Politics and Law

Apple snatches a victory in Motorola patent wars

Apple has finally scored a win in its never-ending patent battles with Motorola Mobility.

A German judge today found that the iPhone maker did not infringe on a Motorola patent related to wireless technology, according to Florian Mueller's Foss Patents legal blog.

The patent in question covers 3G/UMTS wireless communications and in tech jargon refers to a "method and system for generating a complex pseudonoise sequence for processing a code division multiple access [CDMA] signal."

Motorola had argued that any use of 3G/UMTS by Apple would violate the patent. But Judge Andreas Voss was unconvinced, finding that more

LightSquared asks FCC for stricter GPS gear standards

LightSquared, the hedge fund-backed company planning to build a nationwide wireless broadband network to compete with AT&T and Verizon Wireless, is asking the Federal Communications Commission to set stricter technical rules for GPS devices.

Today, the company, which has invested billions of dollars to build a wireless broadband network that will blanket the U.S., filed a document with the FCC asking the agency to begin a rule-making process that will enforce strict standards on GPS devices, so that these devices will not inadvertently receive signals that are coming from adjacent spectrum bands.

For more than a year, LightSquared more

Anonymous targets Oakland city officials

Oakland city officials, meet Anonymous.

In response to what it claims is a series of community-busting moves by the California city's leaders and police, such as Occupy Oakland-related arrests and crackdowns, budget cutting and school, park, and library closings unaccompanied by City Hall salary cuts, the hacktivist group today released a document containing personal data on a number of officials.

"Anonymous has been watching," the group wrote on Facebook. "Since the inception of Occupy Oakland, we have been actively monitoring your behavior and exposing the identities and sensitive information of Officers of the Oakland Police Department; as they have more

Google's response on new privacy policy ticks off congresswoman

Google apparently isn't making any friends in Congress after a hearing yesterday on the company's new privacy policy.

Called before a Congressional committee to address questions over the policy, Google officials were said to be less than "forthcoming" with their answers, according to Rep. Mary Bono Mack (R-Calif.), who heads the House subcommittee leading the investigation.

"At the end of the day, I don't think their answers to us were very forthcoming necessarily in what this really means for the safety of our families and our children," Bono Mack told reporters, according to The Hill.

Google has more

German court rejects Apple bid to ban Galaxy phone, tablet

Apple's attempt to keep Samsung from selling its Galaxy 10.1N tablet and Galaxy Nexus smartphone in the country was rejected today.

"Samsung has shown that it is more likely than not that the patent will be revoked because of a technology that was already on the market before the intellectual property had been filed for protection," said Munich Regional Court Judge Andreas Mueller, according to Bloomberg.

Apple originally took aim at Samsung's devices--particularly the Tab--for bearing resemblence to its own products. Apple won an early injunction against Samsung's tablet in the country, forcing it to go more

SOPA copyright bill draws fire

The Stop Online Piracy Act is intended to target "rogue" Web sites, but critics say it'll knock the stuffing out of legitimate sites as well.

How SOPA would affect you: FAQ

An in-depth look at the controversial Stop Online Piracy Act, backed by Hollywood and opposed by the largest Web companies and civil liberties groups.
(Posted in Privacy Inc. by Declan McCullagh)
January 18, 2012

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How Republican opposition derailed SOPA and Protect IP

SOPA and Protect IP Act have finally splintered a Democrat-Republican alliance in favor of expanding copyright law that's been in place since the 1990s.
(Posted more

FCC reforms phone subsidy program for the poor

The Federal Communications Commission voted Tuesday to bring its subsidy programs for low income families into the 21st century by offering funds for basic broadband service for financially disadvantaged Americans.

In its January open meeting Tuesday, the FCC adopted an order that will eliminate the FCC's Link Up program, which offers a one-time $30 credit for the installation of landlines or activation fee for cell phones. And it announced a new pilot program that will direct universal service funds collected for these subsidy programs to offer subsidies for basic broadband service.

The commission also pledged to root out waste, more

Is AT&T jockeying for Dish's wireless spectrum?

AT&T appears to be laying groundwork for a potential deal with Dish Network to get its hands on the satellite provider's newly acquired wireless spectrum.

Last week, AT&T flexed some muscle with the federal government in an attempt to make Dish's wireless spectrum--which it acquired last year for $2.8 billion via deals with two failed wireless companies, DBSD North America and TerreStar Networks--harder for Dish to use and easier for some other company to acquire.

Specifically, AT&T asked the FCC not to place any "restrictions on the transfer and/or leasing" on Dish'more

Supremes to Congress: Bring privacy law into 21st century

Editors' note: This is a guest column. See bios of Berin Szoka and Charlie Kennedy below.

Last week's unanimous decision of the Supreme Court in U.S. v. Jones (PDF) marks a major victory for constitutional rights.

While the justices split in their rationale, they agreed that protecting Americans' privacy in the digital age will require the Court to do a great deal more to untangle its confusing Fourth Amendment jurisprudence. That will likely take several more decisions -- and many years. Meanwhile, Congress should heed Justice Samuel Alito's call for legislation limiting government's ability to track more