http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/05/technology/companies/05apple.html?_r=1
I found this article from the New York Times to be really interesting. I don't need to explain to anyone that has any knowledge of the internet or business in general that Google and Apple are two of the biggest companies in our country. Needless to say, Google has a near monopoly on internet searches and advertising, while Apple has a near monopoly on online music downloads and mp3 players. It's a scary thought to think what the two of them could accomplish if they were to join forces, publicly or secretly.
Being an internet search engine, well a monopoly internet search engine really, you are open to being scrutinized for possible antitrust issues. Especially when you give some companies priority of where they come up in the search results, which is where this case is stemming from.
Google has close ties with the Obama administration and part of this article points out how regulators don't expect that to have anything to do with this case. I certainly hope so. A Google-Apple-Obama team would be pretty hard to stop.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
DVD backup software in court
A new DVD backup software went into court shortly after releasing its product into the market. The product in question is Real Networks' "RealDVD" product. RealDVD allows you to make backups of your DVDs to put onto your hard drive.
The film companies argument is simply that all RealDVD really is, is a product that makes pirating movies online that much easier. Although I take RealDVD's side of this case that people have a right to make backups of their DVDs, the film companies are totally correct that the majority of people that buy this product will be buying it for the wrong reasons. They will release the movies out onto the internet for the most part.
While I do see both sides of this coin, I don't think Real Networks can be convicted of copyright infringement in this case. I really think sooner or later, something will be done to not make it so easy to pirate movies online, but it's not going to start with this case.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042403168.html
The film companies argument is simply that all RealDVD really is, is a product that makes pirating movies online that much easier. Although I take RealDVD's side of this case that people have a right to make backups of their DVDs, the film companies are totally correct that the majority of people that buy this product will be buying it for the wrong reasons. They will release the movies out onto the internet for the most part.
While I do see both sides of this coin, I don't think Real Networks can be convicted of copyright infringement in this case. I really think sooner or later, something will be done to not make it so easy to pirate movies online, but it's not going to start with this case.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/24/AR2009042403168.html
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
Is Turnitin copyright infringement?
With the growing problem of plagiarism in today's internet savvy society, professors and teachers around the country are looking for a way to put a stop to it. The invention of TurnItIn takes students papers and puts it in a huge database where it compares the papers to each other to look for anything that is too closely resembling another. Along with this, it searches online articles to make sure nothing is taken word for word from it.
Students have recently filed a copyright violation suit against TurnItIn saying that it is copyright infringement. The students say that since their paper has to be sent to a third party, this violates copyright. The way it works, if another student's paper is very similar to a previous paper turned in to TurnItIn, then TurnItIn sends that professor the other student's paper so they can make their own judgement.
I definitely understand the need for a way to protect against plagiarism which is undoubtedly a huge problem in schools today, however I don't think this is a fair way to go about it. These particular students lost this suit, however, I would not be surprised to see it come back up again because I think the students had a strong case of copyright infringement.
http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=3722
Students have recently filed a copyright violation suit against TurnItIn saying that it is copyright infringement. The students say that since their paper has to be sent to a third party, this violates copyright. The way it works, if another student's paper is very similar to a previous paper turned in to TurnItIn, then TurnItIn sends that professor the other student's paper so they can make their own judgement.
I definitely understand the need for a way to protect against plagiarism which is undoubtedly a huge problem in schools today, however I don't think this is a fair way to go about it. These particular students lost this suit, however, I would not be surprised to see it come back up again because I think the students had a strong case of copyright infringement.
http://chronicle.com/wiredcampus/index.php?id=3722
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
ISPs to record emails and calls
http://www.guardian.co.uk/technology/2009/apr/06/internet-data-storage
Some ISPs are going to start recording all e-mails and calls over the next 12 months because of a law that went into place on April 6th. This is water that I have already treaded in my blogs but it is worth continuing to talk about as privacy is a very important issue to me when talking about the internet especially. For example, I had no idea that this law even existed until I read this article. AND the only reason I read this article was because I have to maintain this blog for my Law class. This really disturbs me because this is the kind of thing I am interested in and I relatively keep up on news and I have not heard about this.
The point that I'm getting at is I understand that sometimes things like this need to be done, and I am someone who can see both sides of the Patriot Act which was highly controversial, but I would like to be made aware when things like this are going into effect.
Some ISPs are going to start recording all e-mails and calls over the next 12 months because of a law that went into place on April 6th. This is water that I have already treaded in my blogs but it is worth continuing to talk about as privacy is a very important issue to me when talking about the internet especially. For example, I had no idea that this law even existed until I read this article. AND the only reason I read this article was because I have to maintain this blog for my Law class. This really disturbs me because this is the kind of thing I am interested in and I relatively keep up on news and I have not heard about this.
The point that I'm getting at is I understand that sometimes things like this need to be done, and I am someone who can see both sides of the Patriot Act which was highly controversial, but I would like to be made aware when things like this are going into effect.
Copyright Violation Issue
Currently, the AP and the newspaper industry are planning on working together to fight against copyright violation. Copyright issues have obviously taken on a whole new persona in the internet age. It's hard to distinguish, and in fact, in many cases, it hasn't been distinguished what is copyright infringement and what isn't.
This article says that this is in part because of the tough economic times as the newspaper industry is obviously struggling very much. The AP and the newspaper industry are now working together to bring in some hefty fines to bloggers around the world. So I would say, bloggers beware in the near future. The AP is not someone I would want to tackle in court.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_12083563?nclick_check=1
This article says that this is in part because of the tough economic times as the newspaper industry is obviously struggling very much. The AP and the newspaper industry are now working together to bring in some hefty fines to bloggers around the world. So I would say, bloggers beware in the near future. The AP is not someone I would want to tackle in court.
http://www.siliconvalley.com/news/ci_12083563?nclick_check=1
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Internet Predators a Growing Problem
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/03/23/AR2009032300798.html
Internet predators have been a growing problem over the last decade. The problem that government agencies are facing now is that these predators are becoming more careful now that they know people are out there undercover, looking for them.
Some think that there should be more government agents put on these task forces that go undercover and arrest predators, but naturally this comes with a downside of less people being available for other jobs.
There seems to be a continuing theme that I am encountering in writing these blogs where criminals are using technology to do bad things and the government is always a step or a few steps behind in trying to find a way to control it. Hopefully there is an end to this chase soon where predators will stop preying on children instead of finding other ways to do it.
Internet predators have been a growing problem over the last decade. The problem that government agencies are facing now is that these predators are becoming more careful now that they know people are out there undercover, looking for them.
Some think that there should be more government agents put on these task forces that go undercover and arrest predators, but naturally this comes with a downside of less people being available for other jobs.
There seems to be a continuing theme that I am encountering in writing these blogs where criminals are using technology to do bad things and the government is always a step or a few steps behind in trying to find a way to control it. Hopefully there is an end to this chase soon where predators will stop preying on children instead of finding other ways to do it.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Australian Police = Hackers?
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1009_3-10191514-83.html
The Australian police are trying to get a piece of legislation passed that will give them the right to hack into people's computers for up to 28 days with a search warrant. This is something that they feel will put them on an equal ground with the criminals out there in this ever changing world of technology that we live in.
This is something that is almost becoming necessary due to the scary world we live in; but at the same time it's scary that the government would have the ability to do this. Granted they will need a search warrant to hack into your computer to see everything you do, but it's almost like it's a slippery slope once you start there.
I hope for the people of Australia's sake and for the people of the world's sake that this will be done on a very honorable basis and this power will not be abused.
The Australian police are trying to get a piece of legislation passed that will give them the right to hack into people's computers for up to 28 days with a search warrant. This is something that they feel will put them on an equal ground with the criminals out there in this ever changing world of technology that we live in.
This is something that is almost becoming necessary due to the scary world we live in; but at the same time it's scary that the government would have the ability to do this. Granted they will need a search warrant to hack into your computer to see everything you do, but it's almost like it's a slippery slope once you start there.
I hope for the people of Australia's sake and for the people of the world's sake that this will be done on a very honorable basis and this power will not be abused.
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