Tech Companies Accused of Fixing Employees' Pay

A new California lawsuit accuses Apple, Google, Adobe Systems, Intel, and other tech companies of violating antitrust laws by allegedly conspiring to fix employee pay, as well as working out "no solicitation" deals with one another. The suit, which seeks class-action status, was filed with the California Superior Court in Alameda County and alleges that because senior executives from Adobe, Apple, Google, Intel, Intuit, Lucasfilm, and Pixar "entered into an interconnected web of express agreements to eliminate competition among them for skilled labor," affected employees from those companies are entitled to compensation.

China Creates New Agency for Internet Regulation

A powerful arm of China's government said that it had created a new central agency to regulate every corner of the nation's vast Internet community, a move that appeared to complement a continuing crackdown on political dissidents and other social critics. But the vaguely worded announcement left unclear whether the new agency, the State Internet Information Office, would in fact supersede a welter of ministries and government offices that already claim jurisdiction over parts of cyberspace.

FBI Warns of Bin Laden-Related Spam, E-mail

Unsolicited e-mails purporting to show photos or videos of Osama bin Laden's killing may contain computer-damaging and identity-stealing viruses, the FBI said. The malicious software, or "malware," can embed itself in computers and spread to users' contact lists and then -- disguised as the user -- infect the systems of associates, friends and family members, the FBI said.

  • Read the article: UPI

Skyhook Wireless Case Against Google Proceeds

A Massachusetts judge has ruled that Skyhook Wireless Inc. can move ahead with a discovery phase of its legal case against Google Inc., intended to bolster its claim that the Internet search giant interfered with Skyhook's business partnerships. Boston-based Skyhook sued Google last year, and alleges that Google interfered with Skyhook's ability to have its location-sensing technology placed on mobile devices made by Motorola and Samsung.

House Panel Wants to Question Sony as Suit Filed

A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee is demanding answers from Sony after private information from some 102 million personal accounts was taken by hackers. The questions come as lawyers in Canada have announced they're seeking a $1 billion class action lawsuit against the company which has recently revealed not one, but two massive hacking breaches that left personal information from 102 million gaming accounts available to hackers.

  • Read the article: msn

Amazon Sues College Stores Over Book Pricing Ads

Amazon.com Inc., the biggest online retailer, sued for a court order declaring that its advertised discounts of 30 percent on new college textbooks and 90 percent on used ones aren’t false or misleading. Amazon sued the National Association of College Stores Inc. in federal court in Seattle, saying the trade group is trying to prevent it from advertising lower prices.

Suit Accuses Furniture Company of Spying via Computers

A major furniture rental chain provides its customers with computers that allow the company to track keystrokes, take screenshots and even snap webcam pictures of renters using the devices at home, a Wyoming couple said in a lawsuit. Computer privacy experts said the firm has the right to equip its computers with software it can use to shut off the devices remotely if customers stop paying their bills, but they must be told if they're being monitored.

South Korean Police Raid Google's Offices

Google's Seoul office was raided on suspicion its mobile advertising unit AdMob had illegally collected location data without consent, South Korean police said, the latest setback to the Internet search firm's Korean operations. The probe into suspected collection of data on where a user is located without consent highlights growing concerns about possible misuse of private information as the use of mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets increases.

Righthaven's Copyright Suits Draw Criticism

Over the last year, as newspapers continue to grapple with how to protect their online content, Righthaven has filed more than 200 federal lawsuits in Colorado and Nevada over material posted without permission from The Denver Post or The Las Vegas Review-Journal. Some critics, however, contend that Righthaven’s tactics are draconian, and that the company hopes to extract swift settlements before it is clear that there is a violation of federal copyright law.

Dish, EchoStar Settle with TiVo for $500 Million

Dish Network and EchoStar Corp will pay TiVo Inc $500 million to settle a patent infringement lawsuit involving TiVo's video recording technology, putting an end to a long and costly legal battle. Dish and EchoStar, both controlled by Charlie Ergen, will make an initial payment of $300 million to TiVo, with the remaining $200 million to be paid in six equal annual installments between 2012 and 2017, the companies said in a statement.

Sony Shuts Down Online-Gaming Unit After Second Attack

Less than a week after news of a security breach sparked an uproar, Sony Corp. has shut down its online-gaming unit after a hacker infiltrated the network in the second such attack on the company in the last month. Sony Online Entertainment, known for creating massive multi-player games such as EverQuest and The Matrix Online, suspended service, according to a statement.

Amazon-Texas Tax Spat Attracts SEC's Attention

The ongoing battle between Amazon.com and Texas over whether the world's largest Internet retailer should collect sales taxes has drawn the attention of the federal Securities and Exchange Commission. Amazon said in a regulatory filing that the SEC is looking into its dispute with Texas, which began last year when the Texas comptroller's office sent Amazon a $269 million assessment for four years of uncollected sales taxes.

FTC Preparing Antitrust Probe of Google

The U.S. Federal Trade Commission is preparing an investigation of Google Inc.’s dominance of the Internet search industry by alerting high-tech companies to gather information for the probe, three people familiar with the matter said. The agency told the companies that it plans to issue so-called civil investigative demands for the information, said the people, who requested anonymity because the FTC hasn’t made the matter public.

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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.