Internet Law

Student Warned Defendant School Dist. in ‘08 of Potential Webcam Privacy Peril

In 2008, as a suburban Philadelphia school district was beginning a noble experiment intended to guarantee that every student had access to a state-of-the-art computer, a high school student saw a potential problem. Lower Merion School District would have the ability to monitor students remotely, via the laptops’ webcams, and…

May 3, 2010 11:30 PM CDT

Know Your Facebook Friends: Fake-Account Fraud Is on the Rise

Most people probably know better than to send money or provide sensitive personal information to strangers via the Internet. But a Facebook friend may be a different story. That is the reason why hackers create fake accounts for nonexistent individuals or phish for data that lets them steal actual Facebook…

May 3, 2010 8:31 PM CDT

Report: O’Melveny Lawyer Sparked Probe of iPhone Prototype Loss by Reporting It Stolen

An aggressive law enforcement probe of an Apple iPhone prototype that reportedly was forgotten by a company employee at a California bar was sparked by a complaint from an O’Melveny & Myers attorney that it had been stolen. “They said there was a belief that this had been stolen and…

Apr 29, 2010 11:25 PM CDT

Costco Copyright Case Pending Before Supreme Court Has Internet Impact

At first glance, the copyright battle between Costco Wholesale Corp. and Swiss watchmaker Omega doesn’t involve any digital-age issues. The U.S. Supreme Court granted cert in the case last week. At issue is whether copyright owners can assert rights over imported goods that are manufactured abroad and sold through overseas…

Apr 28, 2010 10:30 AM CDT

After Gizmodo Posts iPhone Pix, Cops Seize Editor’s Home Computers

Updated: An editor for a gadgets site that posted photographs of a lost iPhone prototype last week returned to his home in Fremont, Calif., on Friday night to find authorities searching it. Deputies from the San Mateo County Sheriff’s office also searched Gizmodo editor Jason Chen before seizing multiple computers…

Apr 26, 2010 10:17 PM CDT

DOJ Adds 15 New Prosecutor Jobs to Computer Hacking Team

Strengthening its ability to pursue computer crimes, the U.S. Department of Justice has added 15 new prosecutor positions to its Computer Hacking and Intellectual Property program. The positions will be in offices throughout the country, reports the Blog of Legal Times. “Intellectual property law enforcement is central to protecting our…

Apr 26, 2010 7:20 PM CDT

Did Gizmodo’s Purchase of Lost iPhone Prototype Violate the Law?

When an individual who apparently found an iPhone prototype left at a California bar by an Apple engineer shopped it for sale, the Gizmodo gadget site reportedly purchased it for $5,000 and proudly posted photos on the Internet. But now authorities are investigating to determine whether the purchase could have…

Apr 24, 2010 12:12 AM CDT

Security Glitch Results in Posting of Blippy User Credit Card Numbers Online

Updated: A quirky social website that allows users to share information about when and where they make purchases is getting some unwanted attention after it was revealed Friday that user credit card numbers are appearing online. VentureBeat first noticed the glitch and reported that credit card numbers appeared in some…

Apr 23, 2010 5:34 PM CDT

Blogger Not a Journalist in Porn Defamation Suit, NJ Appeals Court Rules

In a decision that is expected to help shape the definition of journalist, a New Jersey appellate court ruled Thursday that a blogger who wrote comments online about a software company that supports online pornography sites is not a journalist covered by the state’s shield law. The court likened Shellee…

Apr 23, 2010 11:29 AM CDT

Judge Linked to ‘Lawmiss’ Web Comments Removed from Case

Updated: An Ohio judge who has refused to step down from a serial murder case after a local newspaper reported that she may have posted anonymous Internet comments about the defendant and his lawyer told the state’s top court that she did nothing wrong and should not be forced to…

Apr 22, 2010 9:32 PM CDT

‘Trial From Hell’: Prosecutor Posts on Facebook; Jurors Text; Bailiff Chats in Deliberations

A recent trial in a Florida felony gun case sounds like a fact pattern out of a law school exam problem: Jurors admittedly were texting and making cell calls during deliberations. A bailiff chatted with members of the deliberating panel during a smoke break, according to St. Lucie County Sheriff’s…

Apr 22, 2010 6:49 PM CDT

School District Snapped 56,000 Images on Student Webcams

An upscale suburban Philadelphia school district accused of secretly snapping photos of high school students at home via webcams on their district-issued laptop computers has completed an investigation. And it apparently supports at least some of the claims made in a federal lawsuit filed by the parents of one sophomore.…

Apr 20, 2010 5:57 PM CDT

Accused of Being ‘Self-Aggrandizing Media Hound,’ Casey Anthony Judge Steps Down

A Florida judge who has overseen the high-profile Casey Anthony murder case for almost two years has agreed to step down in response to a recusal motion filed late Friday that accused him of being too friendly with a blogger with a pro-prosecution bias. In response, Orange Circuit Judge Stan…

Apr 19, 2010 10:36 PM CDT

Filing: School District Took Thousands of Pics of Students at Home Via Laptop Webcams

When news broke in February that an upscale suburban Philadelphia school district had been accused of spying on students at home via remotely activated webcams on their district-issued laptop computers, officials said the webcams were only activated if a computer had been reported missing or stolen. But that wasn’t true,…

Apr 19, 2010 7:57 PM CDT

Confused About Fair Use? A Prof & a Lawyer Discuss Best Practices for Bloggers

Seasoned bloggers are generally familiar with the parameters of copyright law. But anyone can start a blog, and even for those who have been active on the Internet for years what is and isn’t permissible fair use is sometimes unclear. The law itself can be confusing, especially when it is…

Apr 16, 2010 5:21 PM CDT