Google Sues Sonos for Infringing Seven Patents, Including on Voice Input

Google is striking back at Sonos with a pair of lawsuits alleging that the wireless speaker company is infringing on a number of its patents around smart speakers and voice control technology. It’s the latest volley in a back-and-forth battle over wireless speakers that has so far involved multiple lawsuits from Sonos, one lawsuit from Google, and one ruling in favor of Sonos that’s led to features being stripped from Google’s products.

Cyber Attacks on Businesses, Government Sites Spiked as Pelosi Visited Taiwan

As U.S. House of Representatives Speaker Nancy Pelosi made a brief visit to Taiwan that enraged Beijing, the welcome she received from government officials and the public was in sharp contrast with a different sort of message that began popping up elsewhere on the island. The largest 24-hour convenience store chain on the island was the victim of what Taiwanese authorities are calling an unprecedented amount of cyber attacks on government websites belonging to the presidential office, foreign and defense ministries as well as infrastructure such as screens at railway stations, in protest against Pelosi's visit.

Republicans Blame Google's Algorithms for Marking Fundraising Emails as Spam

The National Republican Senatorial Committee, the campaign arm of the Republican caucus, is preparing to escalate its attack on Google over the company’s email spam filter, which it blames for recent fundraising disappointments, according to documents obtained by The Washington Post. A draft letter on NRSC letterhead, and addressed to Google, claims that “Google and its algorithms have handed a distinct advantage to Democrat fundraising efforts, resulting in Republicans raising millions of dollars less than they should be able to.”

Netflix Sues TikTok Stars for Copyright Infringement Over 'Bridgerton' Videos

Netflix filed a lawsuit against two TikTok stars in their early twenties, Abigail Barlow and Emily Bear, alleging that their Grammy-winning “Unofficial Bridgerton Musical” project infringed on the copyright of Netflix‘s original series “Bridgerton.” Early last year, the songwriting duo started penning impressive ballads about the popular Netflix show for fun, posting them on TikTok.

New York Fines Robinhood $30 Million for Laundering, Cybersecurity Violations

In the latest in what seems to be a string of challenges the company has to grapple with, Robinhood's crypto division has been slapped with a $30 million fine by the New York State Department of Financial Services. It's the first crypto-focused enforcement action by the regulator, which has issued the multimillion dollar penalty against Robinhood for what it says are violations against the state's anti-money laundering and cybersecurity regulations.

Attack on Solana Reportedly Affects 8,000 Wallets, $8 Million in Cryptocurrency

Solana, an increasingly popular blockchain known for its speedy transactions, has become the target of the crypto sphere’s latest hack after users reported that funds have been drained from Internet-connected “hot” wallets. An unknown actor drained funds from 7,767 wallets on the Solana network, and blockchain security firm SlowMist’s crypto tracker identified that more than 8,000 wallets had been drained — an estimated loss so far of around $8 million.

Meta Asks Judge to Force Snap to Provide Data for Antitrust Lawsuit

Meta Platforms Inc. is asking a judge to force Snap Inc. to hand over data it says is needed to help the Facebook owner defend against a U.S. government antitrust lawsuit. In a filing with a federal court in California, Meta said Snap should turn over information it says can help refute the Federal Trade Commission’s contention that it has a monopoly in “personal social networking services.”

Taiwan's Presidential Office Suffers Cyberattack as Pelosi Visits

Taiwan’s presidential office was hit with a cyberattack, the same day that House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) visited the island amid warnings and opposition from China. A spokesperson for Taiwanese President Tsai Ing-wen said in a Facebook post that the attack happened around 5:15 p.m. local time, causing 200 times more than normal weekday website traffic.

Man Found Guilty of Hacking into T-Mobile Systems to Unlock Cell Phones

A California man has been found guilty of hacking into T-Mobile systems to unlock cell phones from the mobile carrier, which he turned into a multi-million-dollar business. According to prosecutors, Argishti Khudaverdyan used the unauthorized T-Mobile access to rake in $25 million in illegal proceeds from customers looking for ways to unlock their phones.

Human Rights Activists, Journalists Urge Action Against Commercial Spyware

Government and the tech industry must work together to protect U.S. citizens from being targeted with commercial spyware like Pegasus, which last year was revealed to have infected the iPhones of numerous government officials, human rights activists, journalists and others, experts told the US House Intelligence Committee. In the rare open hearing, the committee heard testimony from John Scott-Railton, senior researcher for Citizen Lab, the University of Toronto-based research group that first discovered the spyware; Shane Huntley, director of Google's threat analysis group; and Carine Kanimba, an activist whose phone was targeted with the Pegasus spyware.

  • Read the article: CNET

House, Senate Approve Bills to Subsidize Domestic Semiconductor Industry

The U.S. House of Representatives passed sweeping legislation to subsidize the domestic semiconductor industry as it competes with Chinese and other foreign manufacturers, a victory for President Joe Biden and his fellow Democrats hoping to keep their slim majority in Congress in November midterm elections. The Senate passed the "Chips and Science" act with bipartisan support, after more than a year of effort.

Banking Regulators Tell Crypto Firm to Stop Misleading Protection Claims

U.S. banking regulators have ordered crypto firm Voyager Digital to cease and desist from making "false and misleading" claims that its customers' funds were protected by the government. The Federal Reserve and the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp (FDIC) sent a letter to the firm, stating they believed that Voyager had misled customers by claiming their funds with the company would be covered by the FDIC.

Democrats Introduce Bill to Restore Net Neutrality, Give FCC Broadband Power

Democrats on Capitol Hill introduced legislation that could restore net neutrality and the authority of the Federal Communications Commission to regulate broadband. With President Joe Biden's pick to be the fifth commissioner at the FCC stalled, two Senate Democrats introduced the Net Neutrality and Broadband Justice Act, which would codify Obama-era net neutrality rules repealed under President Donald Trump's administration.

  • Read the article: CNET

Senate Committee Approves Bills to Enhance Children's Privacy Online

Senators took their first step toward increasing protections for children and teens online, advancing a pair of bipartisan bills that would expand federal safeguards for their personal information and activities on digital platforms. The push gained momentum on Capitol Hill last year after Facebook whistleblower Frances Haugen disclosed internal research suggesting that the company’s products at times exacerbated mental health issues for some teens.

FTC Seeks Injunction to Block Meta from Buying Virtual Reality Company

The Federal Trade Commission filed for an injunction to block Meta, the company formerly known as Facebook, from buying a virtual reality company called Within, potentially limiting the company’s push into the so-called metaverse and signaling a shift in how the agency is approaching tech deals. The antitrust lawsuit is the first under Lina Khan, the commission’s chair and a leading progressive critic of corporate concentration, against one of the tech giants. Ms. Khan has argued that regulators must stop competition and consumer protection violations when it comes to the bleeding edge of technology, including virtual and augmented reality, and not just in areas where the companies have already become behemoths.

Russian Court Fines WhatsApp, Snap for Refusing to Store User Data Locally

A Russian court fined Meta Platforms Inc's WhatsApp messenger, Snapchat owner Snap Inc. and other foreign firms for their alleged refusal to store the data of Russian users domestically. Moscow has clashed with Big Tech over content, censorship, data and local representation in disputes that have escalated since Russia sent its armed forces into Ukraine on Feb. 24.

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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.