Microsoft to Appeal EU Ruling Against 'Skype' Trademark

Microsoft plans to appeal a EU court ruling that found its Skype brand is too similar to that of British satellite broadcaster Sky, which holds a European trademark on audiovisual goods, telephony and software-related services categories. The General Court of the EU found the Skype name and logo could not be registered as trademarks because they can be confused with Sky’s.

EU Unveils Plan to Unite Online Markets, Pursue Abusers

The European Union unveiled a signature plan to unite the region’s fragmented online markets and crack down on possible abuses by U.S. Internet firms, a move policy makers hope will boost the economy and help spawn Internet giants to rival Google Inc. and Facebook Inc. The plans, six months in the making, are a cornerstone of efforts by the EU’s recently appointed executive arm to jump-start growth. They contain 16 initiatives ranging from an overhaul of the region’s telecommunications

IRS Creates Team to Address Online Tax Fraud Issues

The Internal Revenue Service, which is increasingly being drawn into complex cyberprobes involving tax fraud, has set up a new criminal-investigation team of about a dozen agents. The Washington-based unit will tackle a nearly fourfold jump in identity-theft cases since 2011, many of which involve hackers stealing information in order to collect victims’ tax refunds.

EU to Probe High Tech Firms' Market Power

The European Union will announce a wide-ranging probe into how big technology companies such as Google, Amazon and Facebook use their market power as it considers whether to regulate them more tightly. The inquiry, which by its nature will inevitably focus heavily on U.S. firms, follows calls from France and Germany for regulation of so-called "essential digital platforms", encompassing everything from e-commerce sites such as eBay to social media companies.

Boxing Match Proves Online Piracy Still Not Knocked-Out

The method used by thousands of people to watch unauthorized broadcasts of Saturday night’s big boxing match might have been new, but to longtime media executives, who have led one battle against piracy after another, it was the same old story. In the latest case, the tools used to watch the welterweight boxer Floyd Mayweather Jr. defeat Manny Pacquiao included mobile apps, from Meerkat and Twitter’s Periscope, that let people live-stream the pay-per-view bout by capturing their TV screens with the cameras on their smartphones.

Jury Orders Motorola Mobility to Pay Fujifilm $10.2M in Patent Case

Motorola Mobility said a U.S. jury ordered the company to pay $10.2 million in damages for using Fujifilm Corp's patented technology in its phones without permission. Fujifilm Corp, a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Fujifilm Holdings Corp, sued Motorola in 2012, accusing the company of infringing three of its patents on digital camera functions and a fourth patent relating to transmitting data over a wireless connection such as Bluetooth.

Brazilian Judge Strikes Down Uber Injunction

A Brazilian judge struck down an injunction issued calling for the suspension of the U.S-based Uber ride-sharing service throughout the country. The State Court of Sao Paulo ruled on April 28 that Uber, which allows users to summon a ride with their smartphones, was in violation of regulations on the use of taxis and ordered the company to cease operations immediately.

Justice Department Asking Apple About Music-Streaming Service

The Department of Justice is looking closely into Apple’s business practices in relation to its upcoming music streaming service, according to multiple sources. The Verge has learned that Apple has been pushing major music labels to force streaming services like Spotify to abandon their free tiers, which will dramatically reduce the competition for Apple’s upcoming offering.

Uber Office in China Raided by Transportation Officials

Authorities in a southern Chinese city raided an office of Uber Technologies Inc. and seized cellphones and other equipment, a state-run newspaper reported, in the latest setback for the U.S. car-hailing app company’s operations in China. Officials with the Guangzhou city government’s transportation, police and business-licensing departments conducted the operation at Uber’s office, and an investigation was continuing, the Guangzhou Daily.

Lawmaker Calls Decryption Tools 'Technologically Stupid'

The debate over whether companies should be forced to build in ways for law enforcement to access communications protected by encryption took a tense turn in a congressional hearing. "It is clear to me that creating a pathway for decryption only for good guys is technologically stupid," said Rep. Ted Lieu (D-Calif.), who has a bachelor's in computer science from Stanford University.

Senate Bill Would Discourage Patent Trolls

A Senate bill is aimed at slowing so-called patent trolls, by making it more difficult and more costly to bring many patent suits. The proposed Senate legislation fine-tunes an anti-troll bill in the House, patent experts say, to be less objectionable to groups, like pharmaceutical companies and universities, that traditionally resist any moves to weaken the rights of patent holders.

Two Face Chinese E-Commerce Insider Trading Charges

The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission announced insider trading charges against two Beijing residents, alleging they purchased stock options ahead of Chinese e-commerce company 58.com’s purchase of a $1.6 billion minority stake in rival Ganji.com. The regulator said a court had granted its request to freeze assets in the U.S. brokerage accounts of Xia Xiaoyu and Hu Yanting.