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Microsoft to Pay AOL $750 Million in Antitrust Settlement
Microsoft is paying $750 million to AOL Time Warner as part of a wide-ranging settlement that also calls for the companies to jointly cooperate on software distribution and digital media. As part of a wide-ranging deal, the companies will drop pending litigation, including an antitrust complaint filed by AOL Time Warner's Netscape Communications unit in January 2002 against Microsoft.
California Official Calls DeCSS "Burglary Tool" at Hearing
California Attorney General Bill Lockyer called DVD-cracking software DeCSS a tool for "breaking, entering and stealing" during a hearing before the California Supreme Court. California's high court is considering whether a ban on the posting of the code, which cracks the content-scrambling system designed to protect DVD movies, violates free speech.
Judge Blocks Online Posting of Information on Sex Offenders
A Massachusetts Superior Court judge has issued an injunction preventing the state from posting photographs and other personal information of high-risk sex offenders on the Internet. Judge Thomas P. Billings wrote in his decision that the state's sexual offender notification law does not specifically allow for the Internet postings.
Real Networks Announces Online Digital Music Store
Real Networks Inc., the Internet media player company that is evolving into a major content provider, announced that it is launching an online digital music store, only weeks after Apple Computer Inc. started a similar service. For a monthly subscription of $9.95, Real Networks customers can access the company's newly acquired Rhapsody music service and listen to 330,000 songs in their entirety.
Gateway Resolves Legal Dispute with Music Publishers
A legal dispute that threatened to derail Gateway Inc.'s groundbreaking plan to load music on its computers has been quietly resolved amid growing interest in such offerings by rival PC makers, executives and analysts said. Months after announcing a first-of-its-kind deal in December to preload 2,000 tracks from music subscription service Pressplay onto its PCs, Gateway withdrew the offering for several weeks due to a dispute between Pressplay and music publishers, representatives of both sides said.
SCO's CEO Says Company Unlikely to Press Case Against Torvalds
SCO Group Chief Executive Darl McBride said a published report that his company may take legal action against Linux founder Linus Torvalds was overstated. Responding to a portion of a story by CBS Marketwatch that has generated intense criticism from the Linux community, McBride told CNET News.com that targeting Torvalds is unlikely.
Hacker Claims Access to Information on Cingular Customers
Adrian Lamo, a hacker who in the past has broken into The New York Times and Yahoo, found a gaping security hole in a website run by a company that issues the insurance to Cingular customers. By accessing the site, Lamo said he could have pulled up millions of customer records had he wanted to.
eBay's Loss at Patent Trial Has "Minimal Impact," Analysts Say
While eBay would have preferred to win the first phase of its recent patent infringement trial, the online auction giant's business is not in jeopardy and the case is far from over, experts said. "The trial has a very minimal impact on the company's business prospects," analysts for Deutsche Bank Securities wrote in a research note.
Lucent Sues Two Competitiors for Patent Infringement
Lucent Technologies Inc., the biggest telephone equipment maker in the nation, sued California-based rivals Extreme Networks Inc. and Foundry Networks Inc. in federal court in Delaware over five patents for managing communications data. The suit contends that the two companies are making and selling equipment that uses Lucent's patented inventions for organizing voice and data transmissions.
China Sentences Four Internet Activists to Jail for Subversion
A Chinese court has jailed four Internet activists for up to 10 years on subversion charges after 20 months in legal limbo, a human rights group said. The Beijing Intermediate People's Court sentenced geologist Jin Haike, 27, and Xu Wei, 28, a journalist for Beijing's Consumer Daily, to 10 years in prison each, the New York-based advocacy group Human Rights in China said.
Ten Men Indicted in Internet Child Pornography Case
Ten Orange County, California, men were indicted in a federal child pornography case fueled in part by a Danish police investigation dubbed Operation Hamlet. One of the men was charged with possession of child pornography as part of a yearlong investigation by Danish national police, who were looking into a group of parents allegedly swapping on the Internet photos of their children being sexually molested.
Tech, Venture Capital Leaders Back Lieberman for President
In some early maneuvering for the 2004 election, a group of technology executives and venture capitalists said that they believe Sen. Joseph Lieberman is the best choice for president. The group of 12 business leaders includes venture capitalist John Doerr of Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers and Handspring CEO Donna Dubinsky, both of whom endorsed the Connecticut Democrat when he was campaigning on the Democratic Party ticket with Al Gore in 2000.
Shareholders Dismiss Lawsuit Against Rambus
A group of Rambus shareholders has dismissed its case against the memory designer, marking another legal milestone for the company. Certain shareholders filed suit against Rambus in 2001, alleging that the company's actions while a member of a standards body known as the Joint Electron Device Engineering Council impaired the value of their shares.
Tech Executives Continue Fight Against U.S. Export Limits
Silicon Valley high-tech executives are vowing to continue their fight to ease Cold War-era restrictions on the export of high-speed computers in the wake of a disappointing defeat on Capitol Hill. Leading computer and semiconductor manufacturers -- including Hewlett-Packard, Intel and Apple Computer -- have been trying for four years to revise federal guidelines that require companies to obtain licenses to sell high-powered computers to China and other potential foes abroad.
Jury Orders eBay to Pay $35 Million for Patent Infringement
A federal jury found eBay guilty of patent infringement and ordered the online auction giant to pay $35 million in damages. A U.S. district Court jury sided with MercExchange of Great Falls, Va., which accused eBay in 2001 of infringing on three patents held by MercExchange founder Tom Woolston.
Justice Department Won't File Legal Brief in Microsoft Appeal
The Bush administration won't weigh in on the appeal by two states seeking tougher restrictions on Microsoft Corp. than the world's largest software maker negotiated to settle the government's landmark antitrust case. West Virginia and Massachusetts are appealing the refusal of a trial judge to impose more restrictions on Microsoft's conduct than the company accepted in a settlement with the Justice Department and nine other states.
Novell Expected to Challenge SCO's Legal Claims to Unix
Novell, the second in the chain of four companies to own rights to the Unix operating system, is expected to challenge rights infringement claims that the current owner of those rights, SCO Group, is making against Linux. Novell is expected to assert that it retains Unix patents and copyrights and doesn't plan to assert those claims against Linux, the Wall Street Journal reported on its Web site.
German Software Group Threatens Legal Action Against SCO
A German software group threatened to take U.S. software firm SCO Group to court if it did not withdraw from a worldwide attack on Linux, the free computer operating system. Linuxtag, a German Linux lobbying association, said it may seek a German court order against SCO this week because of threats made against 1,500 of the world's most important Linux supporters, including International Business Machines Corp.
Apple Updates iTunes to Limit Internet Music-Sharing Feature
Apple Computer has limited a music-sharing feature from the latest version of iTunes after some Mac owners used it to swap songs over the Internet. In an update to iTunes, the Mac maker removed a feature that had been exploited to allow Mac users to swap songs over the Internet.
Listen.com Lowering Price of Downloads to 79 Cents Each
Facing competition from Apple Computer's iTunes service, Listen.com will lower the price to download songs from its Rhapsody music service by 20 cents to 79 cents, marking the latest move by paid music services to attract and retain new ears. For the price, listeners can download and burn from among more than 200,000 songs.
New File-Swapping Tools Make Transfering Large Files Easier
A new generation of peer-to-peer tools is finding its groove on the Internet, spelling tougher times ahead for movie studios' attempts to quell online piracy. Going by names like eDonkey and BitTorrent, many of the latest generation of file-swapping tools have been designed specifically to increase the efficiency and speed of transfer for large files such as movie files.
PC-Tel Sues Three Modem Manufacturers for Patent Infringement
PC-Tel Inc. said it filed a patent-infringement lawsuit against Agere Systems Inc., Broadcom Corp., Lucent Technologies Inc. and closely held U.S. Robotics Corp. over modems they have manufactured. The suits, which are similar to one PC-Tel brought against 3Com Corp. in March, were filed in the Northern District of California.
RIM Shares Drop After $8.87 million Ruling in Patent Case
Research In Motion Ltd. shares slumped more than 13 percent after a negative court ruling in a patent infringement suit in the United States involving its BlackBerry e-mail device. Waterloo, Ontario-based RIM said the latest ruling in its lawsuit with privately held NTP would force it to take further provisions, including between $8 million and $9 million in its first quarter.
Bush Plans Cybersecurity Chief Inside Homeland Department
The Bush administration plans to appoint a new cybersecurity chief for the government inside the Department of Homeland Security, replacing a position once held by a special adviser to the president. Industry leaders worry that the new post will not be powerful enough.
Anti-Spam Bill in House Includes Prison, Large Fines
Antispam sentiment on Capitol Hill is growing, with a new proposal in the House of Representatives promising to slap the worst bulk e-mailers with prison terms and millions of dollars in fines. The bill, called the Reduction in Distribution of Spam Act, is sponsored by Rep. Richard Burr, R-N.C., and has the support of two powerful committee chairmen, making it the most likely measure to prevail in the House.
New Software Disables Stolen PCs, Helps Track Thieves
Pilfering a PC may become less appealing, if software makers Phoenix Technologies and Softex have their way. The two companies are teaming to offer software called TheftGuard, which is designed to be anchored in the guts of PCs and automatically disable any stolen machine connected to the Internet.
ISPs Blame File-Sharing for Hogging Internet Traffic
File-sharing Internet junkies, the scourge of media companies everywhere, have become a headache for Internet service providers too. The proliferation of high-speed broadband Internet access has created an explosion in file-trading, an activity that hogs bandwidth and racks up big network costs for access providers.
Anti-Spam Software Mistakenly Blocks All E-mail with Letter "P"
Trend Micro's antispam software recently took issue with the letter "P." A bug, which appeared in an antispam rule update, began blocking and quarantining all incoming and outgoing messages containing the letter "P," depending on how customers had configured the software.
College Student Arrested for Internet-Related Sex Charges
A 19-year-old college student from Arlington, Va., is suspected of having sexual contact with several minors from the county whom he contacted over the Internet, police said. Galen Baughman, who attended Indiana University, was arrested and charged with carnal knowledge of a minor, crimes against nature and using the Internet to facilitate his alleged crimes.
California Senate Approves Ban on Unsolicited E-mail Ads
The California State Senate approved a bill that would make it illegal to send unsolicited e-mail advertising and allows people to sue so-called spammers for $500 per unwanted message. If the bill, which now goes to the California Assembly, becomes law, it would be one of the strictest anti-spam measures in the country.
House Subcommittee Approves Permanent Ban on Internet Taxes
A U.S. House of Representatives subcommittee voted to make permanent a ban on Internet-specific taxes, shrugging off attempts to link it with a more controversial effort to allow online sales taxes. The Subcommittee on Commercial and Administrative Law passed a measure by voice vote that would make permanent a ban on "multiple and discriminatory" taxes on Internet access fees and online traffic due to expire in November.
Colorado Governor Vetoes Digital Piracy Legislation
Colorado Gov. Bill Owens vetoed a state law backed by the Motion Picture Association of America to broaden that state's communication piracy laws, the Durango Herald reported. In his veto message, Owens said that while the bill may be required, it wasn't defined clearly enough, the paper says.
Online Merchants Sue Credit Card Companies in Fraud Cases
A small group of online merchants sued four major credit card companies, charging that they failed to inform online and other direct merchants whether goods were being purchased with stolen credit cards or by customers with a history of fraud. The lawsuit was filed in federal court in Raleigh, North Carolina, against Visa U.S.A. Inc., MasterCard International Inc., American Express Co. and Discover Financial Services Inc., said attorney Mark Ishman.
Study Shows How Gator's Pop-Up Ads Target Websites
A Harvard University researcher has completed an investigation of the Gator advertising utility, offering a glimpse into the workings of one of the Web's most controversial pop-up networks. Gator is a utility, sometimes derided as "spyware," that monitors a user's Web browsing activity and displays relevant advertisements.
ReplayTV May Eliminate Some Controversial Features
ReplayTV said it would likely leave some controversial features on its home television recording machines for now but may strip them from new models. ReplayTV, the digital video recorder maker purchased last month by Japan's D&M Holdings from bankrupt Sonicblue, said it is mulling the fate of ReplayTV's features that skip commercials and send saved programs over the Internet.
Spammer, Other Witnesses Testify Before Senate Committee
As a Senate committee sought answers on how to curb the overwhelming surge of junk e-mail, one of the nation's most notorious spammers told members just how hard their job would be. Ronald Scelson, an eighth-grade dropout and self-taught computer programmer from Louisiana, riveted the Commerce Committee hearing room as he explained that he sends between 120 million and 180 million e-mails every 12 hours.
Ex-Student Ordered to Pay $500,000 for False Stock Postings
A judge ordered a former university student to pay regulators more than $500,000 for allegedly posting false messages about stocks on the Internet so he could profit from ensuing buying or selling sprees, federal regulators said. The Securities and Exchange Commission contends that Refael Shaoulian, 26, sought to manipulate the price of five stocks while he was a student at University of California, Los Angeles.
Oregon Bill on Library Internet Filters Called Unconstitutional
An Oregon bill that would pressure public libraries to filter sexually explicit Internet sites has stalled in committee after legislative counsel said it is unconstitutional. Proponents say the libraries risk exposing children to pornography and similar material without the filters.
Ukranian Man Wanted for Software Piracy Arrested in Thailand
A Ukrainian man sought by California investigators since 2000 for allegedly selling pirated software titles has been arrested in Bangkok, Thailand, federal prosecutors said. Maksym Kovalchuk, 25, of Ternopil, Ukraine, is charged with trafficking in counterfeit goods, copyright infringement, money laundering and possession of unauthorized credit card information.
Web Consortium Finalizes "Royalty-Free Patent Policy"
The Web's leading standards body finalized a patent policy banning the use of most royalty-bearing technology in its technical recommendations, an issue that sparked a clash between open-source advocates and software makers. The Royalty-Free Patent Policy, announced by the Patent Policy Working Group of the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C), has changed little from a draft released eight weeks ago.
SCO Group Resigns Membership in German Linux Association
The SCO Group Inc. has resigned its membership in a German Linux association after the group asked the company to provide more information about its recent claims that some of its Unix code has illegally made its way into Linux. SCO said it resigned from LIVE Linux-Verband eV, a Dusseldorf-based association that promotes the interests of Linux users and software developers in Germany, after the group notified the company in a recent letter that it might revoke the membership of SCO's German subsidiary, SCO Group GmbH.
Judge Rejects InfoSpace's Request to Shut Down Intelius
A judge has rejected a move by InfoSpace to shut down a business started by its ousted founder. Refusing to issue a preliminary injunction, Superior Court Judge Douglas D. McBroom ruled that InfoSpace, an Internet and wireless services company badly battered in the dot-com bust, had not offered evidence of competition from Intelius.
Microsoft Favors Anti-Spam Bill with "Seal of Approval"
Microsoft Corp. is proposing a new legislative approach to battling junk e-mail, hoping to bridge a widening gap between various industry and consumer groups that threatens to bog down congressional efforts to eradicate spam. Like several bills already proposed or being drafted, the software giant wants increased penalties for the fraudulent practices of many spammers who peddle diet fads, get-rich-quick schemes and pornography.
N. Dakota Supreme Court Finds Jurisdiction in Online Libel Case
In its first case on Internet jurisdiction, the North Dakota Supreme Court has affirmed a $3 million libel award to a university professor who was defamed on a student's Web site. A key issue in the North Dakota case, and many cases involving Internet jurisdiction, is whether courts can stretch the long arm of the law to nonresident defendants whose alleged crimes are committed on the Internet.
Student Arrested for Hacking School's Computers, Changing Grades
A 17-year-old junior at Don Lugo High School in Chino, Calif., allegedly hacked into his school's computer system, changing his and a classmate's grades and also tapping into confidential student information, including Social Security numbers, officials said. The male student, whose name is being withheld because he is a minor, was arrested at the Chino Valley Unified School District offices on suspicion of violating state theft and privacy laws.
Video Game Industry Plans Lawsuit Against Washington Law
Washington State Gov. Gary Locke signed a bill making it illegal to sell or rent video games to minors that depict violence against law enforcement officers -- a move that an industry trade group immediately said it would challenge in court. The bill, signed into law by the Democratic governor, calls for $500 fines to be imposed on anyone who sells or rents a game depicting violence against police to customers under the age of 17.
Company in Spain Offers Unlimited Music Downloads
A new all-you-can-eat music download service that claims to take advantage of a loophole in Spanish copyright law will launch and piggyback on a popular file-swapping network for distribution. The new Madrid-based company, called Puretunes, is the second Spanish Web service to try offering access to a vast and otherwise unavailable catalog of music online without directly securing the record labels' permission.
Music Industry Launches Site Touting Legal Downloads
The music industry launched a new Web site aimed at informing consumers where to look on the Internet to buy music downloads, its latest effort to win over fans from free file-sharing networks. The Web site, www.Pro-Music.org, was designed by the International Federation of the Phonographic Industry, a global trade group representing major and independent music labels and publishers.
Australian Man Sues Employer After Firing Via Phone Message
A Sydney, Australia, traffic controller sued his former employer for unfair dismissal, claiming the he was sacked via mobile phone text message from a company director. "Its (sic) official, you no longer work for JNI Traffic Control and u (sic) have forfided (sic) any arrangements made," read the message sent to John Eid in February, his lawyer Tom Earls told the industrial court.
Vote on European Patent Proposal Delayed by Debate
A proposal for a pan-European law on software patents is being delayed by a failure among European parliamentarians to agree on the text, an official at the European Parliament. The software patent directive has sparked fierce debate in the software industry, with free software and open source software supporters arguing that there should be no directive at all.
Roxio Buys Pressplay, Expected to Launch New "Napster"
Napster is coming back, this time as a paid music service in partnership with two of the record labels that fought to shut it down, according to a deal. In an ironic coda to the Napster saga, CD-burning software maker Roxio Inc., said it had bought Pressplay, a struggling online music service launched by Vivendi Universal and Sony Corp., for about $39.5 million in cash and stock.
Internet Worm Falsely Purports to Come from Microsoft
A new mass-mailing e-mail worm, which feigns a Microsoft.com origin, is spreading rapidly. Antivirus vendors say it can also spread via a local area network and can install "spyware" on a victim's PC
Neo-Nazis' Internet Use on Rise in Germany, Study Says
Neo-Nazis are using the Internet to attract and recruit young people to the scene and the number of far-right Web sites in Germany has more than tripled in the past four years, according to a study. A study released in Berlin by Germany's family ministry showed a drastic increase in the number of Web sites run by far-right extremists, many of them using a blend of sophisticated programming and a media-like approach aimed at attracting fresh recruits to the neo-Nazi scene.
Arizona Law Restricting Inmates Online Ruled Unconstitutional
A federal judge ruled that a state law forbidding Arizona inmates from appearing on Web sites is unconstitutional, saying the law has no legitimate prison management function. "It's a law that was clearly unconstitutional, where Arizona was reaching way outside the state," trying to regulate what was posted on Web sites in other states and even other countries, said David Fathi, a staff attorney for the American Civil Liberties Union's National Prison Project.
Company Ordered to Pay Novell $680,000 for Stolen Software
The U.S. District Court for Utah ordered Computer Commodity Inc. to pay Novell Inc. more than $680,000 in damages, costs and attorney's fees for selling stolen software, Novell said. In a copyright and trademark infringement lawsuit filed in 1998, software maker Novell alleged that Computer Commodity received and distributed software that was stolen from a Novell contractor in Ireland.
European Union Approves Online Hotel Reservation System
European Union regulators approved a joint venture involving French hotel chain Accor SA, British-based Hilton Group PLC, Six Continents and U.S. e-commerce company WorldRes.com for an Internet reservation system. The European Commission said the deal does not give rise to any significant competition concerns because it would have only a minor share of the market.
Lawmakers Creating Caucus to Fight Intellectual Property Theft
Three members of the U.S. House of Representatives are creating a new congressional caucus devoted to combating piracy and promoting stronger intellectual property laws. A letter sent to some members of Congress by Rep. Robert Wexler, D-Fla., warned of the threat of "ever-changing technologies" and asked colleagues if they would like to join the caucus.
Roxio, Owner of Napster's Assets, Close to Buying Pressplay Service
Roxio Inc. is near a deal to buy the online music service Pressplay from its owners, Universal Music Group and Sony Music Entertainment, sources familiar with the situation said. The deal would bring one of the two online music services backed by the major record labels under the control of the company that bought what remained of Napster at bankruptcy auction last year.
China Sentences Cyber-Dissident to Five Years for Subversion
Pioneering cyber-dissident Huang Qi, one of the first in China to be arrested for expressing his political views online, has been sentenced to five years in prison for subversion, lawyers and rights groups said. Huang was convicted May 9 by an intermediate court in central China's Chongqing municipality in a trial that began in January 2001, his lawyer Fan Jun told AFP.
Microsoft to License Unix Patent Rights from SCO Group
Microsoft will license the rights to Unix technology from SCO Group, a move that could impact the battle between Windows and Linux in the market for computer operating systems. According to a statement from Microsoft, the company will license SCO's Unix patents and the source code.
NASA Analyst Favors Open-Source Software for Some Projects
An analyst for NASA recommended in a recent paper that the agency move some software development to an open-source model. The paper, published in late April and featured on Slashdot, argues that developing software under open-source licenses will improve development, lead to better collaboration and enhance efficiency.
Technical Response to Fight "Fizzer" Virus Raises Legal Questions
Administrators of Internet relay chat networks believe they might be able to eradicate the Fizzer virus, but the methods may run them afoul of cybercrime laws, said a legal expert. Several postings on an IRC-Security list debated the merits of trying to shut the computer virus down, and one operator, QuakeNet security team member Daniel Ferguson, warned that manipulating the worm could be illegal.
Disney to Launch DVDs That Stop Playing After 48 Hours
This disc will self-destruct in 48 hours. That is the warning The Walt Disney Co. will issue this August when it begins to "rent" DVDs that after two days become unplayable and do not have to be returned.
Judge Orders UBS to Search for E-mails Requested by Plaintiff
UBS Warburg was ordered to pay for the search and recovery of e-mail messages requested by a plaintiff, giving aggrieved investors a new legal tool to support their cases against investment banks. Shira A. Scheindlin, a judge in the southern district of New York, said that UBS had to dig into its archives and pay for the restoration of a limited batch of e-mail messages sought by a former employee who is suing the firm for sexual discrimination and retaliatory dismissal.
Oracle Sues Qwest, a Customer, for Copyright Infringement
The Oracle Corporation is suing Qwest Communications International, accusing it of abusing licenses and infringing copyrights to its database software. Qwest, a local telephone service provider, is a customer of Oracle.
Realtors Association Approves Rule Restricting Online Listings
The National Association of Realtors approved a controversial rule allowing real-estate brokers to restrict online competitors from posting their property listings on the Internet, a move critics fear will stifle competition in the real-estate industry. The rule, approved by NAR's board of directors in Washington, appeared at first blush to do the opposite.
Teen Accused of Internet Fraud Files Civil Rights Suit Against School
A Mission Viejo, Calif., teen who paid more than $1.2 million last year to settle federal Internet-fraud complaints is suing his former high school for labeling him an embarrassment and booting him from the varsity baseball team, according to the court filing. Acting as his own attorney, Cole Bartiromo, 18, filed the $50-million civil rights lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Santa Ana alleging Trabuco Hills High School administrators barred him from the team last winter because of "personal vendettas" based on their "own jealousy/anger/spite of Bartiromo's local fame."
Bush Administration Wants Ban on Internet Taxes to Continue
Treasury Secretary John W. Snow told a packed house of local technology executives that the administration is asking Congress to continue its five-year-old moratorium on Internet taxes. Snow's announcement that he and Commerce Secretary Donald L. Evans have submitted a letter to Congress calling for the extension drew applause from the Northern Virginia Technology Council audience.
States Sue Company for Running Computer Porn Scam
California and 18 other states brought a consumer protection lawsuit against Alyon Technologies Inc. for allegedly running a scam that automatically connected peoples' computers to porn sites then charged steep fees to their phone bills. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer in a statement said Alyon, a New Jersey-based software company, installed pop-up ads that automatically dialed expensive adult Web sites without consent.
"Operation E-Con" Arrests 130 for Internet Crimes, Scams
The Justice Department said more than 130 people have been charged with a variety of Internet crimes and scams, including identity theft and failing to deliver goods purchased online. Federal law enforcers planned a news conference to announce the crackdown on Internet fraud, dubbed Operation E-Con.
FTC Announces Actions Against 45 Internet Scammers, Spammers
Federal and state authorities have filed 45 criminal and civil actions against Internet scam artists and bulk e-mailers, the Federal Trade Commission announced. The sweep, which was conducted over the past 10 days, is part of an ongoing federal effort to crack down on Internet fraud and deceptive bulk e-mail, popularly known as "spam."
Officials Targeting Spam Warn of "Open Relay" Mail Servers
Federal and state law enforcement agencies pledged to take an aggressive new approach to fighting spam: identifying "open relay" mail servers that serve as conduits for massive quantities of junk e-mail. Representatives of the agencies said they -- in tandem with officials from Australia, Canada and Japan -- had sent letters to operators of over 1,000 e-mail servers around the globe warning that an open relay "creates problems for consumers worldwide, for law enforcement and for your organization."
Judge "Persuaded" by Copyright Claims in DVD Case
The judge in a closely watched lawsuit challenging the legality of DVD-copying software said she was "substantially persuaded" by past court rulings that favored copyright holders, but closed a hearing without issuing a ruling in the case. Seven movie studios are seeking to prevent 321 Studios from selling its DVD X Copy and DVD Copy Plus programs, alleging that the products violate the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's prohibition on software that can be used to circumvent copyright protections.
Calif. Supreme Court Rejects Free Speech Argument in DeCSS Case
Claiming that a controversial DVD de-scrambling code has long been available online worldwide, a man accused of improperly linking Internet viewers to the code asked earlier this year that the case against him be declared moot. The California Supreme Court rejected his plea 4-1, ensuring that the closely watched case remains on the court's May 29 oral argument calendar in San Francisco.
Peer-to-Peer Networks Can Expose Hard Drives, Congress Told
Internet users who download music and movies through free "peer to peer" networks like Kazaa may be unwittingly exposing their divorce letters and tax returns to strangers, computer experts told Congress. Peer-to-peer users who do not set up the software properly can easily open up their entire hard drives to the Internet, enabling others to sift through their e-mail inboxes and dig up password lists, legal documents and other sensitive information, computer scientists told the House of Representatives Government Reform Committee.
N. Korea Training Computer Hackers, S. Korea Official Says
North Korea is training around 100 computer hackers each year to boost its cyber-warfare capabilities, pushing the South to fortify its own computer security, a South Korean military official said. Capitalist South Korea is one of the world's most wired countries, making it that much more vulnerable to cyber attacks, Song Young-keun, commanding general of Seoul's Defense Security Command, was quoted as saying.
California Investigating Missing E-mails at Deutsche Bank
California regulators, continuing an investigation of alleged Wall Street abuses, said that they had hired a data-recovery firm to find out whether missing e-mails requested from Deutsche Bank resulted from carelessness or intentional acts. If it's the latter, the Department of Corporations may refer the case to California Atty. Gen. Bill Lockyer for prosecution, a department official said.
New York Brings Criminal Charges Against "Buffalo Spammer"
New York state authorities have arrested the e-mail marketer "Buffalo Spammer," in the state's first criminal case against a junk mailer. Attorney General Eliot Spitzer said that his office brought four felony and two misdemeanor charges against Buffalo, N.Y., resident Howard Carmack for alleged identity theft and forgery that allowed him to send more than 825 million e-mail messages through the Internet service provider EarthLink.
Homeland Security Department Plans New Focus on Internet Security
The Department of Homeland Security soon will establish an office to execute the Bush administration's cybersecurity strategy, a move that may serve to blunt criticism that the agency has not devoted enough resources and attention to Internet security. The new office also will coordinate government and business responses to online hacking threats and other forms of cyberattack.
House Committee Passes Competing Version of Internet Gambling Bill
Internet gambling opponents hit a snag when U.S. lawmakers modified a bill aimed at choking off payments to offshore Web casinos that take in some $4 billion annually, creating competing drafts that could divide support. The House of Representatives Judiciary Committee voted 16-15 to modify the legislation that would block credit-card payments to gambling Web sites, removing language that would have exempted lawful casinos and other state-licensed gambling businesses.
Justice Department Investigating Gateway's Financial Reports
The Justice Department has opened a preliminary investigation of Gateway Inc.'s financial reports for 2000, dealing with the same questions raised in an ongoing, two-year probe by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said. The personal computer maker wouldn't discuss details of the investigation.
SCO Groups Warns 1,500 Companies About Using Linux
SCO Group, a financially struggling company that claims its Unix intellectual property has been illegally incorporated into Linux, has sent letters to about 1,500 of the world's largest corporations warning they could be liable for using Linux. The move dramatically broadens the Lindon, Utah-based company's potential legal actions beyond its initial target, IBM.
Intuit to Drop Anti-Piracy Technology from TurboTax
Intuit plans to strike antipiracy technology from future versions of TurboTax that had sparked a rash of consumer complaints and a lawsuit earlier this year. The Mountain View, Calif.-based software maker will discard its so-called product activation feature, the company announced when it reported third-quarter earnings.
California Professors Not Stopped from Viewing Porn Online
An effort to stop Cal Poly professors from viewing Internet sex sites on state-owned computers has failed. Professors can continue to view adult pornography on state-owned computers in their offices, so long as it does not create a hostile work environment, the executive committee of the Academic Senate at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo decided.
Real Estate Website Sues California for Requiring License
A real estate Web site that has been ordered by California regulators to obtain a broker license sued the state, claiming the licensing requirements are vague and unconstitutional. New York-based ForSaleByOwner.com Corp. -- which caters to home sellers working without a licensed broker -- and an affiliate in Sacramento say they do not engage in buying and selling real estate, an activity that would require a state license.
Judge Issues Order Against Amazon.com in Copyright Case
A federal judge in Los Angeles has issued a complicated order in a case that could impact the ecommerce industry's ability to claim "safe harbor" protection against secondary copyright infringement under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. Judge Terry Hatter of U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, Western Division, accepted the claims of Robert Hendrickson that Amazon.com as well as certain third-party vendors that used the company's service were liable for copyright infringement.
Court to Hear Arguments in Case Against DVD-Copying Software
The latest major clash between technology and copyright owners heads to federal court, where software start-up 321 Studios hopes to win a reprieve from a legal attack by film companies on its DVD-copying software. The case, which will be heard in U.S. District Court in San Francisco, holds important consequences not only for software developers and for the motion picture industry but also for consumers, who face increasingly complex rules governing the uses of entertainment products.
Child-Friendly ".kids.us" Domain Launching in September
Telecommunications company NeuStar Inc. said it plans in September to launch a "child-friendly" Internet zone free of violence, pornography and other adult material. Last fall Congress directed NeuStar to set up the domain after previous attempts to shield children from inappropriate material online failed to survive court challenges.
China Arrests 107 People for Rumors About SARS Online
China's all-out war to contain the spread of SARS has spread to cyberspace, showcasing the influence of a young but thriving Internet society in the world's most populous nation. Authorities have detained 107 people for spreading rumors about the situation around the Severe Acute Respiratory Situation (SARS) over the Internet and through mobile text messaging -- a sign that authorities are worried about social stability in a city that is fighting an uphill battle to contain the illness.
Draft of Federal Spam Bill Allows Much E-mail Advertising
Lobbyists for the marketing, retailing and Internet service industries have been working closely with two powerful House committee chairmen to craft federal legislation to curb junk e-mail, creating a bill that state law enforcers and several consumer groups say would do more to protect mass e-mail advertising than to combat spam. According to participants in at least three meetings in recent weeks, e-mail marketers prevailed in adding provisions that would supersede tougher state anti-spam laws, would prohibit consumers from suing spammers and would give companies the right to send e-mail to anyone who has done business with them in the past three years.
Ohio Senate Approves Bill Banning Internet Stalking
The Ohio Senate gave final legislative approval to a bill that prohibits stalking via the Internet. The bill would prohibit stalking or harassing someone repeatedly through electronic means, such as by e-mail or a message board.
Coca-Cola Employee Downloaded Confidential Employee Data
A Coca-Cola employee who slipped into the company's computer system without authorization and downloaded salary information and Social Security numbers of about 450 co-workers. A recent computer scare at the world's largest soft-drink maker worried it enough to send an e-mail advising employees to check bank accounts and credit card balances for anything unusual, but not enough to notify police.
Lawsuit Against MasterCard Alleges Fraud in Online Sales
Internet payment firm Paycom Billing Services has filed a lawsuit against MasterCard, alleging the credit card issuer committed fraud when processing merchants' online transactions. Paycom, which filed its suit in U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, said MasterCard used its "monopolistic... power to illegally impose fines and penalties in the millions of dollars" when processing merchants' online sales.
Universal Files Copyright Suit Against Bertelsmann Over Napster
Universal Music Group said it is seeking to join a $17 billion suit brought by music publishers against Bertelsmann AG, alleging it aided the once-hugely popular Napster Internet music service in piracy. The suit by the publishers, which included rhythm & blues pioneers Jerry Leiber & Mike Stoller, was filed in February accusing Bertelsmann of perpetuating Napster's success by investing more than $100 million in the service.
Law Against Junk Faxes Doesn't Apply to Spam, Penn. Court Rules
Federal law that prohibits sending unsolicited advertisements to fax machines does not affect unsolicited commercial e-mail, the Pennsylvania Superior Court has ruled. A three-judge panel determined that a personal computer does not fall under the definition of "telephone facsimile machine" contained in the Federal Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 and, therefore, declined to award damages to an e-mail user who received six unsolicited advertisements from one company.
Lawmaker Introducing Federal Bill to Regulate Some E-mail
A powerful U.S. lawmaker plans to introduce an anti-spam bill this week that is expected to move quickly through Congress but may fall short of what consumer advocates say is needed to stop the plague of unwanted e-mail. E-mail marketers who lie about their identities or use other deceptive tactics could face fines and up to two years in prison under a bill drafted by Louisiana Republican Rep. Billy Tauzin, the powerful chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee.
Man Pays $100,000 to Settle Online Investment Charges
A 20-year-old Kentucky man agreed to pay more than $100,000 to settle charges that he used the Internet to promote fictitious investments that promised double-digit returns, regulators said. K.C. Smith was accused of raising about $102,000 from 29 people between May 2000 and February 2003, using the money to pay for personal expenses instead of investing it, the Securities and Exchange Commission said in a lawsuit filed in federal court in Tennessee.
RIAA Apologizes to University for Incorrect Copyright Notice
The Recording Industry Association of America apologized to Penn State University for sending an incorrect legal notice of alleged Internet copyright violations. The notice and subsequent apology appears to mark the first time that a faulty notification has been made public.
Programmers Find Way to Stream Music from Apple's Service
Apple Computer's iTunes software contains features that allow Mac users to stream music to each other over a network. The songs are not downloaded permanently but do allow computer users to listen to any song on another network-connected Macintosh's hard drive.
"Fizzer" Computer Virus Infects File-Sharing Networks
A new computer virus, the "Fizzer" worm, spread rapidly across the Internet, infecting computer users in Asia, Europe and the United States, anti-virus officials said. Businesses in Asia were the first to report the attack.
Privacy Lawsuit Over Web Traffic Analysis Collection Proceeds
In a ruling that marks a victory for privacy proponents, a federal appeals panel is allowing a group of Web surfers to sue a company that gathered certain data about them without their consent. The decision, handed down by the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals, clears the way for some pharmaceutical Web site users to pursue a class-action case against the operators of Boston-based Pharmatrak.
Blind Federation Awards Seals of Approvals to Websites
The National Federation of the Blind introduced an online seal of approval, hoping to prod more Web sites to extend a helping hand to visitors who can't see what's on the computer screen. The 50,000-member federation, which bills itself as the largest U.S. organization representing blind people, awarded its initial certificates to the online arms of Wells Fargo Bank, Hewlett Packard Co. and the Social Security Administration.
U.S. Warns Sites, Spammers Against SARS Promises
Two federal agencies are targeting sites and spammers that promote SARS cures and prevention products, saying they must remove the misleading information or risk penalties. The Federal Trade Commission and the Food and Drug Administration are warning that people who hawk products related to SARS (severe acute respiratory syndrome) could be subject to fines because their claims are not backed up by scientific evidence.
Man Pleads Guilty to Defrauding 26 Victims on eBay
A man who sold high-end computers, laptops and other equipment on eBay Inc.'s online auction site pleaded no contest to allegations of fraud totaling $453,000. Chris Chong Kim, 28, of Los Angeles entered the plea to one count of grand theft and agreed to a waiver that will allow the court to consider restitution for victims.
Iran Orders 15,000 Critical Websites Blocked, Reports Say
Iran has ordered new restrictions on the Internet, requiring service providers to block a number of critical news and immoral sites in the latest stage of a long-running crackdown on independent media. Newspapers said a list some 15,000 sites to be blocked had been issued.
Bill Would Allow S. Koreans to Visit N. Korean Websites
A bipartisan group of 114 lawmakers submitted a bill that would make it legal for South Koreans to visit North Korean Internet sites. Now South Koreans must get permission from the Unification Ministry before accessing the North's sites.
Apple's New Music Service a Popular Alternative to Piracy
At 99 cents a download with virtually no restrictions on how and where the songs can be played, Apple's service for Macintosh users is proving to be the most promising alternative yet to free, pirated music. "If it weren't for Steve Jobs' persistence, I don't think this would have happened," said Hilary Rosen, chief executive of the Recording Industry Association of America and its most vocal piracy fighter.
Drop in Domain Name Prices Indicates "End of Bubble"
Nowadays, not even the greediest of domain-name resellers expects to find a buyer willing to fork over the six- and seven-figure sums once paid for Web addresses like drugs.com or business.com. Although a few domains still manage to fetch thousands or tens of thousands of dollars, resellers acknowledge that prices have mellowed out since the peaks of the dot-com frenzy.
California Senate Approves Change to Internet Sales Tax
The California Senate voted to make more online retailers collect sales taxes from California buyers, a move to bring $13.8 million more into the state's battered treasury next year and raise $6.2 million more for local governments. The bill, which passed 23-15, names no specific online sellers, but targets the Internet's second-largest bookseller, Barnesandnoble.com, and Dell Computer Corp.
Amazon's CFO Says Collection of Sales Taxes Online "Inevitable"
Amazon.com's chief financial officer said he believes collecting sales taxes for Internet purchases is "inevitable," although the company later said it doubts that could happen anytime soon. At the Ragen MacKenzie investment conference in Seattle, Amazon CFO Tom Szkutak said collecting sales and use taxes on behalf of states, municipalities and other taxing jurisdictions is "inevitable and it's certainly something we support doing" -- provided that the process is drastically simplified.
FTC Sues to Stop Websites Involved in Do-Not-Call Claims
The Federal Trade Commission is suing an Internet operation that allegedly fleeced consumers by using the agency's own national do-not-call registry as bait. The FTC said that it asked a federal judge to prevent two Web sites -- Free-Do-Not-Call-List.org and National-Do-Not-Call-List.us -- from making deceptive claims that they can pre-register consumers for the FTC's do-not-call list.
Ballmer Expects "Workable" Solution to EU Antitrust Probe
Microsoft chief executive Steve Ballmer expressed certainty that an investigation by the European Commission into possible anti-competitive practices would come up with a "workable" solution. "The European Commission... is not out to punish anybody, it is out to ensure that the citizens and the competitors doing business in Europe have an appropriate chance to flourish," he said.
Appeals Court Hears Arguments Over Cable Internet Service
A panel of federal judges grilled regulators over the Federal Communications Commission's year-old decision to insulate high-speed cable Internet service from extensive regulation, a policy being challenged by industry rivals and public interest groups. FCC lawyers and representatives for Verizon Communications Inc., EarthLink Inc. and public groups squared off in a federal appeals court to present final arguments over a case that could determine whether broadband cable providers will have to open up their high-speed Internet pipelines to rivals.
FTC Could Probe Microsoft's Security Lapse with Passport
Microsoft faces a possible investigation and significant fines for a security lapse that could have exposed the personal information of millions of consumers. The software giant was scrambling to determine the impact of a flaw in the password reset feature of its Passport identity service.
FCC Forum Focuses on Changes to Internet Funding Program
A $2.25 billion program that helps connect schools and libraries to the Internet needs stricter enforcement and simpler rules to prevent fraud and waste, educators and communications industry officials told regulators. Lawmakers and Federal Communications Commission investigators have warned there is not enough oversight of the "e-rate" program, which is part of a government effort to underwrite communications services for rural areas and the poor.
EarthLink Sued for Patent Infringement Over Anti-Spam Service
In a case of antispammers against antispammers, Mailblocks filed a lawsuit against EarthLink, saying that the Internet service provider's new junk-removal system violates its own patented technology. Mailblocks, which was started by WebTV co-founder Phil Goldman, sells technology that helps Web surfers ward off spam by challenging messages from unknown or automated senders, a system known as "challenge/reponse."
Judge Awards EarthLink $16.4 Million, Injunction Against Spammer
A federal judge awarded the Internet service provider EarthLink damages of $16.4 million and a permanent injunction against a Buffalo, N.Y.-based sender of junk e-mail. Howard Carmack, identified as the leader of a ring that used EarthLink services to send some 825 million pieces of unsolicited "spam" e-mail in the past year, is banned from sending spam -- or helping others send it.
Microsoft Plans New Anti-Spam Features for MSN, Hotmail
Microsoft plans to unveil new antispam tools for its MSN and Hotmail services, noting that it now blocks 2.4 billion e-mail messages targeting subscriber in-boxes every day. Microsoft said MSN 8 and Hotmail subscribers this week can elect to turn off images within e-mails, a feature that the company said would help cut down on spam.
Anti-Spam Group Establishes Legal Defense Fund
An antispam group has established a legal defense fund that aims to give scrappy junk mail-fighters -- with sometimes controversial tactics -- a fighting chance in court against well-heeled marketers. SpamCon Foundation, a San Francisco-based nonprofit, said its first cause is to support Spews.com, the oft-criticized and mysterious blacklist that's the defendant in the lawsuit EMarketersAmerica v. Spews.org, et al.
Music Swappers Buy More Music Online, Survey Says
Offering some insight to the recording industry as it struggles to boost sales online, a survey found that Web surfers who download music from song-swap sites are more likely to buy music online, as well as offline at retailers. The research put rap music as the No. 1 genre purchased by online fans, which may help record companies gain a better understanding of who their online customers are.
Message Boards Vow Support for Students Sued by Music Industry
The four university students nabbed by the Recording Industry Association of America for copyright infringement owe thousands of dollars to the music group following a recent settlement. Pledges of support have lit up message boards, but how much help they actually will receive remains to be seen.
Lawsuit Accuses Best Buy, Microsoft of Scam Promotion
A Los Angeles man has filed a proposed class action lawsuit against Best Buy Inc. and Microsoft Corp., accusing them of scamming customers by charging them for online services without their knowledge. The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, claims the alleged scam stemmed from a promotion in which customers at Best Buy, who paid for purchases with credit or debit cards, were given free compact discs that allowed them to try Microsoft's online service, MSN.
Townshend "Formally Cautioned" for Accessing Child Abuse Site
British rock star Pete Townshend, legendary guitarist of The Who, was "formally cautioned" for accessing a Web site containing images of child abuse, police said. Police informed Townshend at noon, and as a routine part of the cautioning process, took fingerprints, a photograph and a DNA sample.
Internet Porn Figure Gets Patent for Pop-Up Ad Format
If you hate pop-up ads, you might blame Brian Shuster. A long-time figure in the Internet pornography world, Shuster recently received a patent for the ad format and is now looking to make some money off the sites that use it.
Ballmer Outlines Plans for Digital Rights Management
Corporate data protection and antipiracy locks are at the core of Microsoft's future and are the future of business, Microsoft Chief Executive Officer Steve Ballmer wrote in an e-mail to customers. In the latest of a periodic series of policy statements for the company's customer base, Ballmer outlined Microsoft's ambitious plans for digital rights management services, which straddle the line between the entertainment industry and ordinary corporate business.
Flaw in Microsoft's Passport Allows Password Changes
A serious security flaw in Microsoft's Passport service put users' accounts, including their personal information and credit card numbers, at risk of being hijacked. The flaw, in Passport's password recovery mechanism, allowed an attacker to change the password on any account to which the user name is known.
EarthLink to Offer Subscribers New Anti-Spam Technology
A system that backers claim will eliminate e-mail spam is about to be deployed by a major Internet service provider, giving a boost to an emerging technology that if widely adopted would change how people communicate online. Atlanta-based EarthLink Inc., the country's third-largest provider of for-pay e-mail accounts, will roll out test versions of the system for its 5 million subscribers this month.
Ex-FCC Officials Oppose Lifting Limits on AOL's IM
Two former Federal Communications Commission officials have urged the regulatory agency to think twice about AOL Time Warner Inc.'s request to lift restrictions on its ability to offer high-speed instant messaging services like video conferencing. In a petition filed with the FCC made available this week, Gerald Faulhaber and David Faber -- former FCC officials who are now professors at the University of Pennsylvania -- disagreed with AOL's reasons for lifting the restrictions the FCC place on it when it approved AOL's purchase of Time Warner.
House Subcommittee OKs Bill Against Online Gambling
A bill that a House panel approved takes a two-pronged approach toward curbing Internet gambling. It could require Internet service providers to delete hyperlinks to offshore gambling sites and would order credit cards and online payment systems such as PayPal to identify unlawful transactions that might be related to gambling.
Man Gets 30 Years in Death of Teenager He Met Online
A Connecticut judge sentenced a man to 30 years in prison in the death of a teenage girl he met on the Internet. Saul dos Reis of Greenwich was accused of arranging sex dates over the Internet with a 13-year-old suburban sixth-grader at a local shopping mall.
Hackers Attack Internet Security Systems Website
Hackers attacked the site where Internet Security Systems runs its X-Force Internet Watch program, in which ISS provides free BlackIce personal firewall software to college students and hosts a medium for students to discuss information about BlackIce and how they can protect themselves from hacker attacks.
Singapore Trade Pact Includes Anti-Copying Provision
The United States and Singapore signed a trade agreement that affirms both nations' commitment to punishing people who bypass copy-protection technologies -- such as those used in most DVDs, a small number of CDs and some computer software. According to the trade agreement, any person who "circumvents without authority any effective technological measure" or distributes a hardware device or software utility that performs a circumvention function will be violating the law.
Police Chief in South Korea Cites Rise in Online Fraud
South Korea's police chief said that cyber-crime -- notably online fraud -- was steadily increasing in the world's most wired country and that police had moved with the times by launching an in-line skating unit to patrol parks. On cyber-crime, he said figures were rising as the number of people using the Internet grew.
Judge Dismisses Libel Suit Against eBay Over User Comments
A California judge has cleared eBay Inc. in a libel suit that alleged the Web auctioneer was legally responsible for one of its seller's negative comments about a bidder, the company said. Roger Grace, an attorney who publishes seven legal newspapers in California, in January sued eBay and Hollywood memorabilia dealer Tim Neeley after Neeley posted unflattering feedback about Grace and eBay refused to remove the comments.
Microsoft Settles Montana Class-Action Antitrust Suit
Microsoft said it will pay $12.3 million in vouchers to settle a class-action suit brought by Montana consumers who claimed the company violated the state's antitrust laws. Microsoft will issue the vouchers to Montana customers who purchased its operating system, productivity suite, spreadsheet or word processing software over a four-year period ending August 2002.
Two States Ask Appeals Court to Reverse Microsoft Ruling
Two hold-out states asked a federal appeals court to overturn last year's Microsoft Corp. antitrust settlement, saying it had failed to restore competition to the software business or hold the company accountable for past misdeeds. In a 76-page brief filed with the court, the attorneys general of Massachusetts and West Virginia argued that the lower court had fumbled the case by endorsing an inadequate settlement.
Bork to Argue for Trade Groups Against Microsoft Settlement
Former Judge Robert H. Bork has decided to return to the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit for the first time in 15 years this fall to argue on behalf of two industry trade groups challenging the settlement and consent decree in the Microsoft Corp. antitrust lawsuit. While Bork has been involved in legal work for the trade groups representing rivals of Microsoft for several years, his appearance will be the first time he will take the high-profile role of making oral arguments in the case.
Some College Students Call Music Copying "Insignificant"
College students Jesse Jordan, Joseph Nievelt and Daniel Peng spent the weekend cramming for finals -- and trying to figure out how to pay $12,000 to $15,000 in fines they owe the Recording Industry Association of America. The three students, along with Aaron Sherman, who owes $17,500, are the first computer users who have been forced to pay fines for swapping unauthorized music online.
Cyber-Attacks Decline on Japanese Police Computer Systems
The number of cyber-attacks on police computer systems in Japan during the first quarter this year were down moderately from the previous three months, according to a National Police Agency report. The NPA Cyber Force, which is in charge of fighting cyber-terrorism, reported no damage to police computer networks, according to the report.
Amazon.com Seeks Patent on Preordering Used Items
Amazon.com has applied for a patent on a system to offer used material, with the bid coming not long after the e-tailer rebutted publishers who thought that its sale of used books would hurt them financially. The patent application, filed in May 2002, but made public only recently, would cover a system that allows people to preorder a used item from an unspecified seller when that item isn't yet offered by anyone else on the site.
Music Industry Exploring High-Tech Anti-Piracy Countermeasures
Some of the world's biggest record companies, facing rampant online piracy, are quietly financing the development and testing of software programs that would sabotage the computers and Internet connections of people who download pirated music, according to industry executives. The record companies are exploring options on new countermeasures, which some experts say have varying degrees of legality, to deter online theft: from attacking personal Internet connections so as to slow or halt downloads of pirated music to overwhelming the distribution networks with potentially malicious programs that masquerade as music files.
California Bill Requires ISPs to Notify Users of Subpoenas
A bill in the California state legislature would protect the anonymity of Internet users by requiring Internet service providers to send customers copies of subpoenas seeking to learn their identities. If passed, California's Internet Communications Protection Act would become the second state law requiring that consumers be alerted when an ISP is issued a subpoena to find out an anonymous Internet user's true identity.
Consumer Groups Back E-mail Standard to Fight Spam
Three consumer advocacy groups said they are backing a proposed e-mail standard that aims to help consumers and Internet service providers separate legitimate e-mail from unsolicited bulk e-mail, known as spam. The groups, the Coalition Against Unsolicited Commercial Email (CAUCE), CAUCE Canada and the SpamCon Foundation, endorsed the Trusted E-mail Open Standard (TEOS), which was proposed in April.
U.S. Journalist Seeks Help from U.N. in Australian Net Case
An American journalist who's facing trial in Australia over an article posted on a U.S.-based Web site is taking his fight to the United Nations. Bill Alpert, a reporter for Barron's, is asking the United Nations to find that Australia violated his free-speech rights by ordering him to stand trial under the defamation laws of that country after he wrote an investigative article about a prominent Australian businessman.
Advocates Debate Role of New Homeland Privacy Officer
An excellent choice or a "devilishly clever" diversionary tactic? The jury is still out over the appointment last week of Nuala O'Connor Kelly as the chief privacy officer of the Department of Homeland Security.
Lawsuit Over Rights to sex.com Domain Appealed to Supreme Court
In yet another odd twist to an even stranger case, Stephen Michael Cohen, who was convicted of stealing the Web site Sex.com and later went on the lam, is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to hear his case. Cohen is fighting to overturn several lower court judgments, which found him guilty stealing the domain name Sex.com by fraudulent means and ordered him to pay $65 million in damages.
Linux Developer Says Agreement with SCO Protects It
An agreement with SCO Group protects Linux seller SuSE from legal action stemming from SCO's accusation that Unix software was copied into Linux, SuSE said. SCO had said it had found cases in which source code underlying the proprietary Unix operating system -- the rights to which the Lindon, Utah-based company owns -- had been copied into Linux, an open-source clone of Unix.
Students Sued by Music Industry Agree to Pay RIAA
Four university students agreed to pay thousands of dollars each to settle online music piracy charges, ending the record industry's most aggressive thrust yet against individual file swappers. The settlements will see each student making payments to the RIAA totaling between $12,000 and $17,000, split into annual installments between 2003 and 2006.
University Stops Students, Staff From Using P2P Services
The RIAA's growing pressure on universities to control file-trading on their networks has caused one school to shut down access to peer-to-peer services like Kazaa and Grokster. The New Jersey Institute of Technology will no longer allow its students and staff to use P2P sites on its computer network in an effort to avoid any legal action from the music industry.
Cisco Develops Way for Police to Eavesdrop on Net Calls
Addressing a major concern of law enforcement, Cisco Systems has developed a way for police to listen in on Internet-based phone calls without detection. The world's largest maker of networking equipment is testing surveillance products in its labs and making the service available to customers on request, spokesman Jim Brady said.
Unix Source Code Copied Into Linux, SCO Official Says
Lines from Unix's source code have been copied into the heart of Linux, sometimes exactly and sometimes in a modified form designed to disguise their origin, SCO Group Chief Executive Darl McBride said. McBride's accusation cuts to the heart of the open-source movement's legal and philosophical underpinnings.
Danish Company Convicted, Fined for Sending Spam
A Danish company was convicted and fined for sending unsolicited commercial e-mail, known as spam. The Maritime and Commercial Court in Copenhagen fined Fonn Danmark $2,206 for sending 156 unsolicited commercial e-mails during 2002.
Legality, Usefulness of E-mail "Blacklists" Debated
Have some of the muscular responses to unsolicited bulk e-mail, such as blacklists that target Internet providers used by spammers, created problems of their own? Participants at a three-day spam summit convened by the Federal Trade Commission sparred over whether such blacklists are legal and whether they do more harm than good.
Apple's Music Store Proves a Hit But Raises Questions
Apple's iTunes Music Store appears to be a smash hit -- opening day downloads equaled the number of songs legally downloaded over a six-month period last year. But all is not rosy. Questions about the size of the store's catalog, its digital-rights management scheme and how to make the store available to international and Windows users dampen the fireworks a bit.
Former U.S. Cybersecurity Adviser Joining eBay
Online auction giant eBay is responding to the growing Internet fraud by calling in the nation's former cybersecurity czar. Howard Schmidt, whose resume includes almost five years as Microsoft's top security officer, will become vice president of security at San Jose, Calif.-based eBay.
Air Force Cadet Allegedly Ran Online Sex Club
Reeling from a sexual assault scandal that cost its top leaders their jobs, the United States Air Force Academy is investigating accusations that a cadet ran a group sex club from his government-issued computer, academy officials said. The unidentified male cadet, who was to graduate in three weeks, is accused of running three Web sites over the last two years that organized sex parties in the Denver and Colorado Springs area.
At FTC Forum, States Oppose Federal Spam Legislation
At the first panel of a Federal Trade Commission forum to address the growing problem of unsolicited bulk e-mail, or "spam,", Washington Attorney General Christine Gregoire (D) announced that 44 states and the District of Columbia would not support two of the U.S. Congress's most vaunted plans to cut down on the proliferating spam plague. In a letter sent to Congress, the attorneys general said that the CAN-SPAM Act and the Reduction in Distribution of Spam Act would weaken consumer protections in the 27 states that already have anti-spam laws on the books.
"Amber Alert" Law Includes Some Internet Restrictions
President Bush signed legislation that would hand out prison sentences to online pornographers who deliberately mask their Web sites behind innocuous domain names. The provision is part of a larger bill that strengthens penalties for sexual abuse or exploitation of children, provides funding for a national child-abduction alert system and bolsters prohibitions against child pornography.
EU Official Cites "Outstanding Concerns" with Microsoft
A top European competition official said that the European Commission was talking with Microsoft about its antitrust investigation and still had outstanding concerns. The Commission has been investigating Microsoft for abuse of a dominant position for nearly three years.
Congress Issues Subpoena in Probe Over Internet FundsCongress has stepped up its investigation into a fraud-ridden federal program that provides Internet access to poor schools and libraries, issuing a subpoena for documents related to allegedly mishandled funds. The House Energy and Commerce Committee ha |