Facebook Struggles with Lobbying as It Considers China

Facebook is still trying to find a path to Washington, where the company has only a fledgling lobbying operation, even though it finds its privacy policies under increasing scrutiny and is trying to navigate a politically sensitive expansion into China. In an interview with The Wall Street Journal about its approach abroad, Facebook officials in Washington suggested the company might be willing to play by China's rules -- a stance that could raise hackles in Congress.

Foreign Companies Lobby U.S. Against Online Gambling Ban

For the past four years, the foreign companies that control the global Internet poker industry have helped bankroll an elaborate lobbying campaign in Washington, seeking to keep the United States from shutting their American operations down. For the past four years, the foreign companies that control the global Internet poker industry have helped bankroll an elaborate lobbying campaign here, seeking to keep the United States from shutting their American operations down.

Apples Asks Judge to Dismiss Music Antitrust Suit

A federal judge was asked by Apple Inc. to dismiss a consumer antitrust lawsuit claiming the company limited choice by linking iPod music downloading to its iTunes music store. Robert Mittelstaedt, an attorney for the Cupertino, California-based company, told U.S. District Judge James Ware in San Jose, California, that blocking iPod music downloads that used competitors’ software was intended to improve downloading quality for iTunes customers.

Report Discusses Governments and "Freedom on the Net"

Iran is the worst country in the world -- at least when it comes to web freedom, claims a new report. Among the reports eye-opening findings: The number of Internet users has doubled over the past five years, and governments worldwide are trying to find ways to control the heightened online activity -- sometimes relying on extreme measures to send a message.

More Cyber Attacks Targeting Infrastructure Firms

Cyber attacks on critical infrastructure companies are on the rise, with a jump in extortion attempts and malware designed to sabotage systems, like Stuxnet, according to a new report. While attacks are increasing, many companies aren't doing enough to protect their systems and are instead rushing to adopt new technologies -- such as Smart Grid -- without ensuring they adequately secure against cyber attacks, concludes "In the Dark: Crucial Industries Confront Cyberattacks."

 

Apple Sues Samsung Over Galaxy Phones, Tablets

Apple Inc. sued Samsung Electronics Co. claiming the South Korean electronics giant copied the look and feel of its popular iPhone smartphones and iPad tablet computers. The lawsuit, filed on April 15 in the Northern District of California, alleged that Samsung's smartphones, such as the "Galaxy S 4G," "Epic 4G," "Nexus S" and its "Galaxy Tab" touchscreen tablet, violated Apple's intellectual property.

European Commission to Probe Mobile Internet Traffic

The European Commission is planning to investigate whether European mobile operators are managing wireless Internet traffic to discriminate against competitors or consumers who use data-intensive services. Neelie Kroes, the European Union's telecommunications commissioner, will ask an advisory panel of national regulators to examine whether mobile operators are upholding the principle of network neutrality, which calls for all data traffic to be treated equally.

Winklevoss Twins Seek Appeal in Facebook Fight

Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss are seeking review of an April 11 court ruling they lost enforcing a $65 million settlement with Facebook Inc. over their claims that company founder Mark Zuckerberg stole the idea for the social networking site. A three-judge appeals court panel in San Francisco erred when it rejected the Winklevoss brothers’ claims that the 2008 settlement should be voided because it was procured with fraud, the twins’ attorney said in a court filing.

Supreme Court Hears Arguments in Microsoft Patent Case

U.S. Supreme Court justices debated making it easier to challenge some patents, reviewing a case that led to changes in Microsoft Corp.'s Word software and may force the company to pay a $300 million award. Microsoft urged the justices in a one-hour hearing in Washington to overturn a jury verdict won by closely held I4i LP, which sued the larger company for patent infringement.

Security Firm Publishes Open Letter to Facebook

Security firm Sophos has published an open letter to Facebook about its security and privacy measures on the popular social networking site, and the message is clear: It's time for some changes in order to better protect users. In its Naked Security blog, Senior Technology Consultant Graham Cluley tells Facebook that protecting users is easily accomplished with three changes.

Match.com Says It Will Check National Sex Offender Registry

Match.com says it will begin cross-referencing members against the National Sex Offender Registry after a lawsuit filed in California, in which a woman claims she was raped by a convicted offender she met on the dating website. Mandy Ginsberg, president of Match.com, U.S., said in a statement that "improved technology and an improved database now enables a sufficient degree of accuracy to move forward" with an initiative it had previously discounted because of the background checks' "historical unreliability."

RIM May Outbid Google for Nortel Patents

Research In Motion Ltd. is considering a bid for Nortel Networks Corp.’s portfolio of wireless technology patents that would top Google Inc.’s $900 million offer, two people familiar with the plans said. RIM, maker of the BlackBerry smartphone, is weighing an offer that would keep Google from gaining control of about 6,000 Nortel patents and patent applications, said the people, who couldn’t be identified because the plans aren’t public.

Iranian Official Blames Siemens for Cyber Attack

An Iranian military commander has accused German engineering company Siemens of helping the United States and Israel launch a cyber attack on its nuclear facilities, Kayhan daily reported. Gholamreza Jalali, head of Iran's civilian defense, said the Stuxnet virus aimed at Iran's atomic program was the work of its two biggest foes and that the German company must take some of the blame.

UAE to Limit Data Security for BlackBerry Users

The United Arab Emirates plans to limit the number of BlackBerry users who can make use of the smartphones' highest level of data security. The Telecommunications Regulatory Authority said in an emailed statement that only qualifying companies with 20 or more BlackBerry users will have access to the Blackberry Enterprise Server, a system that ships data to company servers abroad.

South Korean Search Engines File Complaint Against Google

The two biggest Internet search engines in South Korea filed a complaint with the Fair Trade Commission, charging that Google was blocking the installation of their services on smartphones preloaded with Google’s Android operating system. The NHN Corporation, which owns Naver, the largest search portal, and Daum, the No. 2 portal, asked South Korea’s trade commission to investigate whether Google had improperly maneuvered to have Android preinstalled on most smartphones being sold in the country.

Appointment of EU Copyright Chief Raises Questions

The appointment of a former record industry representative as EU copyright chief has raised questions in Brussels about plans to overhaul the bloc's copyright rules, which musicians, companies, and EU Parliamentarians have all said need fundamentally changing. Maria Martin-Prat, formerly director of legal affairs and deputy legal counsel of the record company trade association International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, will take over as head of the copyright unit in the European Commission's internal market department on April 16.

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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.