Courts

Late last week, a federal judge reportedly granted class-action status to a lawsuit alleging that Microsoft unjustly enriched itself by promoting PCs as "Windows Vista Capable", even when they could only run the "Vista Home Basic" version of the ... operating system. As an attempt by Microsoft to maintain sales of Windows XP computers during the 2006 holiday shopping season, the "Windows Vista Capable" slogan was emblazoned on PCs after the release of Windows Vista was delayed. At a hearing held two weeks ago, Microsoft lawyers argued that because each consumer who bought a computer labeled as " ... (view more)

The Swiss bank Julius Baer ... (view more)

Two tech giants have traded lawsuits, the result of which could have serious repercussions in an increasingly competitive multi-billion dollar industry. Research in Motion (RIM) filed its lawsuit on Feb. 16, stating that rival Motorola was violating ... nine patents held by the company. Additionally, the Waterloo, Ontario-based company alleges that Motorola is breaching a 2003 agreement between the two companies by refusing to renegotiate on an extension, which expired in January 2008. The company alleges that its rival is engaging in anti-competitive conduct by attempting to charge "exorbitant ... (view more)

Rockstar Games have failed in yet another bid to get the controversial Manhunt 2 video game on British shelves. A High Court judge has ruled that the game must go back to an appeals committee for a fresh evaluation. The game was first banned in the ... United Kingdom last June when the British Board of Film Classifications (BBFC), which gives movie-style age ratings to video games, refused to give it a rating. This meant it could not legally be sold, the first such ban in 10 years. (Source: bbc.co.uk ) At the time, the BBFC's director said the game's focus on violent killings was too strong. " ... (view more)

Last month the US Federal Trade Commission approved Google's $3.1 billion takeover bid of Internet advertising giant DoubleClick. In releasing its decision, the FTC stated that the merger was "unlikely to substantially lessen competition" for online ... advertising. (Source: nytimes.com ) With that hurdle behind them, Google has now finds itself engaged in battles before the European Union over privacy concerns. Sophie In 't Veld, a Dutch Member of the European Parliament (MEP), has been fighting to have the European Commission consider the impact that a Google takeover of DoubleClick could have ... (view more)

Amazon.com's French subsidiary has recently lost a court case concerning its practice of providing free shipping on book deliveries inside France on orders worth more than 20 euros. A lower court has ruled that the company is in violation of French ... law and has ordered Amazon.fr to cease this practice . The lawsuit brought on by the French Booksellers' Union last December requires the company to pay damages amounting to 100,000 euros as well as imposing a fine of 1,000 euros per day until it has fixed its illegal practice of providing free shipping to its customers. (Source: dailytech.com ) ... (view more)

Regulators from the European Union (EU) have begun two investigations to find whether Microsoft is again constructing a tidy monopoly abroad. The first probe examines a complaint by the Norwegian firm Opera, rival Internet browser to Microsoft's ... Internet Explorer. Opera say it's illegal for Microsoft to include Internet Explorer free of charge with Windows, arguing that Microsoft should either include a range of browsers or none at all. A second investigation is currently peering into claims Microsoft didn't give other software firms enough information on how to make their programs compatible ... (view more)

Own a blog? Like your domain name? Granted, it's hard to believe anyone would really want the first and last name of the average American for a domain, but that's exactly what happened to David Airey and davidairey.com. Hackers recently fudged a ... domain transfer on Airey's behalf, and then demanded a ransom for its return. Airey is a web designer and, like many in the tech biz, takes his blog somewhat seriously. Not long ago, he decided to take a break from the stress of work, jetting with his girlfriend to India on an exotic vacation. Unfortunately for Airey, he returned to find that his blog ... (view more)

A serious flaw in the way people use Adobe's Flash software could leave tens of thousands of websites vulnerable to hackers. The problem lies in Shockwave Flash files (SWFs), which appear on websites and allow the site author to include short movies ... or animated graphics. (Source: half-serious.com ) The way the software currently works means it's possible for hackers to insert their own code into these files. For example, they could program the file to send them copies of personal information that the user types while visiting a site. At the moment, there are no patches available. The problem ... (view more)

Shortly after purchasing new cellular service from Verizon Wireless in November 2006, Lindsey Abrams of Patriot, Indiana began receiving explicit, 'adult' text messages on her phone. The unsolicited texts were delivered to her via Facebook, whose ... systems believed the number still belonged to its previous owner. Abrams was forced to shell out 10 cents for every message, and eventually became fed up and sued the social networking site. (Source: wirelessweek.com ) Ms. Abrams' lawyers had hoped to extend the allegations into a class action lawsuit claiming that thousands of unsolicited texts were ... (view more)