Tech Law

The United States Department of Justice approved Verizon's $3.6 billion bid for additional spectrum, albeit with changes mandated by antitrust regulators to ensure the deal won't lead to diminished competition, lower-quality products or higher consumer costs. Verizon Wireless will be allowed to pay...

U.S. District Judge Lucy Koh is nothing if not persistent. Even though an earlier order for the CEOs of Apple and Samsung to speak to each other to avoid a lengthy trial did not yield anything positive, she is asking the two men to try again. With the jury set to begin deliberating over the companie...

Google is altering its algorithms to disfavor websites that are frequently accused of carrying content that violates copyright regulations. The search engine will include a new search signal in its rankings. Starting this week, its algorithms will include the number of copyright removal notices that...

Privacy in the cloud may be an illusion, given the known cybersecurity risks, not to mention the laws in the U.S. and around the world that permit government agencies relatively easy access to remote data including data stored in the cloud. Of course, businesses have relied on storing data in the cl...

The patent trial pitting Apple against Samsung is into its second week, and the accusations of patent infringement, design prototype leaks and heated examinations don't show signs of stopping. The fight's U.S. front is being played out in a San Jose, Calif., courtroom this month. Apple alleges that ...

Electronics Arts on Friday filed a lawsuit alleging that Zynga's "The Ville" infringes its copyright for "The Sims Social." EA filed the suit on behalf of the studio Maxis on the basis that Zynga copied "original and distinctive expressive elements" of "The Sims Social," according to Lucy Bradshaw, ...

As Apple and Samsung continue to fight out their patent dispute in court, Samsung has opted to publicize information that the judge refused to allow jurors to see, according to an AllThingsD report. The high-profile trial started Monday in San Jose, Calif., and will determine whether Samsung copied ...

In what promises to be a closely watched trial, Apple and Samsung headed to federal court on Monday. Apple has alleged that Samsung Electronics essentially produced illegal knockoffs of its popular iPhone and iPad products, and it is demanding $2.5 billion damages. Samsung has countered that Apple's...

eBay may expand its customer base by opening the site to online shoppers under the age of 18. The etailer is considering plans that would allow users between the ages of 13 and 17 to buy and sell eBay's offerings online. Children under the age of 13 are protected under the Children's Online Privacy ...

A new trade group called "The Internet Association" has been formed to represent the interests of large Internet companies. It will begin operating in September, with Michael Beckerman, a former adviser to the chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives' Energy and Commerce Committee, serving as i...

The European Commission and Google could be nearing an agreement after the search giant offered new concessions Tuesday to help resolve the EU's antitrust concerns. A representative from the EU did not divulge what Google proposed, but reportedly said that technical discussions would follow. The con...

Just as the erotic adventures of E.L. James fill the book shelves, the Federal Rules promulgate a different form of torture onto Americans, willingly or not. Pursuant to Congress' passage of the America Invents Act, the United States Patent & Trademark Office has been diligently formulating ne...

How much is a "bounce" worth on a tablet PC? It could be worth enough -- along with other patent disputes -- to add up to $2.5 billion. At least, that's the figure Apple came up with in its patent infringement suit against Samsung, and it all comes down to the bounce, the scrolling API, and Samsung'...

NTP, the patent-holding company that won $612.5 million in a 2006 case against RIM, announced Monday it has reached a settlement with 13 of the biggest players in the tech industry. Since NTP held eight U.S. patents relating to wireless email delivery, it battled most of the major smartphone manufac...

Patents can be one of the most lucrative pieces of intellectual property a company can own, particularly for any business in the technology sector. However, they are also one of the most costly and expensive forms of intellectual property available. For complicated patents, the application process c...