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DRM and Legal Issues Topic Center

Stay up to date on digital rights management and other intellectual property issues, including DRM news, opinions, in-depth analysis and more

LightSquared's bankruptcy is a cautionary tale

After more than a year of active testing and debate over LightSquared's plan for a nationwide, wholesale 4G network, the now bankrupt company may end up as no more than a cautionary tale for mobile investors.
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EU to 'remain vigilant' on Microsoft's browser commitments

Regulators in Europe said Tuesday they will watch closely to make sure Microsoft complies with its commitments to ensure competition in the browser market, after Mozilla complained its Firefox browser is being excluded from Windows RT.

Mac clone maker Psystar saga ends as Supreme Court denies appeal

The four-year-old saga of Psystar, a Florida Mac clone maker that was crushed by Apple, ended Monday when the U.S. Supreme Court refused to hear its appeal of a lower court decision.

Microsoft: Win8 simplifies, improves parental monitoring

Microsoft has designed Windows 8 to make parental monitoring and control of children's computer activities simpler and more effective, the company said on Monday.

New coalition opposes Verizon and cable spectrum deals

A proposed sale of mobile spectrum from a group of cable providers to Verizon Wireless, along with accompanying marketing and research agreements, will lead to higher prices for broadband and mobile customers, a coalition of groups opposing the deal said Monday.

EU-Microsoft browser deal requires ballot screen in Windows 8

Microsoft declined to comment when asked whether it believed it's required to offer a ballot screen in Windows 8 to European users for selecting rival browsers in the new operating system's desktop mode.

FTC shuts down website marketing business

A federal court in Arizona has shut down the operations of a company that allegedly promised it would build its customers websites that would generate income of up to $20,000 per month, after the U.S. Federal Trade Commission filed a complaint about its business practices.

Senate to look at Mozilla's browser competition allegations

The U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee plans to look into accusations by Mozilla that Microsoft is restricting access to important programming tools for browsers that will run in Windows RT.

Facebook proposes more changes to privacy policy

Facebook said on Friday that it intends to make further changes to its privacy policy in order to respond to an audit by the Irish government, but privacy advocates saw the move as an inadequate attempt to quell privacy concerns prior to Facebook's planned initial public offering.

Infringement case suspended; Samsung tests Apple's 'pinch-to-zoom' claim

Samsung Electronics may challenge the validity of Apple's intellectual property claims before the Regional Court in Mannheim, Germany, rules on whether the company has infringed them, the court said on Friday. It is the second time in two weeks that the Mannheim court has decided to wait for a validity verdict from the Federal Patent Court before ruling on an infringement case.

How Secure Are Your Facebook Apps?

How well do Facebook apps protect your privacy? Before you download something new and agree to share information, check out how Privacyscore rates its first.

Anonymizer Universal Shields You From Content-Targeting

When you browse the Web, you are constantly being tracked. It's not personal: It's marketing. Website owners and ad networks want to learn as much as they can about you, so they can target their content and ads effectively. After all, there's not much use in showing ads for anti-aging products to a sixteen-year-old. That said, not all users appreciate being tracked so meticulously, and this is where Anonymizer Universal and other VPN applications come in.

Grading the Tech Policy Makers: A First Quarter Recap

It's been a busy 2012 on the Hill. As legislators and policymakers grapple with an array of issues central to the policy agendas of companies in the technology industry, CIO.com takes stock of how Washington has moved on intellectual property, cybersecurity, privacy and spectrum in the first quarter of 2012.

FCC's Ruling that Google's WiFi Snooping is Legal Sets Horrible Precedent

Anyone looking for assurance that the privacy of their home wireless networks would be protected from snoopers by government regulators won't find it in the Federal Communication Commission's recent action against Google.

Some Publishers Quickly Settle E-book Price-Fixing Lawsuit

Within hours of an anti-trust lawsuit filed against some of the largest trade book publishers in the United States and Apple for fixing the prices on e-books, three of publishers have settled their involvement in the case with the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ).

DOJ files e-book price fixing lawsuit against Apple

The U.S. Department of Justice has filed an antitrust lawsuit against Apple and five book publishers for alleged e-book price fixing the Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.

Why tech vendors fund patent 'trolls'

Some of the largest names in the tech industry are funding patent 'trolls,' for protection from lawsuits and for access to the patent pool.

Security Manager's Journal: Shrinking staff, and a time crunch

Our manager handles the quarterly SOX report himself after more layoffs.

Who Holds the Keys?

Experts and IT leaders offer strategies for getting the most from the latest encryption and digital rights management technologies.

What privacy do you have left to lose? Beware the drone

Last week's column about The Google and its new privacy policy got quite a response, ranging from "I don't get it, what's the fuss?," through to "I don't care, I have nothing to hide," and "it's been pretty obvious for years where this was all heading but very few people bothered to sound the alarm ... until now when it's too late."