Saudi Arabia Plans Tighter Controls for YouTube

Saudi Arabia is planning tighter regulation of video content produced in the country for YouTube after an explosion of news, satire and comedy has made the kingdom one of the biggest per-capita global consumers of Google Inc.'s video platform. Viewers in Saudi Arabia watch three times as much YouTube as their peers in the U.S., according to Google, largely because the traditionally government-backed mass media hasn't produced enough content suited to the country's large population of young people.

Appeals Court Revives Patents Claims for Apple, Samsung

A U.S. appeals court revived patent claims Apple made against Google subsidiary Motorola Mobility that were dismissed by an Illinois court shortly before trial. The appeals court also revived a patent claim Motorola Mobility had made against Apple but ruled Motorola could not seek a sales ban for infringement of the patent, which is essential to ensuring that mobile telephones from different companies can talk to each other.

Maker of 'FyreTV' Box Sues Amazon for Using 'Fire TV'

WREAL, LLC, makers of the FyreTV box, recently filed a complaint in a Florida court alleging five counts of unauthorized use and infringement upon Wreal’s FyreTV and FyreTV.com trademarks, reminding the courts that the two trademarks were registered six years prior to the Amazon Fire TV’s announcements. The court documents reveal Wreal’s contention that “Amazon’s continued use of the “Fire TV” moniker has caused, and will continue to cause, serious irreparable harm to Wreal’s established business, necessitating this action.”

FCC Proposal to Allow Deals for Faster Internet

The Federal Communication Commission took its first public step toward revising the controversial net neutrality rules that may allow content providers to pay for faster Internet connections, a move that immediately prompted an outcry over the agency's intent to keep the Internet pipes free from undue interference. In a blog post on the FCC web site, Tom Wheeler, the agency's chairman, defended his proposals, saying the new net neutrality, or Open Internet, rules he proposes -- and hopes to enact by the end of the year -- can better protect the Internet for consumers.

FBI Informant Launched Foreign Cyberattacks

An informant working for the FBI coordinated a 2012 campaign of hundreds of cyberattacks on foreign websites, including some operated by the governments of Iran, Syria, Brazil and Pakistan, according to documents and interviews with people involved in the attacks. Exploiting a vulnerability in a popular web hosting software, the informant directed at least one hacker to extract vast amounts of data -- from bank records to login information -- from the government servers of a number of countries and upload it to a server monitored by the FBI, according to court statements.

Republicans Preparing for Launch of .gop Domain

This summer, the Republican Party is rolling out the first-ever political website suffix: .gop. The Republican State Leadership Committee, a group that seeks to elect Republicans to state-level offices, created the new top-level domain in an effort to build the GOP’s online community, and to give the party’s online fundraising efforts a leg up.

Saudi Arabia to Regulate YouTube Channels

Saudi Arabia plans to regulate local companies that screen shows on YouTube, a senior official was quoted as saying in local media -- a move that could stifle its nascent creative industries. Dissatisfaction over state broadcasters' staid programming and societal restrictions have created a uniquely captive audience for web-based entertainment, in a country where nearly half the population is under 25.

State, Local Police Struggle to Fight Cybercrime

As crime is increasingly moving online, state and local police -- who have spent decades refining how to track down murderers, thieves and drug dealers -- are having a hard time keeping up. "It probably is one of the most perplexing questions right now in terms of state and local policing: How do they handle this stuff?" said Richard McFeely, who recently stepped down as the top cybersecurity official at the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

WhiteHouse.gov Gets Updated Privacy Policy

A new Obama administration privacy policy explains how the government will gather the user data of online visitors to WhiteHouse.gov, mobile apps and social media sites, and it clarifies that online comments, whether tirades or tributes, are in the open domain. "Information you choose to share with the White House (directly and via third party sites) may be treated as public information," the new policy says.

U.S.-Backed 'Mesh' Networks Help Dissidents

The State Department provided $2.8 million to a team of American hackers, community activists and software geeks to develop the system, called a mesh network, as a way for dissidents abroad to communicate more freely and securely than they can on the open Internet. Since this mesh project began three years ago, its original aim — foiling government spies — has become an awkward subject for United States government officials who backed the project and some of the technical experts carrying it out.

Turkey's Prime Minister Takes Social Media Fight to Court

Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan applied to Turkey's constitutional court to challenge the alleged violation of his and his family's rights by social media, a senior official in his office told Reuters. Erdogan's government blocked Twitter and YouTube in March, drawing international condemnation, after audio recordings, purportedly showing corruption in his inner circle, were leaked on their sites.

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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.