Ruling Limits ITC's Role in Online Infringement Disputes

A federal appeals court ruled a trade body went too far in claiming the power to prohibit foreign digital transmissions into the U.S., a victory for open-Internet advocates and a blow for copyright holders seeking to battle online piracy. At issue was how far the U.S. International Trade Commission could go to protect domestic industries from imports that infringe U.S. intellectual property.

U.S. Adds More Charges Against JPMorgan Hackers

U.S. prosecutors unveiled expanded criminal charges against three men in connection with a massive 2014 cyberattack against JPMorgan Chase & Co. and the hacking of several other major financial companies and financial news publishers. Gery Shalon, Joshua Samuel Aaron and Ziv Orenstein were charged in a 23-count indictment over crimes including computer hacking, securities fraud, wire fraud, identity theft, illegal Internet gambling and conspiring to commit money laundering.

Comcast Resets 200,000 Passwords After Account Data Posted Online

Comcast will reset the passwords of roughly 200,000 customers after their account information wound up for sale on a shadowy Web site, the company said. The package of personal data, including the e-mail addresses and passwords of Comcast customers, was listed for sale for $1,000 on a Dark Web site that was also marketing a number of other questionable goods.

Facebook to Appeal Belgian Ruling on Tracking Non-Users

Facebook said it would appeal a court ruling ordering it to stop tracking the online activities of non-Facebook users in Belgium who visit Facebook pages, or face a 250,000 euro ($269,000) daily fine. Belgium's data protection regulator took the U.S. company to court in June, accusing it of trampling on EU privacy law by tracking people without a Facebook account without their consent.

Europe Takes Action Against Iran-Linked Cyber Spies

European authorities have taken action to take down a cyber espionage campaign believed to be linked to Iran's powerful Revolutionary Guard, the first operation of its kind since Tehran signed a nuclear treaty, according to security researchers. The hacker group -- dubbed "Rocket Kitten" by security experts who have been hunting the hacker group since early 2014 -- has mounted cyberattacks on high-profile political and military figures globally since that time, according to researchers from several cyber security firms who have monitored its activities.

Hackers Linked to Breaches of FBI Accounts

Hackers who breached the AOL email account of CIA Director John Brennan have not only evaded arrest, but now are suspected of another embarrassing set of intrusions, including accessing a sensitive FBI-run law enforcement portal and a private email account of the FBI's No. 2 official. The hackers, who call themselves Crackas With Attitude, posted personal data of law enforcement officials that appears to have been stolen from the Law Enforcement Enterprise Portal.

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Online Complaints About Housing Boards Creating 'Wars'

Complaining about the co-op or condominium board is practically a blood sport in New York, an unfortunate side effect of living under the rule of elected volunteers. Usually, disputes go no further than a heated exchange at the annual meeting. Much like a family feud, the dirty laundry is rarely aired in public. But thanks to the Internet, that is changing.

FCC Refuses to Enforce Website 'Do Not Track' Requests

Websites will not be forced to honor consumers' "Do Not Track" requests as the Federal Communications Commission dismissed a petition that would have imposed new requirements on companies like Google and Facebook. Consumer Watchdog had petitioned the FCC to "initiate a rulemaking proceeding requiring 'edge providers' (like Google, Facebook, YouTube, Pandora, Netflix, and LinkedIn) to honor 'Do Not Track' Requests from consumers."

Students Face Charges for Using App to Hide Nude Photos

Students in Cañon City, Colo., could face criminal charges after an investigation found they were trading hundreds of nude pictures of themselves and other teenagers on their phones using special apps to keep the images secret, the schools superintendent said. Officials at Cañon City High School determined that students had been circulating between 300 and 400 illicit photos involving at least 100 students, said George Welsh, the superintendent of the Cañon City School District.

Judge Blocks Sprint From Shutting WiMax Network

A group of schools and community groups has won an 11th-hour order preventing Sprint from shutting down its older WiMax network as it had planned to do. Massachusetts superior court judge Janet Sanders granted a temporary halt, saying that the groups had demonstrated a likelihood of success in proving their case that Sprint and its Clearwire unit were violating their contracts with the shutdown.

U.S. Says Iran's Military Hacked White House Officials

Iran’s powerful Revolutionary Guard military force hacked email and social-media accounts of Obama administration officials in recent weeks in attacks believed to be tied to the arrest in Tehran of an Iranian-American businessman, U.S. officials said. The Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps, or IRGC, has routinely conducted cyberwarfare against American government agencies for years. But the U.S. officials said there has been a surge in such attacks coinciding with the arrest last month of Siamak Namazi, an energy industry executive and business consultant who has pushed for stronger U.S.-Iranian economic and diplomatic ties.

Foreigners Seek Changes to China's Cyber Insurance Proposals

Foreign business lobbies have asked China to substantially revise proposed cyber security regulations for the insurance industry, signaling a dispute that started with the publication of similar bank technology rules earlier this year may widen. The draft regulations, announced by the China Insurance Regulatory Commission (CIRC) last month, state that insurance companies, along with their holding companies and asset managers, should prioritize the purchase of "secure and controllable" products, including domestic encryption technologies and local hardware and software.

EU Considers Sanctions, Settlement with Google

European Union regulators are keeping their options open as to whether to sanction Google for abusing its market power or settle the long-running case with the company, Europe's chief competition regulator said. The comments by European Competition Commissioner Margrethe Vestager came as her officials reviewed Google's response to EU charges laid out in April and waited for feedback from more than a dozen complainants.  

Polaroid Camera Maker Sues GoPro for Patent Infringement

The maker of Polaroid cameras is suing wearable-camera maker GoPro Inc. for allegedly infringing on its patent for cube-shaped cameras, a dispute between old and new in the industry that poses another problem for GoPro’s latest product. C&A Marketing Inc., the exclusive maker of Polaroid-branded cameras, filed a patent lawsuit against GoPro on Tuesday in U.S. District Court in Newark, N.J.