Internet Law

Class Action Filed Against Comcast for File-Sharing Slowdowns

A class action lawsuit filed last week against Comcast claims the cable giant misled consumers when it ran ads touting its Internet connection as the fastest and its access to content as “unfettered.” The suit, filed on behalf of Washington, D.C., consumers, claims Comcast blocks or impedes access to peer-to-peer…

Feb 28, 2008 2:57 PM CST

Comcast Hit for Sending Seat Warmers to Hearing at Harvard Law

An organizer of a federal hearing held at Harvard Law School yesterday is criticizing a cable company for using “seat warmers” that prevented some people from attending. The hearing before the Federal Communications Commission concerned charges that Comcast Corp. was blocking file-sharing by some Internet users. The company contends its…

Feb 27, 2008 6:49 PM CST

Germany’s High Court Protects Computer Privacy

Germany’s highest court has ruled that the government may not use spy software to access information on personal computers absent a warrant and exceptional reasons to do so. The ruling by Germany’s Constitutional Court holds that government surveillance of information stored or exchanged on personal computers violates a right to…

Feb 27, 2008 3:14 PM CST

Pakistan’s YouTube Censorship Caused Wider Outage

YouTube was inaccessible to Internet users in many countries for as long as two hours on Sunday after Pakistan blocked access in protest of a video clip it deemed to be blasphemous to Islam. Pakistan’s telecommunications regulator filed a complaint with the website about a clip by a Dutch lawmaker…

Feb 26, 2008 4:07 PM CST

Judge Shutters Whistle-Blower Site; Major 1st Amend. Issue

In a move that could spark a major test of the scope of the First Amendment in the Internet era, a federal judge in San Francisco has closed down a website with a mission of providing a bulletin board for the posting of leaked material. A permanent injunction (PDF posted…

Feb 19, 2008 9:22 PM CST

Judge Blasts Recording Industry’s ‘Clever Scheme’ to Join File-Sharing Defendants

A magistrate judge has targeted what she calls the recording industry’s “clever scheme” to obtain discovery against multiple defendants accused of file sharing by joining them in single lawsuits. In a recent opinion (PDF posted by Internet Law and Regulation), Judge Margaret Kravchuk suggested a hearing on Rule 11 sanctions…

Feb 1, 2008 4:33 PM CST

The End of the Net Porn Wars

Despite big talk, federal efforts against adult obscenity online have withered

Feb 1, 2008 4:01 PM CST

N.Y. Bill Would Keep Sex Offenders Off MySpace, Facebook

New York’s attorney general is teaming up with social networking website on proposed legislation that would bar registered sex offenders from sites such as MySpace and Facebook. The law, if enacted, would require sex offenders to submit their e-mail addresses and other Internet identities, such as screen names, within 10…

Jan 30, 2008 8:11 PM CST

EU Countries Can Keep File Sharer Data Private in Civil Cases

The European Union’s top court ruled today that EU countries can refuse to disclose names of Internet file sharers in civil matters. This is a blow to copyright holders fighting digital piracy, reports Reuters. The European Court of Justice ruling comes in a dispute between a Spanish music rights holders…

Jan 29, 2008 9:15 PM CST

A Meaty Dispute: Subway Sues Quiznos Over Video Contest Entries

Subway has sued competitor Quiznos over the content of homemade videos submitted in a contest and posted to a website. Quiznos’ contest rules said its sandwiches had to be depicted as superior to Subway’s, the New York Times reports. Subway contends the videos make false claims about its sandwiches, and…

Jan 29, 2008 4:23 PM CST

Judge Bars Company From Selling Personal Phone Records

A federal judge in Wyoming has ordered a company called AccuSearch Inc. to stop using pretexting to obtain and sell personal information from consumer phone records U.S. District Judge William Downes also ordered the company to give back $200,000 in profits from the sales through its website, Abika.com, IDG News…

Jan 29, 2008 1:50 PM CST

Second Life Lesson: Investing Real Money in Pretend Bank Carries Risks

The virtual online world of Second Life has shut down about a dozen of its pretend financial institutions following complaints that they failed to pay promised returns on real money. Some players of the online fantasy game had been lured to invest real money based on promises of high returns,…

Jan 23, 2008 1:39 PM CST

Partner Offers $10K Bounty for Blogger’s Identity

A Chicago lawyer who is being criticized, along with his law firm, in an anonymous Internet blog supposedly authored by a fellow attorney has offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can provide him with the identity of “Troll Tracker.” The anonymous blogger, who claims to be “just a lawyer;…

Jan 22, 2008 11:28 PM CST

MySpace, 50 AGs Agree on Rules to Make Web Safer for Kids

MySpace has teamed up with prosecutors throughout the country to develop a set of principles for Internet use by teenagers that may become an industry standard. The social networking site is popular with teens and has come under increasing fire concerning sexual predators who reportedly use MySpace as a hunting…

Jan 14, 2008 8:20 PM CST

Tort Reformers Blast Trial Lawyers’ Websites

A national tort reform group is highlighting a recent study by a medical think tank that criticizes Internet sites created by trial attorneys, contending that they are a significant source of inaccurate medical information, and they are calling for increased regulation of the websites. A newly issued report (PDF) by…

Jan 10, 2008 8:43 PM CST