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China Plays Up Hacker Crackdown February 08, 2010 
Two Monday technology stories, both involving China: Call them the yin and yang of that country's attempts to repair its image following Google's recent hacking allegations and the search giant's subsequent threats to end its business dealings in the country. Chinese police are trumpeting their shutdown of a major hacker training Web site and three related arrests.
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For Privacy Advocates, Facebook's 'Next Best Thing' Doesn't Cut It February 06, 2010 
Just over two years ago now, Facebook began deploying a behavioral tracking service it called "Beacon," which automatically enabled the tracking of Facebook users' behavior but shared that data with advertising partners. It wasn't an "opt-in" service by anyone's definition, and after Facebook took down most of the service, customers filed a class-action suit against the social network.
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DoJ Re-Nixes Google's Settlement With Authors February 05, 2010 
The Department of Justice has advised the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York that "significant" copyright and antitrust issues remain in the proposed amended settlement agreement between Google and the Authors Guild. "The amended settlement agreement suffers from the same core problem as the original agreement," the agency explains in its filing.
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FCC Puts Early Termination Fees Under Microscope February 01, 2010 
In the last weeks of 2009, the Federal Communications Commission began a probe into Verizon Wireless' hiked early termination fees for "advanced wireless devices." The FCC was not exactly satisfied by Verizon Wireless' explanation of the fees and said its inquiry would continue. Last week, the next stage of the investigation into early termination fees began.
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Microsoft to Google: Get Ready to Get Grilled in Europe January 30, 2010 
Microsoft's top lawyer said Monday that Google will inevitably have to answer questions about its huge market share in selling advertisements linked to results from its search engine. Microsoft's general counsel Brad Smith said the search advertising market has become "the fundamental economic engine for content online" and "the gateway to content on the Internet."
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Study: Cellphone Bans No Boost for Road Safety January 29, 2010 
Laws banning drivers from using handheld cellphones while behind the wheel don't help to reduce crashes, a study by the Highway Loss Data Institute has found. The institute, which is affiliated with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, calculated monthly collision claims in New York, the District of Columbia, Connecticut and California before and after these states passed such laws.
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Critics Hammer Away at Google Book Settlement January 29, 2010 
Google's bid to secure the digital rights to millions of books remains under attack from rivals and other critics trying to block a revised legal settlement that would unlock a vast electronic library. The opposition fired its latest salvo Thursday, the deadline for filing objections with U.S. District Judge Denny Chin in New York.
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New York AG Launches Attack on Web Discount Clubs January 29, 2010 
New York's attorney general warned Internet retailers Wednesday that they should stop funneling unsuspecting customers into "deceptive" Web discount clubs that have been accused of slamming people with hidden fees. Attorney General Andrew Cuomo said his office has sent investigative subpoenas to 22 prominent merchants.
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Sued Song Swapper Says Nuts to RIAA Settlement Offer January 28, 2010 
Jammie Thomas-Rasset, the Minnesota woman who was twice found liable for copyright infringement for sharing two dozen songs using an online file-sharing application, has turned down an offer to settle her $54,000 penalty for less than half that amount. The Recording Industry Association of America gave Thomas-Rasset the option of settling the case for $25,000, with the money promised to be donated to a musicians' charity.
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DoT Adds Another Law to Anti-Texting Crazy Quilt January 26, 2010
It could be the next service announced by your car's GPS feature when you drive from state to state: warning you about whether texting/phoning while driving in that state is legal. Tuesday's move by the Department of Transportation to outlaw texting while driving for interstate commercial traffic makes it clear that the federal government is making distracted driving a priority in 2010.
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Legal Rights in the Online Gaming Casino January 26, 2010 
The online poker scene was set on its ear with the arrival of the Swedish phenom known only by his Tolkien-esque moniker of "Isildur1." Isildur1 burst onto the scene in September 2009 and soon began to frequent the nosebleed seats of $1000/$2000 Pot Limit Omaha reserved for the true high stakes gamer.
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Judge Slashes File-Sharer's Penalty From 7 Figures to 5 January 25, 2010 
Minnesota federal judge Michael Davis has reduced the fine imposed on Jammie Thomas-Rasset for illegally sharing music on the Internet from $1.92 million to $54,000. Davis, who presided over the trial, said that the original calculations to determine Thomas-Rasset's penalty -- more than $83,000 per song -- were "monstrous and shocking."
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Berlusconi Decree Could Stifle Internet in Italy January 23, 2010 
Silvio Berlusconi is moving to extend his grip on Italy's media to the freewheeling Internet world of Google and YouTube. The premier's government has drafted a decree that would mandate the vetting of videos for pornographic or violent content uploaded by users onto such sites as YouTube, owned by Google, and the France-based Dailymotion, as well as blogs and online news media.
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FCC Gives Sports Fans a Win January 21, 2010
Cable TV companies will no longer be able to use a federal loophole to withhold sports networks and other popular programming that they own from satellite providers and other rivals. The Federal Communications Commission voted 4-to-1 on Wednesday to close the so-called "terrestrial loophole" in a 1992 federal cable law.
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Apple Raises Stakes in Patent Duel With Nokia January 18, 2010 
Apple has filed a complaint before the U.S. International Trade Commission requesting that it block Nokia imports to the U.S. The request follows a legal dispute between two companies that began in October when Nokia filed suit against Apple for patent infringement. Apple just upped the ante in what has become a high-stakes poker game with Nokia, said tech attorney Raymond Van Dyke.
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Kodak Sues Apple, RIM Over Photo Preview Tech January 14, 2010 
Eastman Kodak said Thursday it is suing Apple and BlackBerry maker Research In Motion over technology related to digital cameras in their iPhone and BlackBerry smartphones. Kodak filed a complaint before the U.S. International Trade Commission alleging the iPhone, Apple's hottest gadget, and RIM's camera-enabled BlackBerry devices infringe on a Kodak patent covering technology for previewing photos.
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