the site to shut down its adult services section. In a blog post response, Craigslist co-founder Jim Buckmaster expressed concern about whether or not the perpetrators had been arrested, but said that "criminal misuse of the site is quite rare."

Political Activists in Gulf Fret Over BlackBerry Spat

Political activists in Gulf states where the maker of BlackBerry faces possible bans say its messaging service boosted their ranks, and they are now on the hunt for new ways to evade authorities. "Social concerns" have been overshadowed by security warnings as governments from India to Algeria prod Research In Motion for access to encrypted BlackBerry programs, particularly its free Messenger texting service.

Judge Orders Company to Stop Posing as Domain Registrar

A federal judge has ordered members of a Canadian operation to stop posing as domain-name registrars in scams that collected more than $4.26 million in bogus renewal fees from unsuspecting consumers, small businesses, and non-profits. U.S. District Judge Robert M. Dow Jr. of the Northern District of Illinois also issued judgments of $4.26m against defendants Steven E. Dale, Isaac Benlolo, Kirk Mulveney, Pearl Keslassy, and a company called 1646153 Ontario.

Japan Orders Apple to Publish iPod Battery Info

Japan's trade ministry has ordered Apple's Japan unit to state on its website that users who are concerned about their iPod nano portable music player catching fire can receive a replacement battery. The ministry ordered Apple to publish an "easy to understand" statement online explaining how users of the devices -- responsible for four cases of minor burns in Japan -- can receive replacement batteries and obtain advice, a spokesman for the ministry said.

MGM Resorts Wins Trademark Suit for newyorknewyork.com

MGM Resorts International has won a trademark infringement lawsuit involving its New York-New York hotel-casino on the Las Vegas Strip, with MGM Resorts winning rights to the potentially valuable Internet domain name newyorknewyork.com. Attorneys for MGM Resorts' 2,024-room New York-New New York resort prevailed July 29 when U.S. District Judge Lloyd D. George in Las Vegas issued a default judgment against a company called NewYorkNewYork.com Inc.

Privacy Groups Want Congress to Probe Internet Explorer

Six privacy groups have called on the Senate and House Commerce committees to examine whether the latest version of Microsoft's Internet Explorer browser makes it easier for firms to track a consumer's Web surfing habits for advertising purposes. In a letter to the leaders of the Senate Commerce and House Energy and Commerce committees, the privacy groups called on the panels to not only investigate claims included in a recent Wall Street Journal investigation of Internet Explorer but to examine online surveillance in general.

Defense Department Wants Wikileaks to Return Documents

The U.S. Defense Department formally demanded that Wikileaks return all military records that it possesses, saying they are the "property of the U.S. government." Geoff Morrell, the department's press secretary, said the military "demands that Wikileaks return immediately to the U.S. government all versions of documents obtained directly or indirectly from the Department of Defense databases or records" and permanently delete them. Read the article: CNET News

FCC Cancels Industry Meetings on Net Neutrality

The Federal Communications Commission called off its closed-door meetings with big Internet companies aimed at reaching agreement on protecting consumer access to the Web, after drawing criticism for attempting to broker a deal with limited public input. The breakdown of the talks followed news of a separate agreement between Verizon and Google that would let Verizon give priority to certain Web content on its fixed-line networks.

Google to Sell Trademarks as Keywords in Europe

The Internet giant Google said that it would change its search policy for most of Europe to allow advertisers to buy and use terms that have been trademarked by others as keywords. Previously, brand owners could file a trademark complaint with Google to prevent third-party ads from being returned alongside the results of a search of a trademarked name, such as Louis Vuitton or Prada.

Intel, FTC Settle Anticompetitive Charges

The Federal Trade Commission and Intel announced that they had agreed to settle charges of anticompetitive behavior that the agency claimed stifled competition in the market for computer processing and graphics chips. The settlement prohibits Intel from the practice of paying customers to buy its computer chips exclusively or to refuse to buy chips from other manufacturers.