Philippine President Commits to Returning $81M from Cyber Heist

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has given a commitment that $81 million stolen by cyber criminals from the account of Bangladesh Bank in New York and funneled through bank accounts in Manila would be returned, the Bangladesh ambassador to the Philippines said. A Bangladesh central bank team visiting Manila to recover the money said earlier that it was close to getting back $15 million of the loot frozen by the Philippines.

FTC to Require Advertisers Ensure Disclosure on Celebrities' Posts

An uptick in celebrities peddling brand messages on their personal social media accounts, light on explicit disclosure about whether they’ve been paid, has not gone unnoticed by the U.S. government. The Federal Trade Commission is planning to get tougher: Users need to be clear when they're getting paid to promote something, and the agency will be putting the onus on the advertisers to make sure they comply, according to Michael Ostheimer, a deputy in the FTC’s Ad Practices Division.

Design Industry Professionals Support Apple in Samsung Case

Apple Inc. deserved the hundreds of millions of dollars in damages Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. paid for infringing patented designs of the iPhone, because the product's distinctive look drives people to purchase it, a group of design industry professionals told the U.S. Supreme Court. Setting up a clash with a number of Silicon Valley companies that have come out on the side of Samsung, more than 100 designers and educators signed on to a new court brief supporting Apple.

Attack Allegedly Compromises Encrypted Sites Via JavaScript

Security researchers at KU Leuven have discovered an attack technique, HEIST (HTTP Encrypted Information can be Stolen Through TCP-Windows), that helps compromise an encrypted website using only a JavaScript file hidden in a maliciously-crafted ad or page. Unlike many similar attacks, you don't need a man-in-the-middle spot to make this work -- it can gauge the size of an encrypted response (and thus enable an attack) all on its own.

Comcast Discusses Privacy-Pricing Plans with FCC

Did you know that in some parts of the country, Internet providers such as AT&T offer a special deal on broadband prices? The plans lower your monthly payments, but there's a catch: To qualify for them, you have to agree to let the carrier track your Web history, search activity and other valuable behavioral data that can be used for advertising purposes. Now, Comcast is telling regulators it wants the flexibility to offer these types of plans, too. In a meeting with the Federal Communications Commission, officials from the cable company argued that it and other Internet providers shouldn't be prohibited from trading discounts for data.

N.J. Man Files Class-Action Over 'Pokemon Go' Trespassing

A New Jersey man has a message for the millions of players obsessed with the mobile game Pokemon Go: "Get off my lawn!" Jeffrey Marder of West Orange has filed a federal class action against the companies behind the game, Nintendo Co Ltd, Niantic Inc and Pokemon Company International, claiming it has brought unwanted trespassers to his house and countless other private properties.

Kudelski, Apple Settle Patent Suit Over Video Streaming

Swiss digital TV security company Kudelski reached a settlement with Apple Inc., ending a patent dispute in the United States and Europe and removing a threat to Apple's video streaming features in devices sold in Germany. Kudelski said in a statement that the deal includes a "comprehensive patent license agreement" with Apple and that all pending patent litigation between the two companies would be dropped.

Iranian Hackers Attack 'Telegram' Instant Messaging Accounts

Iranian hackers have compromised more than a dozen accounts on the Telegram instant messaging service and identified the phone numbers of 15 million Iranian users, the largest known breach of the encrypted communications system, cyber researchers told Reuters. The attacks, which took place this year and have not been previously reported, jeopardized the communications of activists, journalists and other people in sensitive positions in Iran, where Telegram is used by some 20 million people, said independent cyber researcher Collin Anderson and Amnesty International technologist Claudio Guarnieri, who have been studying Iranian hacking groups for three years.

N.Y. Governor Restricts Sex Offenders from Playing Pokemon Go

New York’s governor said he had instructed the state’s corrections agency to restrict sex offenders on parole from using Pokemon Go and similar augmented-reality games. “These actions will provide safeguards for the players of these augmented reality games and help take one more tool away from those seeking to do harm to our children,” said Gov. Andrew Cuomo (D) in a statement.

Free Wi-Fi Kiosks in New York Being Used for Porn

LinkNYC has launched more than 300 stations in New York this year by transforming old payphone booths into digital towers. Each is equipped with USB charging ports, high-speed Wi-Fi access and an Android-powered tablet that anyone can use for free. But over the past few weeks, there's been an uptick in reports of people using the kiosks to access porn in public -- and even pleasuring themselves while doing so.

Apple Urges Supreme Court to End Samsung Patent Case

Apple Inc. asked the U.S. Supreme Court to clear the way for the iPhone maker to secure hundreds of millions in damages from Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. in a case over smartphone design patents. The world's top smartphone rivals have been feuding over patents since 2011, when Apple sued Samsung in a northern California court alleging infringement of the iPhone's patents, designs and trademarked appearance.

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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.