Tech Law

Taiwanese University Sues Apple... Again
May 07, 2013

National Cheng Kung University may not have a fight song -- but it is definitely willing to fight. For the second time in a year, the Taiwanese university has sued Apple. The most recent suit is for alleged infringement of the university's patents relating to video compression technology in Apple software such as FaceTime and QuickTime.

EC Objects to Motorola Following Letter of German Law
May 07, 2013

The European Commission has lodged a statement of objections against Motorola Mobility, the first formal step in an antitrust action. The EC is objecting to Motorola's attempt to enforce an injunction it won against Apple in Germany over use of its standard-essential patents. The EC contends that Motorola Mobility is harming consumers with its injunction.

Both Sides Spin Web Sales Tax Ahead of Senate Vote
May 04, 2013

The U.S. Senate is set to vote Monday on the Marketplace Fairness Act of 2013, which essentially seeks to tax online sales. Supporters and opponents of the Act have turned up the lobbying heat prior to the vote. Arguments have touched on the hot buttons of patriotism, jobs, and the need for a level playing field. Amazon.com, once a fierce opponent, now supports the issue.

The End of Social Media Marketing's Wild West
May 01, 2013

The FTC recently updated its guidelines for online advertising to address the growth in mobile and social media marketing. Now a paid tweet has to begin with the word "ad," as obvious disclosure now must be included with all commercial speech. Is the link you're tweeting from an employer? A client? You have to mention that. The new rule: If money is changing hands, disclose it.

TV Networks vs. Technology: The Battle Rages On
April 29, 2013

Earlier this month, News Corp. Chief Operating Officer Chase Carey threatened to pull the Fox network off the airwaves and convert it to a pay-TV channel. This came following a court ruling that allowed New York City-based Aereo to allow its subscribers to view over-the-air TV broadcasts.

EC May Go Easy on Google
April 26, 2013

The EU Competition Commissioner has revealed more information about the remedies Google has proposed in order to settle a brewing antitrust case over its search operations. Among other things, Google has offered to more clearly label its own promoted content from YouTube, Google Shopping and Google+ Local in order to better differentiate it from organic search results.

House C'tee Chair Tells Consumer Protection Chief to Take a Hike
April 24, 2013

If CFPB Director Richard Cordray ever imagined that House of Representatives Republicans would eventually warm up to the bureau, that hope has surely been dashed by now. Rep. Jeb Hensarling, R-Texas, chairman of the House Financial Services Committee, on Monday sent a letter to Cordray, saying that he would be barred from testifying before the committee because his appointment as director was invalid.

Apple's Q1 Beats Wall Street, but Breaks a Profit Streak
April 24, 2013

Apple dominated the earnings roundup this week. Investors braced for a quarterly report that could determine whether the company's stock heads back towards last September's highs -- or continues its 40 percent-plus decline. Expectations weren't stellar for Apple before the Q1 report, but the company did barely beat analyst estimates thanks to high sales for iPhones and iPads.

Germany Levies Max Fine Against Google; Max Fine Is Piddly
April 23, 2013

Dramatic rhetoric, tiny fine. German data regulators fined Google less than $190,000 for collecting information from unsecured WiFi networks while it compiled data for Google Street View. The data scoop was, according to Germany's data chief, "one of the biggest known data protection violations in history." The fine? Hardly the biggest in history.

Power to the Wiki-People
April 20, 2013

Earlier this month, agents for France's top intelligence agency were accused of trying to force a Wikipedia volunteer to remove a Wikipedia page describing a French military radio relay station. The volunteer, a library curator, reportedly was threatened with jail unless he complied. Before any of the bullying took place, the DCRI had gone the conventional route, contacting the Wikimedia Foundation, which is Wikipedia's parent organization.

Icelandic App Aims to Prevent Accidental Incest
April 18, 2013

Before knocking boots, knock phones. Three software engineers at the University of Iceland have designed an app to alert people if a casual encounter might in fact be casual incest. By bumping their mobile devices together, the app lets users -- and potential partners -- instantly compare their lineage, showing the nearest common ancestors. If a close relative is detected, users are alerted via an alarm and text warning.

Feds Sue to Pry Crammed Charges From Cellphones
April 18, 2013

The Federal Trade Commission filed a suit against Wise Media this week, accusing the company of slipping unauthorized charges into consumer cellphone bills. Wise Media allegedly charged cellphone users fees for services to which they'd never subscribed, a practice referred to as "cramming." The company used short codes, which have legitimate purposes within the mobile landscape.

CISPA on Collision Course With Obama Veto
April 18, 2013

The Cyber Intelligence Sharing and Protection Act, which faces a vote in the U.S. House of Representatives on Thursday, may end up vetoed by President Obama. CISPA encourages private companies to share security information among themselves and with the government. The House Rules Committee on Tuesday rejected a bipartisan amendment that would have addressed user privacy.

Immigration Bill Would Open the Gates to More Tech Talent
April 17, 2013

A group of senators known as the "Gang of Eight" on Tuesday introduced a bipartisan immigration bill that could permit an increase in H-1B visas for high-tech workers. The group is led by Sens. Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and John McCain, R-Ariz. Another notable member is Sen. Marco Rubio, R-Fla., the GOP's latest rising star. Of particular interest to the tech industry, the new bill would raise the current caps on H-1B visas.

Samsung Under the Gun for Alleged Anti-HTC Rumormongering
April 17, 2013

Taiwan authorities have launched a probe into charges that Samsung hired students to post disparaging comments about HTC online. If the false advertising accusations are upheld, Samsung and its local advertising agent could be on the hook for about $835,000. The complaints sprouted earlier this month when Internet users claimed that Samsung had contracted students to write online content attacking HTC and lauding Samsung.

CenturyLink Hauls DoI to Court
April 17, 2013

The U.S. Department of the Interior has big plans to implement a major cloud-based information technology program, with a potential investment of $1 billion over 10 years. However, those plans will have to be put on hold a little longer. One of the potential contractors for the project, CenturyLink, is taking the department to federal court in a challenge to the contracting terms for the project.

Google, EU Reach Meeting of the Minds
April 15, 2013

In an effort to appease European regulators, Google for the first time has agreed to make legally binding changes to its search results. The changes stem from a two-year investigation into whether Google abused its online search dominance in Europe. The changes will not force Google to amend its algorithm, but instead will require it to clearly label search results from its own properties.

Fairness Is MIA in FairSearch.org
April 15, 2013

It's a good thing the tequila flows so freely here in the Linux blogosphere, or public health officials would have a lot more problems on their hands. After all, between Secure Boot, Canonical's wild moves and the Menace of Mordor -- er, Redmond -- Linux fans have more than their fair share of things to worry about in any given day, week or month.

Google Bends to Dodge European Blow
April 12, 2013

Google has submitted a formal set of remedies to the EU Competition Commissioner, which will be shared with competing companies and customers as part of the settlement negotiations. The remedies that Google has suggested have not yet been made public, but reading between the lines of Commissioner Joaquin Almunia's statement, it appears Google will be offering more choice to users, including content from rivals' sites.

Konnichi-Whoops! Japanese City Accidentally Tweets About North Korean Attack
April 12, 2013

The official Twitter page for the Japanese city of Yokohama announced that "North Korea has launched a missile." This would be scary if true, but because it didn't actually happen, it's just kind of embarrassing. The tweet, which was sent out to 40,000 followers, had been drafted in case, you know, North Korea actually did attack. It had blank spaces to indicate the time of the rocket launch. The city deleted the tweet and apologized to its followers.