German Court Says Motorola Infringed Microsoft Patents

A German regional court ruled in a hearing that Motorola Mobility infringed Microsoft patents by offering the option on its mobile phones to send a longer text in a batch of several messages. "We're pleased the court agreed today that Motorola has infringed Microsoft's intellectual property, and we hope Motorola will be willing to join other Android device makers by taking a license to our patents," Microsoft said in a statement, referring to Google's Android operating system for mobile phones.

French Data Protection Agency Criticizes Google

Already facing scrutiny from antitrust authorities and privacy regulators on a variety of fronts, Google was criticized by French data protection authorities, who accused the company of being insufficiently forthcoming in an investigation of its new privacy policy. On behalf of the 27 member states of the European Union, the French data protection agency, the National Commission for Computing and Liberties, known as C.N.I.L., is investigating a privacy policy that Google instituted across the range of its online services this year.

Apple Says It Didn't Conspire to Fix E-Book Prices

Apple Inc. is rejecting charges that it conspired to fix prices of electronic books, calling the U.S. government's antitrust lawsuit a "fundamentally flawed" endeavor that could discourage competition and harm consumers. In a filing in U.S. District Court in Manhattan, Apple said it has not conspired with anyone or fixed prices for e-books in an effort to thwart Amazon.com Inc.'s dominance of that fast-growing market.

FBI Creates Internet Surveillance Unit

The FBI has recently formed a secretive surveillance unit with an ambitious goal: to invent technology that will let police more readily eavesdrop on Internet and wireless communications. The establishment of the Quantico, Va.-based unit, which is also staffed by agents from the U.S. Marshals Service and the Drug Enforcement Agency, is a response to technological developments that FBI officials believe outpace law enforcement's ability to listen in on private communications.

New York Bill Would Ban Anonymous Criticism Online

In an attempt to combat cyberbullying, some New York state legislators want people who post mean-spirited personal attacks online to be prepared to identify themselves. The bill, known as The Internet Protection Act (IPA), wouldn't stop with cyberbullying. If it became law, the legislation would also prevent people from posting anonymous criticism of local businesses or those who make "baseless political attacks," wrote James Conte, a member of New York's state assembly and one of the bill's sponsors.

Aereo Wins Ruling in Mobile Broadcasting Case

Aereo, a startup that takes live TV broadcasts and sends them to mobile devices in New York for a monthly fee, has won a partial victory in court over the media companies that are suing it. U.S. District Court Judge Alison Nathan in New York dismissed one of three claims made by a group of broadcast companies, including News Corp.'s Fox, PBS and others in a ruling.

  • Read the article: NPR

NSA Adds Cyber-Ops Program at Universities

The National Security Agency is trying to expand U.S. cyber expertise needed for secret intelligence operations against adversaries on computer networks through a new cyber-ops program at selected universities. The cyber-ops curriculum is geared to providing the basic education for jobs in intelligence, military and law enforcement that are so secret they will only be revealed to some students and faculty, who need to pass security clearance requirements, during special summer seminars offered by NSA.

Facebook Settles Suit Over 'Sponsored Stories'

Facebook Inc. has agreed to settle a lawsuit that alleged the site's "Sponsored Stories" feature publicized users' "likes" without compensation or the ability to opt out, according to a court document. The proposed class action lawsuit, filed in a San Jose, California federal court, could have included nearly one of every three Americans, with billions of dollars in damages, court documents say.

Facebook Loses Dispute Over 'Faceporn'

A federal judge has refused to order a Norwegian website that describes itself as “the number one socializing porn and sex network” to turn over its name to Facebook. U.S. District Judge Jeffrey White ruled that the court had no jurisdiction because Facebook, which sued in California, had failed to show that the owner of website Faceporn had targeted residents of the state.

Apple Again Asks Court to Block Galaxy Tab 10.1

Apple Inc. renewed its bid for a court order immediately blocking sales of Samsung Electronics Co.'s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet computer, relying on an appeals court’s finding that it will probably win a patent infringement claim. Apple made a similar request last year to U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh in San Jose, California, as part of a broader patent dispute over smartphones and tablets.

FTC Appoints Internet Privacy Expert

The Federal Trade Commission has named an Internet privacy expert to advise on mobile privacy and competition issues as the agency takes on high-profile investigations of potential harm to consumers by the Web’s biggest firms. Paul Ohm, an associate professor at the University of Colorado Law School, will begin Aug. 27 as senior policy adviser for consumer protection and competition issues at the FTC’s Office of Policy Planning.

Supreme Court Won't Hear Music File-Sharing Case

The U.S. Supreme Court left intact a $675,000 jury verdict against a college student who downloaded and redistributed thousands of songs from the Internet without paying. The court, without comment, refused to hear Boston University student Joel Tenenbaum’s challenge to a law that let the recording industry collect thousands of dollars from individuals for such downloading.

EU Antitrust Chief Gives Google Deadline to Settle

The European Union's antitrust chief ratcheted up the pressure on Google, giving it a matter of weeks to settle an investigation into allegations of anti-competitive behavior and avoid formal charges and a possible fine. Even if the world's most popular search engine offers concessions to resolve the issue, it will still be under the EU spotlight following fresh complaints over its Android mobile software, the top operating system for Internet-enabled smartphones.

China Approves Google's Purchase of Motorola Mobility

Google said that Chinese authorities have approved its $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility Holdings, the last regulatory hurdle to a deal that would allow the world's No. 1 Internet search engine to develop its own line of smart phones. Google, which will be the newest entrant to the handset market, announced plans for the acquisition last year in a bid to secure Motorola's valuable patents and pave the way for a pairing of Google's Android mobile software and Motorola's handset business.

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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.