Buys Inc. Attorneys ICT Law Blog     Tuesday, April 29, 2008     US courts erode protections for online publishers | OUT-LAW.COM Two recent judgments could erode vital protections there for web publishers in the US. The rulings could undermine protections from liability for user-posted material previously enjoyed by publishers. File-sharing should not be a crime, says European Parliament | OUT-LAW.COM The European Parliament has said that copyright-infringing music and film file-sharing should not be criminalised. The Parliament has said that file-sharers should not be prosecuted as criminal offenders unless they seek to profit from the sharing. Wednesday, April 16, 2008     Microsoft proposes new ad privacy structure | OUT-LAW.COM Microsoft has proposed a five-tiered privacy plan that it believes should underpin online advertising. Australia considers email snoop powers Bosses will be able to spy on workers' emails without consent under new anti-terror laws being considered in Australia, Deputy Prime Minister Julia Gillard said on Monday. Parliament considers gambling ads Parliament has “parked” the National Gambling Amendment Bill to thrash out the question of advertising for online gambling. ISPA expects competition ruling soon The Competition Commission is about to finalise its investigation into the Internet Service Providers Association's (ISPA's) complaint that Telkom is engaging in anti-competitive behaviour. ISPA expects a ruling in June. Online privacy an issue – poll Many people are uncomfortable with Web sites customising content to people's personal profiles, according to a new survey. Hackers Still Take Advantage of Old Web Flaws Web designers making very old mistakes are letting malicious hackers hijack visitors to their sites, say experts. Many of the loopholes left in the code created for websites have been known about for almost a decade say the security researchers. Recent Breaches Indicate New Front in Data Battle Security managers often describe their efforts to protect corporate data from being compromised as a full-fledged battle of wits against cybercrooks who are continually arming themselves with innovative tools and methods of attack. And the security breaches disclosed last month by Hannaford Bros. and Okemo Mountain Resort -- along with unconfirmed reports of dozens of similar network intrusions -- suggest that a new front may have opened up in the battle. Comcast Seeks "Bill of Rights" for File-Sharing Comcast, under federal investigation for interfering with the traffic of its Internet subscribers, said it wants to develop a 'Bill of Rights and Responsibilities' for file sharing. The announcement expands on Comcast's new policy toward file-sharing: It said last month that rather than singling out such traffic and blocking some of it, the company will move toward a system that treats all types the same. Saturday, April 12, 2008     French sites fined for linking to privacy-invading content | OUT-LAW.COM Three French websites have been found guilty of invading an actor's privacy for publishing links to articles containing the offending material. The Paris Tribunal has fined the operators of all three sites. Government backs new rules for cross-border contracts | OUT-LAW.COM The UK Government is backing a proposed EU law to control which country's laws apply in cross-border contract disputes. The Regulation, called Rome I, has been revised in ways that satisfy earlier concerns, the Government said in a new consultation paper. Thursday, April 10, 2008     Creative Commons Gets $4 Million Grant; Lessig Leaves Creative Commons, the nonprofit dedicated to reforming copyright in the digital age, said it has received a $4 million grant from the William and Flora Hewlett Foundation. Meanwhile, Lawrence Lessig, the organization's founder, a Stanford law professor, and a 'free culture' advocate, is stepping down from his role as CEO of Creative Commons. Center for Democracy and Technology Walks Fine Line In the 14 years since it was founded by former ACLU and Electronic Frontier Foundation attorney Jerry Berman, the Center for Democracy and Technology has evolved into a strange bird that defends the Internet's ideals of openness, equality and anonymity by working hand in hand with the commercial interests that often seem to threaten them. Business rival makes highest ever online libel payout | OUT-LAW.COM A company and its chief executive will be paid the highest damages yet awarded for libel on the internet in the UK. Peter Walls and Gentoo will be paid £119,000 by rival firm owner John Finn. Banking customers still on hook for out-of-date software | OUT-LAW.COM The banking industry has re-affirmed a policy that makes online banking customers responsible for losses if they have out of date anti-virus or anti-phishing protection. New Banking Codes for consumers and businesses took effect on Monday. Privacy watchdog advises on how to deal with data loss | OUT-LAW.COM Leaders of organisations which lose personal data should think carefully before telling customers, employees or regulators of the incident, the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has said. New advice says that notification should have a clear purpose. Cyberattack Risks Increasing, Chertoff Says Risks from cyberattacks are increasing and the consequences are so great that the country needs a 'Manhattan Project' for network security, Michael Chertoff, secretary of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, said in a keynote at RSA 2008. 'We need a game-changer with how we deal with attacks,' he said. Internet Full of Malicious Software, Security Report Says Consumers who use search engines, online social networks, browsers and the like face a gantlet of viruses and malicious software code, according to a cybersecurity report from Symantec, issued as security experts gather here for the sprawling RSA Conference on tech security. The repercussions go beyond the loss of personal data, security experts say. Teen Avoids Charges in MySpace.com Harassment New York prosecutors decided to charge Isaiah Rodriguez, 18, of aggravated harassment and endangering the welfare of a child over a series of MySpace.com messages professing his ardent devotion to a 14-year-old girl. Four Indonesian Firms Block Access to YouTube At least four Indonesian firms providing Internet services have blocked access to the YouTube Web site for carrying a Dutch lawmaker's film that accuses the Koran of inciting violence, an information ministry official said. The move follows a government ban on broadcasts of the film by Geert Wilders, leader of the Dutch anti-immigration Freedom Party, which alternates images of the September 11, 2001 attacks and other Islamist bombings with quotations from the Koran. GigaLaw.com Daily News: Chinese Court to Hear Internet Copyright Cases A Chinese court has agreed to consider copyright-infringement cases against two China-based Internet heavyweights that offer illicit music downloading, potentially opening Chinese companies to hefty damage claims they have previously dodged. The music-industry lawsuits claim $9 million in damages against Baidu.com Inc., and $7.5 million against Sogou, the music-delivery service operated by Sohu.com Inc. Straight or gay? U.S. court says Web site can't ask - CNET News.com A roommate-finding site cannot require users to disclose their sexual orientation, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday, in the latest skirmish over whether anti-discrimination rules apply to the Web." Facebook Reportedly Near Accord Over Origin - New York Times Facebook may soon close an uncomfortable chapter in its brief history: a legal dispute over its origins. Yahoo champions cyber rights Yahoo boss Jerry Yang, whose company once allegedly helped Chinese police nab and jail cyber dissidents, is today in the forefront of a global campaign to free those languishing in prison for expressing their views online. Google's trade mark policy change, the cost to brand owners and the law | OUT-LAW.COM Companies could find themselves with significantly increased advertising costs after a policy change from Google on the use of trade marked terms to trigger search engine adverts. But experts say that brand holders might try to fight the policy in court. GigaLaw.com Daily News: University Computer System Breached Three Times A computer system at Antioch University that contained personal information on about 70,000 people was breached by an unauthorized intruder three times last year, the school said. The university said there is no conclusive evidence that any personal information was stolen, but law enforcement officials are investigating. After 15 Years, Spam Still Continues to Grow Spam continues to blight e-mail exactly 15 years after the term was first coined and almost 30 years since the first spam message was sent. More than 90% of all e-mail is spam, according to anti-spam body Spamhaus. European Union, NATO to tackle cybercrime - CNN.com Cybercrime experts from around the world will meet in Europe this week to discuss how governments should counter attacks aimed at crippling the Internet and hitting users with data loss, identity theft and fraud. Police warn public to be on lookout for scams The SA Police Service's Commercial Crimes Branch said it was ready for the 2010 Fifa World Cup, but the public still needed to be made more savvy about increasingly common new and old forms of card or internet fraud. Adult social networking sites attract young users | Technology | The Guardian Millions of children are using social networking websites intended for older users, according to a study by the media regulator, Ofcom. Adult social networking sites attract young users | Technology | The Guardian Millions of children are using social networking websites intended for older users, according to a study by the media regulator, Ofcom. US Patriot Act deters Canadians from Google service | OUT-LAW.COM A Canadian university is facing action by its staff over an email system that passes communications through the US. Staff fear that US authorities will be able to read their emails and have objected to the system. Vodacom in the clear The National Lotteries Board (NLB) will no longer take steps against cellular operator Vodacom for what the regulator considered to be an illegal lottery. Frustrated WAPA takes legal action Frustrated value-added network services (VANS) have turned to the courts to force the Independent Communications Authority of SA (ICASA) and communications minister Ivy Matsepe-Casaburri to clarify self-provisioning. Parliament considers gambling ads Parliament has “parked” the National Gambling Amendment Bill to thrash out the question of advertising for online gambling.         BUYS LINKS TERMS AND CONDITIONS BUYS INCORPORATED WEBSITE CONTACT US SUBSCRIBE TO NEWSLETTER SYNDICATE VIA RSS FEED VIEW OUR LATEST EVENTS RECENTLY SUSPENDED DOMAINS WHO GOT HACKED IN SA TODAY GUIDES INTERCEPTION ACT GUIDE TOP 5 ICT RISKS CONVERGENCE BILL GUIDE JUDGMENTS 1998 - 2005 ONLINE SERVICES ORDER PAIA MANUAL REQUEST WEBSITE AUDIT BLOG ARCHIVES April 2004 May 2004 June 2004 July 2004 August 2004 September 2004 October 2004 November 2004 December 2004 January 2005 February 2005 March 2005 April 2005 May 2005 June 2005 July 2005 August 2005 September 2005 October 2005 November 2005 December 2005 January 2006 February 2006 March 2006 April 2006 May 2006 June 2006 July 2006 August 2006 September 2006 October 2006 November 2006 December 2006 January 2007 February 2007 March 2007 April 2007 May 2007 June 2007 July 2007 August 2007 September 2007 October 2007 November 2007 December 2007 January 2008 February 2008 March 2008 April 2008 May 2008 June 2008 July 2008 August 2008 September 2008 October 2008 November 2008 December 2008 January 2009 February 2009 March 2009 May 2009 June 2009 July 2009 August 2009