Friday, March 25, 2005
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Gillette ruling says how to use a rival's trade mark
Trade mark owners may not prevent third parties from using their trade marks if the use is honest and is necessary to describe the purpose of a product or service, the European Court of Justice ruled last week.
Compliance concerns among IT managers
Three-quarters of IT managers are not confident that they will comply with legislative requirements and are not fully aware of the penalties of non-compliance, according to new research commissioned by Dell.
ICANN Approves .eu Domain Space
The European Union (EU) can now make a name for itself on the Internet, following this week's approval to include .eu as a country code top-level domain (ccTLD).
Opinion: SOX Compliance Made Easy Through Software
Many publicly held companies have been struggling with SOX (the Sarbanes-Oxley Act) since its enactment on July 30, 2002. In fact, some companies have chosen to either de-list as public companies (go private again) or change their listings to the Pink Sheets -- an electronic market where the companies listed do not have to comply with SOX.
File-Sharing Case Worries Indie Artists
Recording industry executive Andy Gershon sees opportunity in the online file-sharing networks that most of his rivals decry as havens for music pirates. As president of V2 Records, home to such established acts as The White Stripes and Moby, Gershon mines such Internet distribution channels for new fans and revenues.
Music pirates choose iPods over P2P
As legal music downloading takes off as never before, music pirates are shunning peer-to-peer services in favor of using iPods to swap music.
Internet Movie Download Case to Be Prosecuted
A Swedish prosecutor has charged a man with making a movie available for download from his computer, the first such case in the Nordic country as it clamps down on sharing copyrighted material over the Internet.
COMPANIES UNPREPARED FOR IM ATTACKS
A report released by SurfControl contends that a sizeablenumber of US businesses have yet to formulate or put intopractice any official guidelines for dictating how workersmay use IM on their networks. SurfControl says manybusinesses are accordingly leaving themselves vulnerable tothe emerging crop of IM-borne viruses.
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Wednesday, March 23, 2005
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Security - Hackers step up attacks on corporate networks
Two surveys indicate that hackers are stepping up their attacks on corporate computer networks, reports USA Today. Symantec reports a 332% increase in worms and viruses launched at Windows desktop computers and servers in the last half of 2004 compared with the year before.
Cybercrime - VOIP
Old scams now harness VoIPEmerging scams performed using Internet telephony are underlining the lower level of security protecting voice systems, reports CNET News. Some Internet phone services allow users to take on different telephone numbers, a feature that allows scam artists to fake the number from which they are dialling and trick the unsuspecting into handing over confidential information. While traditional phone networks operate over dedicated equipment that is difficult to penetrate, as VoIP calls travel over the Internet, they are vulnerable to the same security problems that plague e-mail and the Web. Threats include Internet worms that can render VoIP lines unusable, conversations being monitored or altered by outsiders as well as Caller ID spoofing.
Cybercrime - Another Phishing arrest
Brazilian police have arrested Valdir Paulo de Almeida, who is suspected of leading a phishing gang that stole $37m from its victims' online bank accounts, reports Vnunet. It is claimed that the gang stole from online banking customers with the aid of a Trojan sent to thousands of computers via e-mail. The head of the police department in charge of Internet fraud in Brazil's Santa Catarina state believes that the arrested man headed up one of Brazil's biggest gangs.
UK firms face growing threat from e-mail abuse
UK businesses are facing a 'spiralling threat' from inappropriate employee use of corporate e-mail systems, according to a YouGov study. The most dangerous threats include circulation of offensive material and downloading of pirated software, in addition to the loss of confidential information.
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Tuesday, March 22, 2005
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California university says 59 000 affected by hackers
Hackers attacked computer servers of a California university and may have gained access to the personal information of 59 000 people affiliated with the school, a university spokesman said today.
Website phishing up 366 percent
Washington - Viruses, spam and other computer security threats are growing at a rapid rate, much of it aimed at stealing personal or confidential information, an Internet security firm said.
Web to have 'terror watch' team
Five European governments are setting up a hi-tech team to monitor how terrorists and criminals use the net. The group will make recommendations on shutting down websites that break terrorism laws.
DrinkorDie pair convicted of software piracy
Two men accused of taking part in a massive global software piracy ring were convicted in a British High Court this week. Alex Bell, 32, of Grays, Essex, and Steven Dowd, 42, of Newton-le-Willows, Merseyside, were both found guilty of conspiracy to defraud. They will be sentenced in May, along with two other men who had pleaded guilty to similar charges.
Google France loses AdWords appeal
Google France has lost an appeal against a French court ruling after it allowed advertisers to sponsor certain terms that are protected by registered trade marks, according to reports. The search engine must now pay €75,000 in damages and costs.
RIM settles BlackBerry dispute
BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIM) announced yesterday that it will pay $450 million to settle a patent infringement suit brought against it by holding company NTP Inc. In return, RIM will receive a perpetual, fully paid-up licence for the technology.
WTO rules on EU regional trade mark policy dispute
Both sides have claimed victory in a dispute before the World Trade Organisation (WTO) over Europe’s policy of recognising regional trade marks only from non-EU countries that have trade mark protections equivalent to those found in the EU.
Ebbers convicted of $11 billion fraud
Bernard Ebbers, the former CEO of WorldCom, was found guilty yesterday of orchestrating an $11 billion accounting fraud that triggered the biggest bankruptcy in corporate history. He could spend the rest of his life behind bars.
Applicants face rejection for hacking attempts
An applicant to the business school of Duke University who tried to hack into his admission file has been rejected, school officials said Friday.
Hacker Whose E-Mail Called Police Goes to Jail
A Louisiana man who wrote malicious e-mails that caused some computers to dial the 911 emergency number was sentenced on Monday to six months in prison. A U.S. federal judge sentenced David Jeansonne, 44, to the prison term as well as six months home detention after he admitted sending e-mails to about 20 subscribers of Microsoft's (MSFT.O: Quote, Profile, Research) WebTV, a television Internet service since renamed MSN TV.
African Leaders Back Tech Tax to Help Poor Nations
African leaders voiced support Monday for a plan asking wealthy nations to tax their cities' investment in technology to buy mobile phones and computers for poor nations. The tax would feed a Digital Solidarity Fund, a United Nations-sponsored plan to use high-tech tools such as satellite telephones or the Internet to promote economic development in areas that lack even the most basic infrastructure.
Zombie PCs being sent to steal IDs
Bot nets, collections of compromised computers controlled by a single person or group, have become more pervasive and increasingly focused on identity theft and installing spyware, according to a Honeynet Project report.
3 states may legalize online gambling
Undeterred by murky federal law and emboldened by a trade ruling, at least three states are edging toward legalizing online gambling, and Great Britain is on the verge of permitting its land-based casinos to take bets online from U.S. citizens.
Apple wins iTunes cybersquatting battle
Apple Computer has won a legal dispute to force a U.K. company it accused of cybersquatting to hand over the domain ownership for the iTunes.co.uk Web address.
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Thursday, March 17, 2005
Wednesday, March 16, 2005
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Lawmakers: Hands off Web logs
Internet bloggers should enjoy traditional press freedoms and not face regulation as political groups, lawmakers and online journalists said Friday.
BT program to beat dialler scams
BT is introducing two initiatives to help beat rogue dialler scams, which can cost dial-up net users thousands.
Mobile growth 'fastest in Africa'
Mobile phone use in Africa is growing faster than anywhere else in the world, according to a report. The study, backed by the UK mobile phone giant Vodafone, said African countries with greater mobile use had seen a higher rate of economic growth.
Apple makes blogs reveal sources
Apple has won its legal fight to make three bloggers reveal who told them about unreleased products.
Blackberry maker settles dispute
Shares in Research In Motion have risen by 15% after the maker of the handheld Blackberry e-mail device said it would settle a patent infringement dispute.
Court In Netherlands Rules Against Offshore Internet Gambling
The Dutch Supreme Court has prohibited Ladbrokes from offering web-based gambling services in the Netherlands. Last year, Ladbrokes was ordered to stop offering sports bets to consumers in the Netherlands.
Microsoft Caves In To Dutch Site On Spyware Spat
Microsoft agrees to apologize and pay a Dutch portal for mistakenly flagging it as a purveyor of malicious content, the latest in a rash of problems that anti-spyware vendors have faced.
Police cuff US student keystroke logger
A Houston High School student faces a fine possible $2,000 fine or 180 days' jail after admitting rigging a keystoke logger to a teacher's PC and using it to download exams.
J.P. Morgan Settles SEC Charges Related To E-Mail Deletion
Bank Of America Hit With Lawsuit Over Electronic Transaction
A Miami businessman is suing Bank of America to recover $90,000 that he claims was stolen and diverted to a bank in Latvia after his computer was infected by a "Trojan horse" computer virus. Although consumers are routinely hit with "phishing" E-mails carrying bank logos intended to dupe them into revealing IDs and passwords, this is the first known case of a business customer of a U.S. bank claiming to have suffered a loss as a result of a hacking incident.
Blogger In Dispute With Online Newspaper Asserting Copyright Infringement In Excerpts And Links
Specific Jurisdiction In Web Site Defamation Case Hinges On Geographic Focus Of Content
Under the Ohio long-arm statute, specific jurisdiction in a Web site defamation case is not established where the statements alleged to be defamatory concern the plaintiff's activities outside the forum state. Cadle Co. v. Schlichtmann, No. 04-3145 (6th Cir. Feb. 8, 2005) (unpublished). The court concluded that the "purposeful availment" requirement for jurisdiction had not been established because the Web site content did not concern the plaintiff's forum state activities, and the Web site was neither specifically targeted at nor even directed to readers in the forum state. The court also concluded that specific jurisdiction was not established under the "Zippo sliding-scale" analysis because the site was only "semi-interactive" and there was no showing that the Web site operator interacted or exchanged information with forum state residents via the Web site.
Ninth Circuit Dismisses "Settled" Internet Jurisdiction Case As Moot
A dispute involving the legality of a software vendor's pop-up advertising was rendered moot by a settlement, depriving the court of power to hear the parties' appeal of the long-arm jurisdiction issue raised in the case. Gator.com Corp. v. L.L. Bean, Inc., No. 02-15035 (9th Cir. Feb. 15, 2005). The appeals court noted that the lower court had ruled that there was no specific or general jurisdiction in the pop-up advertiser's declaratory judgment suit against the online retailer, but following the settlement on the merits, the parties entered into a $10,000 payment provision depending on the outcome of the appeal of that issue. The appeals court ruled that the parties' "side bet" did not satisfy the Article III case or controversy requirement, noting that the online advertiser had agreed to cease using pop-up ads on the retailer's Web site, and had released the advertiser from all liability associated with the previous displays of pop-up advertising. Three judges dissented, finding that the jurisdictional issue was fully briefed and argued and the case would have given the court the opportunity to "harmonize" its decisions on personal jurisdiction. The dissent also commented that dismissing the appeal would be wasting the "scarce resources of the federal courts ... in spectacular fashion."
Screen Shots Captured From Spouse's Computer Were Illegally Intercepted Under Florida Wiretapping Law
A wife's use of a "spyware" program to surreptitiously capture computer screen shots showing her husband's online activities violated the Florida wiretapping law. O'Brien v. O'Brien, No. 5D03-3484 (Feb. 11, 2005). The court concluded that the capture of the screen shots constituted an unlawful "interception" of an electronic communication within the meaning of the Florida law, because the husband's communications were intercepted as they were transmitted. The court referred to cases interpreting similar provisions of the federal wiretapping law in ruling that the screen shots were unlawfully intercepted, and were not retrieved from post-transmission storage, and therefore were properly excluded from evidence in the parties' divorce proceedings.
Finding Of Famousness In UDRP Proceeding Is Relevant In Proceeding Under Federal Trademark Law
A finding that a trademark is "famous" worldwide in a proceeding under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) may be considered in determining the same mark's famousness in the United States under the Lanham Act. Palm Bay Imports, Inc. v. Veuve Clicquot Ponsardin Maison Fondee En 1772, No. 04-1042 (Fed. Cir. Feb. 9, 2005). The appeals court upheld a Trademark Trial and Appeal Board conclusion that the trademark VEUVE CLICQUOT for sparking wine was famous within the product category of champagne and sparkling wines. The court concluded that the Board was correct in referencing the findings of famousness in the UDRP proceedings even though they assessed famousness internationally, as they provided "a 'confirmatory context'" for the other evidence of famousness shown by the trademark owner.
Court Upholds Contract Modification Capping Damages In Web Site Development Agreement
A magistrate judge properly granted summary judgment validating a modification of a Web site development agreement that had the effect of limiting the developer's liability for damages and attorney fees. Uncle Henry's Inc. v. Plaut Consulting Co., Inc., No. 03-2402 (1st Cir. Feb. 22, 2005). The modification limited the developer's damages to no more than the contract price, foreclosed consequential damages, and limited recoverable attorney fees to 20 percent of the developer's maximum liability. The appeals court upheld the magistrate judge's conclusion that the modification document signed by the plaintiff was effective even though it was not returned to the developer, because the plaintiff's counsel communicated the plaintiff's acceptance, and the plaintiff admitted in discovery that the modified contract represented the parties' agreement.
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Tuesday, March 15, 2005
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Most customer service outsourcings will fail, says Gartner
Eighty percent of firms that outsource customer service and support contact centres with the primary goal of reducing cost will fail over the next two years because they do not properly manage the customer experience, according to Gartner.
Three software pirates plead guilty
Three software pirates, arrested in an international piracy investigation called Operation Higher Education, have pleaded guilty to charges of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement, according to the US Justice Department.
LexisNexis targeted by identity thieves
LexisNexis, the legal and business information firm, said yesterday that information held by a subsidiary on around 32,000 US citizens may have been fraudulently accessed by criminals.
Yahoo! countersued in IM patent dispute
Yahoo! has been hit with a countersuit in a dispute between the search engine and on-line gaming platform and community Xfire Inc. over alleged patent infringements relating to instant messaging.
British music industry sues next batch of file-sharers
The British Phonographic Industry was today granted an order by the High Court requiring six UK ISPs to disclose the names and addresses of 31 individuals alleged to have uploaded large numbers of music files on to peer-to-peer file-sharing networks.
Retail Ventures Says DSW Shoe Customer Data Stolen
Retail Ventures Inc., which operates DSW Shoe Warehouse, announced on Tuesday the theft of credit card and other purchase data related to customers who shopped at 103 DSW stores, mainly over the last three months. The theft, which Retail Ventures said it discovered late last week, is the latest reported instance in the last few weeks in which personal customer data was stolen or lost. Other companies to report such matters include Bank of America Corp. and ChoicePoint Inc. .
Phishers using DNS servers to lure victims?
Online thieves looking for personal data may be moving to more active measures by redirecting people from legitimate sites to malicious ones, security experts said this week.
Three convictions in Net piracy sweeps
The U.S. Department of Justice said Tuesday that three men pleaded guilty to criminal copyright infringement, as part of what attorneys called the largest multinational Net piracy investigation to date.
Amazon patent thinks pink
Gifts such as dolls should be wrapped in pink paper. Whether it is obvious or not, Amazon now holds the patent on the idea. Amazon.com has been granted a U.S. patent on "Methods and systems of assisting users in purchasing items," including the use of gift-buying habits to determine the age, gender and birthday of gift recipients, according to a filing Tuesday with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.
Australia Government to Outlaw Internet Suicides
Australia's government plans to outlaw inciting, promoting or teaching people how to commit suicide on the Internet, but Justice Minister Chris Ellison said on Tuesday the laws were not a bid to spark a euthanasia debate. Use of the Internet to organize suicide pacts has emerged as a grim new problem for Japan, where at least 54 people killed themselves in 2004 in Internet-linked group suicides. Police say the real number was probably higher.
Feds Bag Warez Convictions
The Department of Justice's (DoJ) campaign against international online piracy scored its first legal victories Tuesday with three men pleading guilty to felony charges of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright infringement. The convictions are the first in an 18-month, multi-national software piracy investigation known as Operation Higher Education.
Powell Farewell Highlights VoIP Realities
Outgoing Federal Communications Commission (FCC) Michael Powell offered sobering advice to an IT industry eager to rollout Voice over IP (define) services. "You will not be a rock star forever," Powell said during his keynote at the Voice on the Net tradeshow here today. "Be prepared for that day and identify how things can turn south in a moment."
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Monday, March 14, 2005
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Russian MP3 site escapes through copyright loophole
A Russian MP3 web site that had been accused of selling unauthorised digital copies of recorded music will not be prosecuted for copyright infringement because Russian copyright laws do not cover digital files, according to reports.
Mobile phone virus spreads by MMS
A mobile phone virus with the potential of spreading globally through MMS has been identified. According to security firm F-Secure, CommWarrior can spread by sending messages to contacts listed in the infected phone’s address book.
** – JURISDICTION FOR INTERNET LIBEL
A 52-member coalition of media companies, including CNN and The New York Times has appealed an Ontario court decision to allow a libel suit against the Washington Post to be brought in Ontario. The claimant, a former UN official, argued that his reputation was damaged in Ontario by Washington Post articles which were viewable worldwide via the Internet, even though he did not live in Ontario at the time of publication. The decision held that those who post material on the Internet must be aware of its global reach and have a duty to consider legal consequences in the jurisdiction of the subject of their articles. The media companies argue that the decision unduly restricts free speech and will have a chilling effect on free expression. See
Court forces ISPs to reveal online offenders
London - British music companies said on Friday that they had won the right to force Internet service providers to disclose the names and addresses of individuals accused of uploading large numbers of songs onto file-sharing networks.
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Sunday, March 13, 2005
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Vonage Wins Dubious Victory in Call-Blocking Case
Score one for Vonage -- maybe. On Thursday, Madison River Communication LLC entered into a consent decree with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), agreeing that it would not block voice over IP (VoIP) calls traveling over its network. In return, the FCC dropped its investigation into Madison River's conduct. But the FCC never made clear whether Madison River's alleged conduct was actually unlawful, nor did the FCC clarify what the law actually is with respect to VoIP call blocking.
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Friday, March 11, 2005
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WCape mulls metro broadband
The Western Cape is considering a metropolitan broadband area network for Cape Town and the possibility of a satellite that could be used for communications purposes. These two recommendations were made as part of the province's Micro Economic Development Strategy (MEDS) report, the first part of which has been handed to the Provincial Government of the Western Cape (PGWC).
Standard nets phishing sites
Standard Bank has shut down eight “phishing” Web sites in just four weeks. Phishing is the practice of tricking consumers into revealing their online passwords and other information by luring them to fraudulent sites that appear to be those of banks or other legitimate businesses.
Copyright law takes to the road
The Intellectual Property Action Group (IPACT) is conducting a series of training workshops with prosecutors across the country, to help fight counterfeiting and piracy in SA. The workshops follow similar training sessions with the South African Police Service last year.
Ryanair wins website ads case
Ryanair won what its opponents called a "victory for small print" yesterday in a test case for internet advertising, when a court decided that it was legal to advertise flight costs without taxes as long as that was made clear.
Fraudulent e-mail money scam targets Muslims and their organisations
Police suspect an e-mail offering R300 million to Muslims to propagate Islam may be the cover for a scam. They are investigating and warn the public, especially Muslim individuals and organisations, not to respond to it.
Internet identity thieves strike once every four minutes in
The disturbing prevalence of identity fraud is revealed in figures published today that show one in four people have either fallen victim or know of someone who has been defrauded. Experts estimate that an identity theft happens every four minutes in this country, costing approximately £1.3bn a year
Rocker Durst battles sites over sex clips
The Limp Bizkit front man, 33, is hopping mad that several Internet sites hosted footage and still images from a sex video of him and an ex-girlfriend that was reportedly stolen from the rocker's hard drive--and he's taking legal action.
Court Won't Freeze Kazaa Directors' Assets
A court refused Friday to grant a request by the Australian recording industry to force owners of the file-swapping giant Kazaa to disclose their assets pending a decision in a landmark music piracy case.
Legal reprieve for Russian MP3 site?
Moscow prosecutors have declined to press criminal charges against a popular Internet site that sells MP3s for just pennies, according to Russian news reports.
Teen convicted under Internet piracy law
An Arizona university student is believed to be the first person in the country to be convicted of a crime under state laws for illegally downloading music and movies from the Internet, prosecutors and activists say.
Man sentenced to 5½ years in ChoicePoint ID theft
A Nigerian national who used personal information from ChoicePoint and other companies to commit identity theft against thousands of people was sentenced to 5½ years in federal prison.
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Tuesday, March 08, 2005
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New Dr Who leaked onto internet
An episode of the new series of sci-fi drama Doctor Who has been leaked onto the internet.
A 45-minute episode, called Rose, has appeared three weeks before the series is expected to begin on BBC One.
Knighthood for Microsoft's Gates
The king of computer software Bill Gates has received an honorary knighthood from the Queen.
Mr Gates, 48, the world's wealthiest man, said it was "a great honour" to be recognised for his business skills and for his work on poverty reduction.
Be careful how you code
A new European directive could put software writers at risk of legal action, warns former programmer and technology analyst Bill Thompson.
Court stays $521m Microsoft fine
A US appeals court has ordered a retrial in a case which could have cost software giant Microsoft a $521m fine. The software giant had been sued by Eolas Technologies and the University of California for allegedly infringing patents with its web browser.
Hacker helps wannabe biz students
A computer hacker helped applicants break into records at some of the most prestigious U.S. business schools to see if they were accepted weeks before official offers were sent out, officials said Friday.
Draft Convergence Bill ‘better, but still flawed'
The second Draft Convergence Bill is a serious effort to rectify the mistakes of the original, but it still has some flaws that need to be ironed out, an ICT lawyer says. The latest draft, released this month, will go before the Parliamentary Communications Portfolio Committee for public hearings and commentary at a date still to be set.
Firms Taking Action Against Worker Blogs
Flight attendant Ellen Simonetti and former Google employee Mark Jen have more in common than their love of blogging: They both got fired over it. Though many companies have Internet guidelines that prohibit visiting porn sites or forwarding racist jokes, few of the policies directly cover blogs, or Web journals, particularly those written outside of work hours.
It's Degrading: VoIP Firms Urge More FCC Action
Internet telephony firms praised Thursday's action by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to fine a small telecom for blocking Voice over Internet Protocol (define) traffic, but said problems of keeping broadband networks open to all IP applications remain.
Kazaa Assets Frozen in Australia
The assets of Sharman Networks, the maker of the Kazaa peer-to-peer software, have been frozen pending the outcome of a lawsuit brought against the software-maker by the recording industry.
Mitnick: Security depends on workers' habits
Famed ex-hacker Kevin Mitnick is warning against security strategies that focus on technology. Rather, teaching your staff to say no will help keep your network secure, he says.
eBay scrambles to fix phishing bug
eBay is fighting to repair a software glitch that opens the door to phishing attacks using one of its own legitimate URLs. The online auction giant is working on a fix for the problem, and it hopes to distribute that fix among its Web pages in the next several days, a company representative said on Friday. The problem, described by the company as a "software bug," could be exploited by criminals to create an actual eBay link that redirects customers to a malicious site, the representative said.
Long-brewing T-shirt war comes to a head
T-SHIRT satirist Justin Nurse is banking on 11 Constitutional Court judges’ grasp of pop culture in his final legal battle with SABMiller this week. In papers filed before the Constitutional Court, lawyers acting for Nurse, as well as lawyers for the Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI), want to see whether the 11 judges are prepared to grapple with questions such as the legitimate use of “ideological jujitsu” and “cultural jamming” — the practice of using the weight of well-known brands to make social or political comment.
British Police Call for Center to Tackle Net Child Porn
Police called on Friday for a national center to tackle soaring Internet child pornography crime, as new figures highlighted the extent of the problem. A multi-national crackdown under the so-called Operation Ore and greater use of the Internet in general have led to an explosion in convictions for child pornography
Judge Fines Amazon.com $18,000 in Toys R Us Case
A judge has fined Amazon.com Inc. $18,000 for violating her order in a lawsuit brought by Toys R Us Inc. charging the Internet merchant with flouting its exclusivity agreement with the nation's second biggest toy retailer.
Apple 1, bloggers 0
In a case with implications for the freedom to blog, a San Jose judge tentatively ruled Thursday that Apple Computer can force three online publishers to surrender the names of confidential sources who disclosed information about the company's upcoming products.
Yellowpages.co.za upgraded
Telkom Directory Services (TDS) has upgraded its Yellow Pages online business directory, replacing the search engine with a ‘find engine' by i411. Lionel Smith, head of business development at TDS, explains: “A search engine takes you into a house [your search option], and you have to search through the rooms to find what you are looking for. So you may only find what you are looking for in the 10th room. The find engine will take you to that room at the outset.”
The great VANS self-provisioning debate
When the Independent Communications Authority of SA (Icasa) held its hearings into the issue of VANS licences, several arguments were stirred, with the monopoly that is Telkom taking a stern view of the process, while players such as Internet Solutions (IS) - which stand to gain substantially from the liberalisation - sought the most liberal interpretation.
Parody Band Forced Offline by Sony Publishers
They combine the classic melodies of the Beatles with the heavy-metal thunder of Metallica, but the rock band Beatallica certainly isn't music to Sony Corp.'s ears. Sony's publishing arm, which owns the rights to the Beatles catalog, has ordered the Milwaukee band to take down its Web site and pay unspecified damages for recording songs like "Leper Madonna" and "Got to Get You Trapped Under Ice."
Programmer sues author over role in Microsoft history
The programmer generally credited with building the basis for Microsoft's landmark computer operation system has sued an author who alleges the software was simply a "rip-off" of another man's work. Tim Paterson, who created the software later known as DOS and sold it to Microsoft, filed a defamation lawsuit Monday against Harold Evans and the publishers of his book, "They Made America."
Illegal Drug Sales Booming on Internet
Illegal drug sales on the Internet are booming as unlicensed online pharmacies selling drugs like morphine evade a patchy global effort to stop them, the United Nations narcotics watchdog said on Wednesday. In its 2004 annual report, the International Narcotics Control Board (INCB) said Internet pharmacies sell several billion doses of medicine illicitly each year and deliver them by post, making them an alternative drug-trafficking route.
Q&A: Preventing card fraud
Credit and debit card fraud rose by a fifth to £504.8m last year, figures published by the payment industry body Apacs have revealed. Here's how you can keep your cards safe and protect yourself from different types of card frauds.
Renewed warnings over 'phishing'
Bank customers are being warned again about "phishing" scam e-mails, after a recent increase in those falling victim to the internet menace. Internet security firm MessageLabs said it had stopped 215,643 "phishing" e-mails last month compared with just 279 last September.
Top ten scams targeting consumers
On Wednesday, the Office of Fair Trading is launching a campaign to raise awareness of the ways in which people are conned to try to stop this happening. To coincide with the launch, OFT has identified the top ten scams targeted at UK consumers.
One in four 'touched' by ID fraud
A quarter of UK adults have had their identity stolen or know someone who has fallen victim to ID fraud, a Which? magazine survey has suggested. Nevertheless, only one in three people said they shredded bills or used different passwords for every account.
Teen convicted of illegal Net downloads
An Arizona university student is believed to be the first person in the country to be convicted of a crime under state laws for illegally downloading music and movies from the Internet, prosecutors and activists say.
Instant message worm attacks increasing
A spate of instant message worms released over the last few days has some antivirus researchers concerned: With e-mail viruses less effective than before, virus writers, they say, are now turning their attention to the popular — and not very secure — chat tools used by millions.
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Monday, March 07, 2005
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French Court Says "Non!" To Google’s Keyword-Based Ad Program
On February 5, in Louis Vuitton Malletier (LVMH) v. Societe Google, Inc., the Paris High Court found that Google's policy of using third-party trademarks as a trigger for the publication of targeted advertisements violated the French Intellectual Property Code. In particular, the court held that Google’s keyword-based advertising infringed on LVMH’s trademarks, facilitated unfair competition, and falsely advertised potentially counterfeit products sold by unlicensed rivals. The court ordered Google to stop displaying advertisements for LVMH's rivals when users perform web searches that include terms like "Louis Vuitton" and "LV" which are trademarked by LVMH. The court also ordered US-based Google and its French subsidiary, Google France, to pay €208,000 ($267,982) in damages and court costs.
P2P Defenders Issue Warnings on Grokster Case
"Make no mistake," cautioned Michael Weiss, CEO of StreamCast. "What is at stake here is whether Hollywood gets to control the development of new technology for the sole purpose of protecting their own self interest."
Rambus lawsuit against Infineon dismissed
After several recent rulings in its favor, Rambus' quest to recover royalties from the memory chip industry was dealt a blow Tuesday with the dismissal of its patent case against Infineon Technologies on allegations of legal misconduct.
Calif's identity theft laws aren't enough, experts say
Despite pioneering legislation aimed at clamping down on rampant identity theft, California is a top target for thieves and was the only state last year believed to have more than 1 million victims.
E*Trade Launches Anti-Fraud Security Program
Online bank and brokerage E*Trade Financial Corp (ET.N: Quote, Profile, Research) on Tuesday announced a new security system that seeks to protect its customer accounts against unauthorized use. At a time when identity theft is costing both U.S. corporations and consumers substantial amounts of money, E*Trade is introducing a program that uses a digital device that provides customers with a six-digit code that changes at random every 60 seconds.
Bank of America loses a million customer records
A "small" number of backup tapes with records detailing the financial information of government employees were lost in shipment to a backup center, Bank of America said on Friday.
Dinosaur fossils sold on e-Bay
Thai police have seized hundreds of fossilised dinosaur bones and arrested a man for selling the valuable relics through the popular Internet auction Web site, e-Bay, officials say.
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Friday, March 04, 2005
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Phishers face jail under draft US bill
A draft bill introduced into the Senate yesterday seeks to impose a maximum five-year prison term and fines of up to $250,000 on fraudsters who send phishing e-mails and set up phoney web sites to defraud the public.
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Wednesday, March 02, 2005
Tuesday, March 01, 2005
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Main culprits in kids' ID theft? Family members
Shiloh Puckett is 10 years old, but this Dallas-area 4th grader already has quite a history. A credit history, that is. Shiloh has had 17 credit cards, racked up thousands of dollars on her American Express bill and been approved for a $42,000 loan.
Cell phone voicemail easily hacked
Millions of cell phone users are at risk of having someone listen to their voicemail or steal their contact phone numbers and other private information, according to a report issued this weekend by an industry consulting firm.
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