Columbia Science and Technology Law Review » verizon

STLR Link Roundup – September 26, 2011

Chris Seelinger — Mon, 26 Sep 2011 04:26:10 +0000

The FCC has filed its finalized net neutrality rules, set to take effect on November 20. The rules will almost certainly face legal challenges from Verizon and MetroPCS over the extent of the FCC’s jurisdiction.
David Ignatius writes on legal uncertainty and difficult questions facing the future “rules of war” for drone strikes. The debate has gotten fresh attention over last week’s report that the Obama administration’s legal team is split on the extent of our ability to use lethal force in countries like Yemen and Somalia.
In contrast to Sprint’s approach to AT&T’s proposed acquisition of T-Mobile, Verizon’s CEO has stepped up and defended the deal as a necessary outcome – “like gravity”.
Samsung is seeking to ban iPhone 5 sales in South Korea for violating Samsung’s wireless technology related patents. The move comes on the heels of Apple’s latest success in banning Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 from Germany and an escalating international patent battle between the two tech giants.
With an eye toward stock market volatility, the troubled GroupOn IPO is back on track with a late October-early November goal for going public.
Three Boston University researchers have estimated that patent litigation by non-practicing entities, aka “patent trolls”, have cost publicly-traded defendants half a trillion dollars since 1990.

STLR Link Roundup – January 22, 2010

STLR — Fri, 22 Jan 2010 20:12:06 +0000

The latest on the STLR radar:

More on Google and China: U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton condemned countries that use cyberattacks, reports the New York Times. Meanwhile, from the Wall Street Journal, Google affirmed its commitment both to remaining in China and to ceasing censorship of its search results.

The company Legal River has released online Terms of Service and Privacy Policy Generators for entrepreneurs and small businesses to use to minimize legal costs, reports the New York Times.

Want to use web pages as evidence? Law.com describes the risks and steps to take.

From the Nieman Journalism Lab: Amazon has changed its Kindle policy to allow some publishers and authors to opt out of its digital rights management (DRM) provisions.

A federal judge in Atlanta dumped $268,000 of e-discovery costs on the losing plaintiff in a patent infringement case, reports Law.com.

Do you want to have a virtual appointment with your surgeon? The New York Times reports on the legal and ethical issues arising from the profusion of online medical advice.

Also from Law.com: Patent-holding company FotoMedia is trying to have its infringement suits against many photo-sharing sites stayed or dismissed without prejudice, so that it can re-file at a later date. This attempt came after almost all FotoMedia’s patent claims disappeared after re-examination by the USTPO. Defendants Scripps Network and Zazzle.com want to fight the case to prevent later re-filing.

From Gizmodo: Verizon cuts off service to alleged music- and movie-pirates.

STLR Link Roundup – January 1, 2010

STLR — Fri, 01 Jan 2010 18:27:50 +0000

Happy New Year! We bring you the last links from the second half of December 2009 on the first day of 2010.

Clever or illegal? How online retailer Amazon escapes paying sales tax (and saves you from it as well), from Gizmodo.

South Korea pardons former chairman of Samsung… a second time. From the Wall Street Journal.

Your text messages just got a little safer: The Times reports the Ohio Supreme Court has decided a warrant is needed to search a cell phone.

Obama picks Howard Schmidt as the Chief of Cybersecurity, from the New York Times.

A modern day Catch Me If You Can: An escaped criminal taunts police with Facebook updates, from Gizmodo. (Also see this updated link.)

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit upholds an injunction against Microsoft, requiring it to stop selling certain versions of Word. From the IT World of Canada.

Verizon defends its $350 smartphone early termination fee to the FCC. From Gizmodo.

Microsoft sued over “Bing” name for trademark infringement… by a tiny business in St. Louis. CNet’s Technically Incorrect reports.

Against all odds, Psystar claims it will be back, Gizmodo reports.

An in-the-closet lesbian mother of two sues Netflix for releasing her movie preferences, reports Wired’s Threat Level.

Google’s controversial Google Book Search program runs into more legal trouble, this time in France. From the New York Times.

STLR Link Roundup – November 27, 2009

STLR — Fri, 27 Nov 2009 21:56:57 +0000

The latest on the STLR radar:

U.S. says butt out: U.S. Senators criticize EU Commission over delay of Oracle-Sun deal. (See our deal cheat sheet here.)

Verizon stakes its claim as the nation’s most ironic network: A week after a court called its “There’s a Map For That” advertisements “sneaky,” but not misleading (catch up here), Verizon has pushed the National Advertising Division of the Council of Better Business to ask Sprint to drop its claim that it is the “most dependable 3G network.”

Not to be outdone by Verizon, AT&T, and Sprint, Canadian telcos are suing each other over false advertising too.

A boutique Texas IP firm is reaching out to owners of Xbox 360 owners whose consoles have been banned from Microsoft’s Xbox Live service with hopes of filing a class action suit against the tech giant.

News Corp’s Ruport Murdoch may make a deal to make the media conglomerate’s content exclusively searchable by Microsoft’s Bing search engine, but antitrust concerns loom.

The new Google-TiVo deal probably won’t violate your privacy, says PC World.

The “Godfather of Spam” has been sentenced to 51 months in prison.

A Kentucky man’s claim that the government has been spying on his every living moment is “patently unsubstantial,” according to the D.C. Circuit. Wired’s Threat Level reports and links the full decision, in which the court likens “the particular combination of sloth, fanaticism, inanity and technical genius alleged” to stories of “little green men.”

STLR Link Roundup – November 20, 2009

STLR — Fri, 20 Nov 2009 22:44:36 +0000

The latest on the STLR radar:

Google announces that Google Scholar will now search “full text legal opinions from U.S. federal and state district, appellate and supreme courts” as well as legal journal articles. Columbia Law School’s own Tim Wu is one of several acknowledged parties in the announcement, for his work on AltLaw.

Competition among flat-panel TV makers to produce more energy-efficient TVs is no longer just a marketing issue in California – it’s the law, reports the New York Times.

Psystar continues to be Apple’s whipping boy in the courtroom: Groklaw reports that the Northern District of California has denied Psystar’s motion for summary judgment and granted Apple’s.

Personal emails sent from work might be private after all, says the Wall Street Journal.

Verizon’s “There’s a Map For That” TV spots are “sneaky,” but not misleading, according to the Northern District of Georgia. ajc.com reports.

The WSJ law blog takes water law out of this world and asks: who owns the water just discovered on the moon?

Google has revised its settlement of its controversial book search project, as critics raise antitrust concerns and call for a legislative solution, says Law.com.

Watch the Oxford-style debate on the need for a net neutrality law hosted by Tech Debate on 17 November 2009, pitting Prof. Tim Wu (Columbia), Brad Burnham (Venture Capitalist) and Prof. Nicholas Economides (NYU) against James Assey (National Cable and Telecommunications Association), Robert Quinn (AT&T) and Prof. Christopher Yoo (UPenn).