Apr
15
Google never ceases to amaze
Posted by Dirk Avery at 12:59 pm under Internet, Technology.
(Apologies for writing so little lately. The final finals season is heating up even though the weather is not - very much.)
Anyway, Google recently announced they will be employing software tools originally intended to filter out copyrighted material to track down missing and exploited children used in the pornography industry. It is tragic […]
Mar
28
YouTube Japanese cover song deal
Posted by Dirk Avery at 8:01 am under Copyright, Technology.
Closet pop idols [in Japan] breathed a little easier Thursday after the announcement of a deal between video site YouTube and a large [Japanese] recording rights body, allowing punters to record and post their own versions of songs… without fear of legal reprisal.
Japan Rights Clearance Inc. (JRC) announced that it had made a comprehensive contract […]
Mar
27
The messy Rambus affair
Posted by Dirk Avery at 9:55 am under Litigation, Patent, Technology.
While the Gibson/Guitar Hero/Rock Band war rages on, chip designer Rambus has won a major battle in its war against chip makers.
Rambus, which designs memory chips and chips for Sony’s Playstation, won a jury verdict in the Northern District of California in a suit brought by Hynix, the world’s second largest chip maker, Micron and […]
Mar
26
Blu-ray, Razr under ITC investigation
Posted by Dirk Avery at 9:51 am under Litigation, Patent, Technology.
Thirty companies, including Hitachi, LG, Motorola, Pioneer, Samsung, Sony and Toshiba, have been targeted by an ITC investigation. The investigation is the result of a complaint by Professor Emeritus at Columbia University, Gertrude Rothschild, which alleges her patent is infringed by such popular products as Sony Blu-ray players, Motorola Razr phones and Hitachi […]
Mar
19
LIVE BLOG - Cleantech Talk
Posted by Keeley Vega at 11:25 am under Events, Innovation, Patent, Technology.
Thomas Knox, 87′, a partner in Morrison and Foerster’s Northern Virginia office will speak about “The Emerging Cleantech Economy”.
Cleantech is the business of environmentally-sustainable technologies, and the practice involves intellectual property, environmental, energy, and corporate law, among other areas. As the price of oil has skyrocketed and awareness has grown about the need for innovative environmentally-friendly […]
Mar
15
The SIM Card Spy
Posted by Keeley Vega at 10:27 pm under Technology.
The SIM Card Spy is a new accessory for cell phones that allows you to back-up SIM information so you never lose phone numbers or, more interestingly, to access all files stored on the phone’s SIM card– even the deleted ones! Here’s how it works:
What a great way to make sure you never lose your numbers! […]
Mar
14
First amendment in the digital age
Posted by Dirk Avery at 7:42 am under Internet, Litigation, Technology.
Can an employee mouth off to his friends about something unrelated to work? Of course? What if his “friends” happen to be the worldwide readers of his blog? A couple of days ago, outed Patent Troll Tracker Richard Frenkel was sued for defamation based on comments he made on his blog. His employer, Cisco, was […]
Mar
11
It’s Official: Google Acquires DoubleClick
Posted by Keeley Vega at 1:31 pm under Internet, Technology.
Almost a year after Google announced its intention to acquire DoubleClick, it’s finally official! Today, the European Commission approved Google’s $3.1 billion takeover, removing the final obstacle to the deal. This was a deal opposed by Microsoft and AT&T, arguing that the merger would give Google too much power to set advertising rates.
According to CEO […]
Mar
5
Alexandrians in action: Google Books
Posted by Dirk Avery at 2:14 pm under Copyright, Innovation, Internet, Technology.
Today, here on the University of Michigan campus, I saw the Google folks at work. A huge moving truck was backed up next to the library door. Carts filled with books filled the truck.
The basic task is really pretty simple. They take books and scan them. The complexity comes from the […]
Mar
5
William Blumenthal, live blog
Posted by Dirk Avery at 12:24 pm under Innovation, Internet, Technology.
March 5, 2008, 12:20
12:23: This looks interesting: FTC 2003 Report on Innovation. We are moving away from “balancing” competition law and IP, to “aligning” the two. I like aligning. It’s very business like.
12:28: FTC thought that patent quality was on the decline with negative effects: discouraging innovation, elevating cost and leading […]