An activist group is trying to block a $22.5 million settlement between the FTC and Google because it doesn’t require the company to admit wrong-doing. The group is making mischief rather than raising a serious policy problem. Read more »
States want to give consumers $69 million worth of refunds to compensate them for overpriced ebooks. How much will you get? And how will this affect the publishing industry? Here’s a simple guide to what’s really going on. Read more at paidContent »
State governments, which are suing publishers and Apple for fixing e-book prices, have finally said just how much each consumer will get in a proposed $69 million settlement. We have all the details. Read more at paidContent »
The long-running copyright lawsuit over Google’s book scanning — in which the Authors Guild is seeking $750 per book — is turning into a procedural snarl as both the case and an appeal go forward at the same time. A new order confirms that the parties are due in court in December. Read more at paidContent »
While social media has been a boon to individuals and businesses, it has been a headache for the justice system. Now the courts have responded with a detailed series of jury instructions to rein in jurors’ use of services like Twitter. Read more »
The patent troll problem is spreading from the tech sector to media companies. Rather than paying off the trolls, the New York Times is holding its ground in two major patent cases. Read more at paidContent »
A patent holder who claims to own “signal abstraction” is going after companies that use basic anti-piracy techniques. The dispute has spawned dozens of lawsuits and raises questions yet again about the state of America’s patent system. Read more »
Netflix is ready to pay $9 million to resolve a class action over keeping subscriber records too long. But now dozens of people are telling a judge not to approve the deal because they get none of the money. Read more »
A jury awarded $1.05 billion to Apple after the “tech trial of the century.” The award raises questions about the patent system and innovation — but also about why a jury was allowed to decide it in the first place. Read more »
A judge ruled earlier this year that users have no privacy rights in their Twitter accounts. Twitter is challenging the rulings and today made new arguments, including that individuals have a 4th Amendment right in their Twitter account and that deleted tweets are not automatically public. Read more »
A jury ordered Samsung to pay $1.05 billion for infringing Apple’s patents. But this is just the beginning — Apple will try to bump the figure up while Samsung tries to knock it down. Here’s an easy-to-read guide to what happens next. Read more »
Samsung has suffered a massive defeat at the hands of Apple in the first major patent trial of the smartphone wars. The ruling appears to be a clear win for Apple which could help entrench the iPhone maker’s power in the marketplace. Read more »
Reports say the Apple-Samsung verdict is in. The case has large implications for the smartphone and mobile industry. We will be reporting shortly on whether the jury finds either side infringed the other’s intellectual property. Read more »
So which politicians might be buying Twitter followers? A new study dishes some details and also reveals that there is more to social media popularity than just numbers. Read more »
The Wall Street Journal is offering free Wi-Fi in more than 1300 hotspots in New York plus more in San Francisco. It’s a novel idea for a newspaper and one that could deliver the WSJ both new customers and valuable marketing data. Read more at paidContent »
Jon Miller, the well-respected chief digital officer of News Corp, is on the way out after presiding over the company’s sprawling digital properties. The move comes at a time that News Corp is splitting into distinct entertainment and publishing companies. Read more at paidContent »
Tribune Co.’s efforts to re-emerge from bankruptcy encountered a new delay after a judge ruled that creditors can appeal the approval of a settlement. The creditors object to the fact that it would end lawsuits against Tribune lenders. Read more at paidContent »
Schools like the University of Kentucky are forcing athletes to install software that monitors their social media accounts for words like “panties” or “fight.” Some states are proposing laws to put a stop this. Read more »
Aereo, a technology that uses tiny antennas to let people watch TV on the go, has already generated a flurry of lawsuits. Now the man behind Aereo is suing a copycat service for using his name. The disputes highlight disruptions to the traditional TV industry. Read more »
The jury is about to decide whether Apple and Samsung ripped off each other’s smartphones and tablets. Here’s an easy-to-read guide about how they will reach a verdict and what happens when they do. Read more »
A judge put the brakes on a legal settlement over “Sponsored Stories,” in which Facebook made users product pitchmen without their permission. The case is significant because it is the first in which a court calls out this type of settlement for giving nothing to users. Read more at paidContent »
Judge Denny Chin has allowed a coalition of scholars, librarians and digital activists to file briefs in support of Google as part of the long-running copyright controversy over the company’s book scanning. The ruling will serve to draw further attention to fair use issues. Read more at paidContent »
Concerned that Google and Oracle were paying authors and journalists to influence a highly-publicized trial, a federal judge asked them to name names. Today, the parties filed their lists – Oracle names FOSS Patents blogger Florian Mueller and Google names no one. Read more at paidContent »
Game-maker Zynga is on the ropes and some think online gambling will give it a means to survive. But given that it’s late to the game and the messy laws governing American gambling, Zynga may have to fold its cards instead. Read more »
A judge added more grist to the ongoing controversy over the state of America’s patent system. The judge — who sits on the country’s top patent court — complained about the cost and consequences of obvious patents. Read more »
Insiders can now sell Facebook stock and the reaction so far hasn’t been pretty. Here’s a quick look at what the financial press is saying. Read more »
What is Twitter’s company identity? One clue may be found in a series of slogans it is posting on office walls and inscribing on employee laptops. Read more »
Federal investigators viewed the Facebook profile of an alleged gangster in the Bronx by asking his informant “friend” to show it to them. A judge ruled this was not unconstitutional because Facebook users can’t control what other people do with the information they post. Read more »
Internet users who encounter a Terms of Service typically “Agree” to a lengthy legal contract that contains who knows what. A new service provides report cards and plain English descriptions of these ToS. Read more »
The New York Times finally has a new CEO. Mark Thompson comes from the BBC and the Times is hoping that his deep background in multi-media will help it complete its transition to a primarily-digital company. Read more at paidContent »
Google can appeal an order that let the Authors Guild go forward with a class action lawsuit over book scanning. This means current proceedings will be on hold until a higher court either dismisses the case or offers guidance on what should happen next. Read more at paidContent »
Intellectual property is about assigning ownership of brands and ideas. Here are some highlights from a gathering of leading thinkers in the field — in an easy to skim format. Read more »
Broadcasters are in a pitched fight with Aereo over whether the TV-streaming service violates copyright. Now, Fox is suing an Aereo copycat called BarryDriller.com. The cases will help define the laws for how we watch TV in coming years. Read more »
The CEO of Intellectual Ventures says his company’s philanthropy means he is doing more good for the world than GigaOM. The claim fails to account for the harm to innovation he is causing through ruinous patent suits. Read more »
Companies have been scrambling to throw down billions of dollars to buy up patent portfolios. One expert warns the purchases reflect a market distortion while the impending Kodak sale suggests a bubble might be bursting. Read more »
Craigslist is no longer asking users for an exclusive rights in their classified ads but it has hardly backed off on an unpopular campaign to shut down popular rivals like PadMapper. Read more »
Recent reports say Google could be on the hook for billions if it loses a long-running copyright case with the Authors Guild. A closer look at the claims, however, show that only a fraction of authors would be eligible to collect. Read more at paidContent »
Federal regulators confirmed a record-breaking fine related to Google’s use of advertising cookies to trick browsers and overcome default privacy settings. Read more »
The company that has done incalculable harm to America’s technology sector with a ruinous patent litigation campaign is now hoping to hire a global do-gooder. Candidates should think twice about taking the job. Read more »
Should journalists have to disclose when they take money from companies to “report” on issues? As this type of fake journalism becomes more common, one judge appears to have had enough. Read more at paidContent »
