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Judge Kicks Apple, Motorola FRAND Suit to the Curb November 06, 2012 A U.S. District Court judge has dismissed an Apple lawsuit alleging that Motorola Mobility abused its standard-essential patents by charging rates that exceeded FRAND terms. Apple's position was that 2.25 percent for each iPhone sold -- the rate Motorola Mobility apparently wanted to charge -- was excessive.

Google and Rosetta Stone Settle, Consumers Win November 02, 2012 Google and Rosetta Stone reached a settlement in a trademark infringement case this week, ending a three year legal battle with a promise to work together to fight the misuse of trade names. In a 2009 lawsuit, Rosetta Stone claimed that Google allowed rival language software companies to use Rosetta Stone keywords and language in sponsored ads.

FTC May Hobble Google's Motorola Patent-Defense Strategy November 02, 2012 U.S. Federal Trade Commission staff have recommended that Google should be sued for antitrust violations, and a majority of the agency's five commissioners appear inclined to do so, according to a report citing anonymous sources. The staff recommendations were made last month; however, they are not likely to be published until after the presidential election.

Court Orders Apple to Revise Cheeky Apology November 02, 2012 The British court that ordered Apple to post a statement declaring that Samsung didn't infringe on its designs isn't happy with the way the order was carried out. Apple posted a statement to its UK website, but it was apparently not what the three-judge appeals panel had in mind.

Dotcom Suits Up for Another Round in File-Sharing Wars November 01, 2012 Alleged digital pirate and German Internet entrepreneur Kim Dotcom on Thursday announced plans for Mega, a service that would replace his shut down file-sharing website Megaupload. The new Mega -- besides dropping a few letters form the name of the service -- will reportedly avoid any dealings with the United States.

Aussie Man, Wrongly Linked to Criminal, Wins Case vs. Google November 01, 2012 A man in Melbourne, Australia, won a defamation case against Google over the search engine's image results. The plaintiff, Michael Trkulja, reportedly contacted Google in 2009 requesting that the site remove images linking him to former meth kingpin Tony Mokbel. Google used the innocent dissemination defense, arguing that it hadn't published the materials in question and was simply indexing information.

Small Firm Whips Out Live Tiles Patent Challenge November 01, 2012 The Windows 8 Live Tiles user interface already is the subject of a lawsuit, less than a week after Microsoft officially launched the OS. SurfCast, a small company that has no products of its own, filed suit in the Federal District Court of Maine alleging that Microsoft is infringing one of its patents with its Windows 8 and Surface products, among others.

SC Weighs Antique Copyright Issues in eBay Textbook Case October 30, 2012 The U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments this week in a copyright infringement case involving textbooks resold on eBay. The outcome could have lasting effects for those who sell products in the U.S. that were made abroad. The case centers around Thai student Supap Kirtsaeng, who partially financed his education in U.S. universities by reselling textbooks on eBay.

Feds Collar Would-Be Facebook Fraudster October 29, 2012 Federal authorities arrested Paul Ceglia on charges of mail and wire fraud last week. Ceglia is accused of tampering with, destroying and fabricating evidence in a scheme to defraud Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg of billions of dollars. Ceglia originally filed suit in 2010, claiming that while Zuckerberg was a student at Harvard, the two signed a contract giving Ceglia at least a 50 percent share in the project that would eventually become Facebook.

Apple Rubber Band Patent Bounced by USPTO October 24, 2012 Apple's patent on rubber banding -- the bounce-back scrolling behavior that played a role in its victory over Samsung in a lawsuit earlier this year -- has been rejected by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office. Rubber banding, also known as "scroll bounce," causes the image on a screen to bounce when it reaches its top or side limits.

FTC Furrows Brows Over Facial-Recognition Tech October 24, 2012 The FTC hopes to nip facial-recognition problems in the bud before things go too far. The agency offered guidelines for companies developing the technology in a staff report released this week. The purposes for using facial recognition tools range from identifying a criminal to displaying a highly customized ad.

Compete Swallows Hard to Settle FTC Privacy Charges October 23, 2012 Compete has agreed to settle FTC charges that it used its Web-tracking software to collect personal data without disclosing the extent of its information-gathering activities, and failed to honor promises it made to protect the personal data it collected. Under the settlement, Compete must obtain consumers' express consent before collecting any data.

Kinder, Gentler, Perhaps More Annoying Copyright Alert System Coming Soon October 22, 2012 The Center for Copyright Information and major Internet service providers are preparing to roll out within weeks the Copyright Alert System, designed to cut down on online piracy. AT&T, Verizon, Comcast, Time Warner Cable and Cablevision volunteered to work with the CCI to develop a system of electronic messages to users suspected of illegally downloading digital entertainment content.

Google Vows Blockade if France Charges for Links October 19, 2012 In a letter to several French ministerial offices, Google reportedly has warned that it could exclude French media sites from its search results if the country implements a proposed law that would force search engines to pay for content. The letter reportedly said that such a move would threaten Google's existence.

UK Judges Order Apple to Set the Record Straight October 19, 2012 A three-judge panel has rebuffed an attempt by Apple to overturn a UK court's decision favoring Samsung. Britain's Court of Appeal upheld a lower court ruling that found Samsung's Galaxy tablet did not copy tablet designs registered by Apple in the UK. The court also sustained the lower court's mandate that Apple inform the public that Samsung's tablet does not infringe Apple's registered designs.

Pirate Bay Assumes Ethereal Form to Dodge Raids October 18, 2012 The Pirate Bay is ditching its servers and heading to the cloud in a move the popular file-sharing website says can help prevent raids by authorities. The site will no longer reside at a single physical location, the company said. It called the move to the cloud "getting rid of our earthly form" and "ascending into the next stage."

EU Gives Google a Privacy To-Do List October 17, 2012 It appears Google is catching flak from regulators on both sides of the Atlantic. European privacy authorities have asked Google to modify its global privacy policy in order to give users a better understanding of what personal data is being collected. The move comes on the heels of rumors that the Federal Trade Commission is about to launch an antitrust suit against the company.

Legislation Aims to Slash Government IT Waste October 17, 2012 One of the classic items on the agenda for all presidential candidates, including incumbent Barack Obama and challenger Mitt Romney, is to cut federal government waste. In fact, the Obama administration has been campaigning for nearly the past two years to reduce waste and improve the efficiency of federal information technology with a 25-point action plan.

Software Patents Shrugged October 16, 2012 In the latest film installment of Ayn Rand's Atlas Shrugged, the government has taken the drastic step of seizing all patents, as well as copyrights, for the public good, under the so-called Fair Share Act. Although the U.S. government has not officially taken such a drastic step, some economists and advisors have recently advocated the abrogation of patent rights for software.

FTC Case Against Google May Be Antitrust Horse of a Different Color October 15, 2012 The Federal Trade Commission is poised to launch an antitrust case against Google, according to anonymous sources. The alleged charge is straightforward: Google has been using its search engine dominance to hurt competing firms. The rest of the details are expected to unfold in the coming weeks.