So the boss wants to be friends on Facebook?
March 28th, 2008 by adminPeople that use social networks like Facebook have encountered a new problem with privacy since it opened up its doors to everyone. This article deals with people’s reluctance to give up certain aspects of their privacy to their business associates such as accepting their bosses as a friend on Facebook. People act differently on Facebook and might show a different side of themselves that might not necessarily be what they want to show to a boss. One of the examples in the articles goes as far as to hide her marriage from a coworker. This relates to class because it shows the right of privacy conflict. People will allow their personal information to be posted online and will hand over their credit card number but heaven forbid that your boss finds your profile on Facebook. It’s a rather interesting conflict of interest that doesn’t make logical sense.
http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/orl-social2308mar23,0,4717355.story
Ex-HarperCollins Publisher Settles Defamation Suit
March 28th, 2008 by adminThis article talks about how comments about ones character can create a defamation suit that can pollutes one’s character and can hurt someone’s reputation. Judith Regan was accused of making some anti-Semitic remarks that she claims are untrue. This becomes a game of he said she said but the real reason I think this relates to class is how the simplest thing like a comment falls under defamation and that something as simple as a comment can create such controversy. It also shows how reputations can be destroyed because Regan’s creditability has gone down since this occurred so application on the web would do the very same thing if some comments were put down in writing on a website or blog.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/01/26/business/media/
26books.html?st=cse&sq=defamation&scp=3
A Push to Limit the Tracking of Web Surfers’ Clicks
March 28th, 2008 by adminThis article talks about the right of privacy and how there really isn’t any privacy when it comes to consumer data on the web. Ad companies pay big money for consumer data and spending habits so that they can gear their Ad campaigns towards them. Mr. Brodsky from Albany, New York created a bill that would make the buying and selling of consumer data illegal unless the consumer gives their consent. Some companies like Microsoft are for the bill because it will also target their competition, Google, and others like AOL really don’t like the idea that their consumer information might be taken away from them. When people go on the web they don’t realize how much privacy they give up and what information is collected on them. This also refers back to the McLeod’s book where companies can “own” a human being because of all the data and the consumer profiles that they collect. The right to privacy on the web has no precedent in federal law and the bill Brodsky proposes might set an interesting precedent.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/business/media/
20adco.html?scp=2&sq=right+of+privacy&st=nyt
EBay Settles Patent Dispute Over ‘Buy It Now’ Feature
March 7th, 2008 by adminThis clearly pertains to class because it was a class example. The case showed the four factor test and how the Supreme Court thought both the lower courts applied the test improperly. The patent dispute was over the “Buy it Now” feature. MercExchange stated that eBay infringed on their patent when implementing it on their site. In 2003, MercExchange was awarded $35 million laster reduced to $25 million. The Supreme Court ruled that the district court was too restrictive and that the appeals court wasn’t restrictive enough. It took this case seven years to be resolved.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/02/29/technology/29ebay.html?_
r=1&scp=3&sq=patents&st=nyt&oref=slogin
Nokia Wins Another Patent Case Against Qualcomm
March 7th, 2008 by adminIt was brought up in class that companies make quite a bit of money on finding patent infringers and in some cases make more money on the fine from infringers than from the actual product they make. Here is a case where the company keeps trying to get another company for infringement but just can’t seem to win a case. The article mentions a patent portfolio like these companies collect the patents. Qualcomm is so determined to win an infringement case against Nokia it has brought 11 suits against them. This article shows another key point that companies can drag things out in court and if Nokia wasn’t a larger company it would have caved and paid the fine long ago and then Qualcomm would have made its money.
http://www.informationweek.com/story/showArticle.jhtml?
articleID=206901325&cid=RSSfeed_IWK_All
Online Scrabble Craze Leaves Game Sellers at Loss for Words
March 7th, 2008 by adminNew technology infringed on the old in this article Scrabulous is an online version of Scrabble has the board games created up in arms because the online version is a clear patent violation. Scrabulous has become somewhat of a phenomenon especially when an application for Facebook was created and now there are groups like “Help, I’m a Scrabulous Addict.” The interesting thing about this is that the online version seemingly breathed new life into the board game and made a younger generation aware of this game. Now granted Mattel probably doesn’t see it that way but they are considering legal action against the creators of the site. This pertains to class because for one it is a clear patent infringement because Scrabulous is copying Mattel and Mattel is bring up legal action, and this is another example where the little guy might just be muscled out by the large company for its transgression.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/02/business/02game.html?_r=1&scp=6&sq
=patent&st=nyt&oref=slogin