New York Lawmakers Consider "Sexting" Law

New York state lawmakers are advancing a bill that would create an "educational reform program" for teenagers who get in trouble for creating and sharing pornographic images of minors. The program, proposed by Assembly Democrats, is intended to give prosecutors and judges a more lenient option for dealing with teenagers accused of "sexting," using their cellphones, email or social-networking sites to distribute naked and sexually explicit pictures of themselves or classmates.

China Calls Google's Hacking Charges "Political Gaming"

China’s official Communist Party newspaper issued a caustic response to Google’s charge that Chinese hackers had taken aim at influential users of its Gmail service, calling the accusations “political gaming” aimed at fomenting new discord between the Beijing and Washington governments. The newspaper, People’s Daily, published a front-page editorial in its international editions that also suggested that Google’s actions could cost it credibility in the business world.

Hackers Attack Nintendo's U.S. Website

The hacker group LulzSec said that it hacked Nintendo's U.S. website as a warm-up to its claimed attack on servers used by an FBI-affiliated site. Nintendo has confirmed that servers hosting its American website were indeed hacked, in reports from both the Associated Press and Wall Street Journal, but the company also noted that no company or customer information was stolen in the attacks.

Defense Secretary Takes Cyber-Attacks "Very Seriously"

The United States is seriously concerned about cyber-attacks and is prepared to use force against those it considers acts of war, Defense Secretary Robert Gates said at a security meeting in Asia. "We take the cyber threat very seriously and we see it from a variety of sources, not just one or another country," Gates said at the annual Shangri-La Dialogue, an apparent reference to reports that several of the attacks may have originated in China.

Justice Department Probes Nortel's Patent Sale

The Justice Department is scrutinizing likely bidders for a trove of patents being sold by the bankrupt Canadian telecom-equipment maker Nortel Networks Corp. amid concerns the patents could be used to unfairly hobble competition, according to people familiar with the matter. The antitrust review has enveloped some of the U.S.'s largest technology companies, including Apple Inc. and Google Inc.

Malaysian Man Settles Defamation Case by Tweeting

A Malaysian social activist is apologizing 100 times on Twitter in an unusual settlement with a magazine publisher in a defamation case, his lawyer said. The penalty has sparked debate among Internet users about the pitfalls of social media in Malaysia, where authorities have repeatedly warned people to be more cautious about they write on blogs, Facebook and Twitter.

Group Says It Hacked Sony Pictures Websites

LulzSec, a hacking group that recently made news for hacking into PBS, claimed that it has broken into several Sony Pictures websites and accessed unencrypted personal information on over 1 million people. In a statement, the group claimed that it had also managed to compromise all "admin details," including administrator passwords, as well as 75,000 "music codes" and 3.5 million "music coupons" from Sony networks and websites.

Tennessee Outlaws Sharing Logins with Friends

Tennessee lawmakers in country music’s capital have passed a groundbreaking measure that would make it a crime to use a friend’s login -- even with permission -- to listen to songs or watch movies from services such as Netflix and Rhapsody. The bill, which has been signed by Gov. Bill Haslam and takes effect July 1, was pushed by recording industry officials to try to stop the loss of billions of dollars to illegal music sharing.

State Department Calls Cybersecurity a Priority

Cyber security is now a diplomatic priority for the United States with Washington looking to build relationships to tackle information theft and reduce the risk of conflict, a senior official said. State Department coordinator for cyber issues, Christopher Painter, said the United States faced a host of potential threats in cyberspace from freelance hackers to militants and potentially rival states.

Facebook's Filing Calls Ownership Claims Fabricated

Facebook sharpened its attack on Paul Ceglia, a New York man who says that a 2003 work-for-hire contract with Mark Zuckerberg, the company’s founder, entitles him to half of Mr. Zuckerberg’s stake. In a legal motion filed in federal court in Buffalo, Facebook provided details and expert testimony to support its claims that the contract at the center of Mr. Ceglia’s lawsuit was doctored and that a series of purported emails between the two men was fabricated.

NSA Investigating Reports of Gmail Hacking

The U.S. government is investigating reports from Google that hackers attempted to break into the Gmail accounts of senior government officials but at this point doesn't believe any accounts were actually breached. "Speaking on behalf of the U.S. government, we're looking into these reports and seeking to gather the facts," said Caitlin Hayden, deputy spokesperson for the National Security Agency.

Human Rights Groups Want Speech Protected Online

Top human rights officials from four international organizations called on governments to do more to respect freedom of expression on the Internet. The declaration was issued by rapporteurs who deal with human rights and freedom of expression issues from the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the Organization of American States, and the African Commission on Human Rights and Peoples' Rights.

China-Based Attack Targets Prominent Gmail Users

Google Inc. said it uncovered a computer attack from China targeting prominent users of its Gmail service, potentially further complicating relations between the Internet giant and the country with the highest number of Internet users. Google said hundreds of Gmail users, including U.S. government officials, Chinese activists and journalists, were tricked into sharing their passwords with "bad actors" based in China.

Subscribe

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.