Archive for November, 2009

"Your console has been banned." For many gaming enthusiasts, perhaps nothing is more unnerving than the prospect of losing the ability to duel with friends and strangers over the Internet for hours on end. Yet earlier this month, this fear became a reality for many Xbox owners when Microsoft banned a large number of consoles from its Xbox Live service. The move effectively ... Full story

When Mininova announced last week that they would comply with a tough court order, many BitTorrent users feared that this signaled the end of big public torrent sites. In fact, in common with the earlier Grokster decision, the verdict actually lays out clearer ground rules for those running file-sharing services. Full story

Privacy and data protection regulator the Information Commissioner's Office (ICO) has published a plain English guide to data protection law. The guide is intended to help non-experts to navigate the Data Protection Act. Full story

Apple will have to rewrite its terms and conditions for the UK after action by consumer protection regulator the OFT, the Office has said. As well as specific changes it will have to redraft the terms in plain English, the OFT said. Full story

A French court has told internet auction site eBay that it cannot allow sales of luxury goods without the brand owner's permission. EBay has been fined €1.7 million for not stopping the sales of perfumes. Full story

A Norwegian consumer protection agency is preparing a legal challenge to Facebook and other social networking companies, accusing them of operating "in a legal vacuum and irrespective of norms and standards". Full story

The Government's Digital Economy Bill could be in breach of EU laws, according to an internet law expert. Professor Lilian Edwards has also warned that the Bill could make it impossible to operate a free wireless network legally. Full story

Before the Thanksgiving holiday, Microsoft held talks with News Corp. in an attempt to convince the titan of information to de-list its content from Google. The idea being, if users can only find news on Microsoft’s Bing, then that search engine will beef up its anemic market share (around ... Full story

These days tech policy issues seem to pop up everywhere. During a recent flight delay, I was flipping through the SkyMall Catalog ("Holiday 2009" edition), and found tech policy even there. There were lots of ads for surveillance and recording devices, some of them clearly useful for illegal purposes: the New Agent Cam HD Color Video Spy Camera (p. 14), ... Full story

For The London Free Press – November 30, 2009 Read this on Canoe TRAVEL: The practical reality is we have no control over these computer searches, so it’s wise to be prepared Last summer, directives were issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security for searches of computers and other electronic devices at U.S. border points. The stated goal Full story