No Copyright In This Headline
The Federal Court of Australia decided today that newspaper headlines are not protected by copyright. How will this impact Google News?
Fake Consumer Reviews
On the consumer protection front, the FTC settled charges that a public relations agency engaged in deceptive advertising “by having employees pose as ordinary consumers posting game reviews at the online iTunes store, and not disclosing that the reviews came from paid employees working on behalf of the developers. This activity was in violation of the FTC's Revised Endorsement Guidelines which require disclosure. The PR firm, Reverb Communications, is required to take down the fraudulent postings and bars them from making similar postings in the future without appropriate disclosures.
Press release: http://www.ftc.gov/opa/2010/08/reverb.shtm
Links to Complaint and Consent Order: http://www.ftc.gov/os/caselist/0923199/index.shtm
Information on the FTC's Revised Endorsement Guidelines (16 CFR Part 255): http://ftc.gov/multimedia/video/business/endorsement-guides.shtm
Google and Privacy
A video cartoon featuring Google's chief giving away ice-cream to snoop on children aired on a giant screen in Times Square today as a privacy group continued to hound the internet giant.
Consumer Watchdog took its gripes with Google to the centre of Manhattan, where it paid to have a "Don't be evil?" animated clip shown on a "Jumbotron" screen above the masses coursing through Times Square.
Changes to Laws In Australia involving licensing software to consumers
Have a look at the Mallesons blog.
Who does this affect?
The new laws raise issues for all software licences with Australian end-customers where either:
- the software is "of a kind ordinarily acquired for personal, domestic or household use or consumption"; or
- the amount paid or payable for the software is $A40,000 or less.
Those end-customers are taken to be "consumers" by the ACL, even if they are multinational corporations or government entities well-equipped to negotiate to protect their interests.
Software Licensing
Is the software installed on your computer something you own -- or did you simply buy a "license" to use it? That's the issue at the heart of Vernor v. Autodesk Inc., a case argued Monday before the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals that represents a broad challenge to the software industry's fundamental business model.
See law.com
U.S. Patent Office Guidelines for patentable subject matter
See article at this U.S. law firm website.
The United States Patent and Trademark Office (PTO) published Interim Guidance on 27 July 2010, for evaluating method claims for subject-matter eligibility under § 101 of the Patent Act. This guidance follows the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Bilski v. Kappos.
Manifesto on internet policy and regulation
The IIA recently launched its "manifesto on internet policy and regulation, with principles and recommendations to guide decision making".
A PDF copy of the guide is available at
http://iia.net.au/images/resources/pdf/manifesto-2010.pdf
"We'll be requesting political parties to respond to its recommendations over the coming weeks," IIA chief executive, Peter Coroneos, said.
"It asks the question, under what circumstances can the Internet in Australia be advanced or hobbled by politicians today."
The report argues that the speed of technological change
outstrips the ability of legislation and legislators to keep up.
"Should or can they, regulate the internet to tackle social
policy challenges arising in the wake of rapid technological
change without damaging our capacity to innovate and compete?
If laws are passed, can they be enforced?
Is technology to blame or are we really dealing with age old
human problems that neither laws nor technology can regulate?
These are questions implicit in this document," Coroneos said.
The document offers a reality check to the internet policy debate by urging a return to first principles such as where Australia stands against our western counterparts. It argues we tend to over-regulated in content matters for often symbolic political reasons.
"We lack a local research base to support proposals notably in areas of cyber crime and cyber safety," he said.
Business Method Patents - U.S. Supreme Court takes wide view
See today's decision in the Bilski case.
Last Class
The last class is Monday night, 31 May.
The class will go for about an hour, then we may go for a drink/pizza etc.
In this class, I can answer any questions that you may have.
We will also discuss legal issues concerning eBay and (if time) Facebook.
Please read:
Facebook, MySpace, Yahoo
Facebook, MySpace Messages Are Protected: Judge
A district judge has reversed a magistrate judge's ruling that fashion house Christian Audigier Inc. can subpoena the Facebook Inc. and MySpace Inc. communications of an artist who sued the designer for copyright infringement, finding that messages on the social networking sites are protected information.
Yahoo, Facebook Back Google In YouTube IP Case
Facebook Inc., eBay Inc., IAC/InterActiveCorp and Yahoo Inc. have urged a federal judge to rule against Viacom International Inc. in its copyright lawsuit against Google Inc. over video-sharing website YouTube Inc., arguing that a victory for Viacom in the case would hurt online commerce.
Communications Law to be Reviewed
Two top Democratic legislators said Monday that they would begin a process to modernize telecommunications laws that were last overhauled in 1996 but barely mention the Internet.
Break Up Google?
Google is the “arbiter of every single thing on the Web, and it favors its properties over everyone else’s,” said Mr. Reback, sitting in a Washington cafe with the couple. “What it wants to do is control Internet traffic. Anything that undermines its ability to do that is threatening.”
See NY Times for full story.
Privacy - Proposed New Law in U.S.A.
U.S. Representatives Rick Boucher (VA-09), Chairman of the Subcommittee on Communications, Technology, and the Internet, and Cliff Stearns, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee, released a discussion draft of legislation to assure the privacy of information about individuals both on the Internet and offline.
Google Says It Collected Private Data by Mistake
"Google said on Friday that for more than three years it had inadvertently collected snippets of private information that people send over unencrypted wireless networks. The admission, made in an official blog post by Alan Eustace, Google’s engineering chief, comes a month after regulators in Europe started asking the search giant pointed questions about Street View, the layer of real-world photographs accessible from Google Maps. Regulators wanted to know what data Google collected as its camera-laden cars methodically trolled through neighborhoods, and what Google did with that data."
Full story in NYTimes
Copyright class
This lecture will give a brief overview of copyright law generally. For some background, see:
Berne Convention
Australian Copyright Council
Copyright Act
There have been a number of interesting Australian cases dealing with copyright infringement, see for example:
Kazaa
MP3s4free
Stevens v Sony
The iiNet case will be discussed in detail in the Liability of ISPs lecture.
We will also discuss how other countries treat piracy:
US - Digital Millenium Copyright Act, and the case of Napster
UK - Ditigal Economy Bill, and the recent case of Newzbin
Berne Convention
Australian Copyright Council
Copyright Act
There have been a number of interesting Australian cases dealing with copyright infringement, see for example:
Kazaa
MP3s4free
Stevens v Sony
The iiNet case will be discussed in detail in the Liability of ISPs lecture.
We will also discuss how other countries treat piracy:
US - Digital Millenium Copyright Act, and the case of Napster
UK - Ditigal Economy Bill, and the recent case of Newzbin
Patents Class
On Monday, 10 May 2010, we will be looking at patents.
Some reading for this class:
1. History
Some reading for this class:
1. History
2. State Street Bank decision
3. Bilski
Google Keywords
"There is no stopping Google selling trademark terms as keywords. That is the message from the US courts this week. A judge from the US District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia has dismissed Rosetta Stone's case against the search giant, effectively killing off once and for all the conventional method of attacking the AdWords programme.
Rescuecom had already dropped its case against Google (in order to fight a suit on exactly the same issue but where it is the defendant). But the fact that a court has now dismissed this type of case is very surprising, as it shows that they cannot even get to court anymore. The message is that mark owners will be wasting their time suing Google for trademark infringement. The Court of Justice of the European Union recently said the same thing, although it left the door open for mark owners to sue those third-party advertisers that purchase competitors' trademark terms as keywords.
While the Best Buy v Rescuecom case will be tried from this particular angle, it appears that Google is off the hook. Users of the AdWords programme may sue each other, but the view of one US court at least is that there's no point suing Google. If trademark counsel want to stop the sale of their trademark terms to their competitors, they need to switch tactics. Fast."
Source: World Trademark Review
iCyte
In a previous post, I mentioned iCyte as a research tool. Here is an article in the Wall Street Journal about iCyte.
Domain name disputes and cyberquatting
Domain name disputes and cyberquatting
What are the common elements of domain name dispute resolution process?
For a good overview of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Process (UDRP), and the factors relevant to each element, see the WIPO website.
The Australian Dispute Resolution Process for domain names (managed by auDA), can be found here.
What are the differences between these two policies.
We will be discussing some of the following cases, which would be good to review before class:
brisbane.com
q1resort.com
"sucks" cases - red bull and bakersdelightlies
personal names
Who should win in this case?
We will also discuss the proposal for new top level domains.
What are the common elements of domain name dispute resolution process?
For a good overview of the Uniform Dispute Resolution Process (UDRP), and the factors relevant to each element, see the WIPO website.
The Australian Dispute Resolution Process for domain names (managed by auDA), can be found here.
What are the differences between these two policies.
We will be discussing some of the following cases, which would be good to review before class:
brisbane.com
q1resort.com
"sucks" cases - red bull and bakersdelightlies
personal names
Who should win in this case?
We will also discuss the proposal for new top level domains.
Online Contracting
This week we will cover the two related issues of online contracting and legal issues which arise when creating a website.
Online contracting
How do you determine when an electronic communication is sent/received? What are the possibilities?
Electronic Transactions Act - Queensland / Commonwealth
Vienna Convention on the Sale of Goods (incorporated intoAustralia
Guidelines for operating websites
What is the difference between a clickwrap and a shrinkwrap license?
Online contracting
How do you determine when an electronic communication is sent/received? What are the possibilities?
Vienna Convention on the Sale of Goods (incorporated into
Guidelines for operating websites
Australian Treasury Guidelines for e-commerce
Terms of use
What are the common clauses / differences between these Terms of Use?
Clickwrap / Shrinkwrap agreements
What can you do to try and make a clickwrap agreement enforceable?
How will unfair terms legislation affect these agreements?
Enforcing Click Wrap Agreements
Tiffany v. eBay
EBay Inc did not engage in trademark infringement and dilution by selling counterfeit Tiffany & Co goods on its website, a U.S. appeals court ruled on Thursday, but it ordered further review of the jeweler's claim of false advertising.
Tiffany and other luxury brands have long argued that counterfeit merchandise bearing their names is sold on eBay. The Web commerce company, which does not itself put the goods up for sale, says it has spent millions of dollars to track down counterfeiters and remove such listings.
See Reuters and BusinessWeek
Who can regulate the Internet?
The DC Circuit court recently vacated the FCC's order imposing sanctions on Comcast Corp. for its network management practices. It held that the Commission failed to tie its assertion of ancillary regulatory authority over Comcast's Internet service to any "statutorily mandated responsibility."
"In this case we must decide whether the Federal Communications Commission has authority to regulate an Internet service provider’s network management practices. ..."
Here is the opinion: http://pacer.cadc.uscourts.gov/common/opinions/201004/08-1291-1238302.pdf
How I Got Sued by Facebook
http://petewarden.typepad.com/searchbrowser/
How I got sued by Facebook
...Their contention was robots.txt had no legal force and they could sue anyone for accessing their site even if they scrupulously obeyed the instructions it contained.
Pete Warden vs. Facebook: a case of too much data access
... Pete Warden had a really great idea: to map the friendship interactions of Facebook users to aid with geospatial analysis of user relationships. Facebook's lawyers had a different view.
Hot News
"Breathing some new life into the “hot news” doctrine, Judge Cote of the Southern District of New York recently issued a permanent injunction requiring the Internet-based financial news site TheFlyOnTheWall.com (Fly) to delay its reporting of stock recommendations from Wall Street research analysts. ..."
See Case Note for Barclays Capital, Inc., Merrill Lynch, Pierce, Fenner & Smith Inc., and Morgan Stanley & Co., Inc. v. THEFLYONTHEWALL.COM , 06 Civ. 4908 (S.D.N.Y. 2010)
Meta-tags and Google Keywords - TM infringement
A recent Queensland case concerning trademark infringement issues, relating to Internet marketing. The case considers Google AdWords keywords, meta-tags and domain names in the context of trademark infringement.
Tailly operated businesses under names such as "Circle on Cavill Private Apartments" and "A1 Gold Coast Holidays". Tailly went into bankruptcy last Thursday.
See also:
ACCC v. Trading Post
The case against Google & the Trading Post by the ACCC continues.
See judgment regarding amendment to claim.
In week 6, we will look at laws and current issues relating to content on the internet.
Should freedom of speech on the internet prevail over protection of the public interest?
What are the relevant public interests?
Should there by government regulation, or reliance on technology? See NetNanny for example.
Some current issues from around the world include:
China / Google
Venezuela
Nigeria
Australia
United States
Spain
Should freedom of speech on the internet prevail over protection of the public interest?
What are the relevant public interests?
Should there by government regulation, or reliance on technology? See NetNanny for example.
Some current issues from around the world include:
China / Google
Venezuela
Nigeria
Australia
United States
Spain
News
"With traditional print circulation declining and advertising revenue weak — both from online and from print — media companies are trying to extract new sources of revenue from online readers, despite the risk that they could alienate some by charging for access.
The Wall Street Journal, also owned by News Corp., The Financial Times and Newsday all charge for access. The New York Times has announced a plan to do so. Each has a payment system developed largely in-house.
News Corp. announced in August that all of its titles would move to charging for Web access. Its chairman and chief executive, Rupert Murdoch, threatened last year to remove his publications’ stories from Google's search index to encourage people to pay for content online."
See NYT
Google, China and Content Regulation
From The New York Times:
What Happens as Google Uncensors Search in China?
Google has stopped censoring results on its Chinese search engine, but many underlying pages are still blocked. Meanwhile, some Chinese say Google risks a government shutdown of its service.
http://s.nyt.com/u/68V
What Happens as Google Uncensors Search in China?
Google has stopped censoring results on its Chinese search engine, but many underlying pages are still blocked. Meanwhile, some Chinese say Google risks a government shutdown of its service.
http://s.nyt.com/u/68V
See also this story
Issues in Creating a Social Website
"...As a result of this trend, companies that were long content to have a Web site consisting of nothing more than an online brochure are now actively exploring creating Web sites with social media capabilities. Before implementing social media capabilities (e.g., hosting user-generated content, giving users the ability to share content with other members of the Web site community), though, the company should weigh the business justification for doing so, because the legal issues involved can be tricky. "
See this article
Google and Copyright
Viacom and Google broke their silence Thursday in their legal battle, as Viacom claimed that Google's YouTube unit had sought to exploit copyrighted works for profit, while Google argued that Viacom itself had secretly uploaded copyrighted clips it later demanded YouTube remove. The claims are among the many divulged as a federal judge and the parties to the case released a slew of documents.
Week 5 will cover the three related issues of SPAM, CRIME and PHISHING
You should review the following for some background understanding (as well as the material referred to in the study guide):
Spam
Spam Act
ACMA
IIA Code
Crime
Australian Federal Police
Costs - UK
On the rise - US
Recent case
Phishing
Anti-Phishing
Westpac
SARS
Is legislation or technology/awareness the solution? Which countries have attempted to combat phishing by legislation?
You should review the following for some background understanding (as well as the material referred to in the study guide):
Spam
Spam Act
ACMA
IIA Code
Crime
Australian Federal Police
Costs - UK
On the rise - US
Recent case
Phishing
Anti-Phishing
Westpac
SARS
Is legislation or technology/awareness the solution? Which countries have attempted to combat phishing by legislation?
Internet Jurisdiction
The next class is Internet jurisdiction. In addition to the notes in the Study Guide, please read the following:
Sliding Scale Test:
Zippo case
Effects Test:
Calder v. Jones (US Supreme Court)
Application of Effects Test:
Weather Underground case (and complete court file for this case if interested)
Australian approach:
Dow Jones v. Gutnick (High Court of Australia)
[Defamation - including Internet cases - background information if interested]
Comment: Determining Internet Jurisdiction
Queensland Police information
Could two courts come to an inconsistent result in the same case:
See The Secret litigation
- Background: The Australian
- Australian Trial Judge Decision
- Full Court of Federal Court Decision
- Note regarding US decision on jurisdiction
See also prior posts if interested, for example.
One of the article links (Google - Bullying) is redirecting to the wrong article. This is the correct article.
Privacy
We have swapped weeks 3 and 4 of class, so Monday will be all about PRIVACY and will be taught by Carly.
During class we will be talking about a wide range of issues concerning privacy and the internet. To prepare, you can review the following:
Australian law
Office of the Privacy Commissioner - (Includes links to Privacy Act and Privacy Principles)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Lenah Game Meat Pty Ltd (2002) 208 CLR 199
Regulation
Internet Industry Association - (see Code of Conduct)
International Rights
Article 17 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Privacy Policies
See for example:
Disney Privacy Policy
Amazon Privacy Policy
Are they sufficient?
Cookies
Cookie Central
Workplace email / internet privacy
Workplace policies
Google
Articles regarding Buzz (already posted on blog)
Google Earth
Bullying
Online privacy
Use in litigation
Shopping
Solutions?
TrustE
We have swapped weeks 3 and 4 of class, so Monday will be all about PRIVACY and will be taught by Carly.
During class we will be talking about a wide range of issues concerning privacy and the internet. To prepare, you can review the following:
Australian law
Office of the Privacy Commissioner - (Includes links to Privacy Act and Privacy Principles)
Australian Broadcasting Corporation v Lenah Game Meat Pty Ltd (2002) 208 CLR 199
Regulation
Internet Industry Association - (see Code of Conduct)
International Rights
Article 17 of International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
Privacy Policies
See for example:
Disney Privacy Policy
Amazon Privacy Policy
Are they sufficient?
Cookies
Cookie Central
Workplace email / internet privacy
Workplace policies
Articles regarding Buzz (already posted on blog)
Google Earth
Bullying
Online privacy
Use in litigation
Shopping
Solutions?
TrustE
Apple Sues Maker of Google's Android Phone
See NY Times article
"In the lawsuit, filed with the office of the United States International Trade Commission and the United States District Court in Delaware, Apple said that HTC phones running Android violated 20 of its patents, including those relating to the iPhone’s ability to recognize the touch of multiple fingers on its screen at once."
Throwing the Book at Facebook
See this article in the Business Spectator.
"Companies and individuals are increasingly beginning to query why they should simply wear slanderous online comments that they wouldn't hesitate to take legal action against if it appeared on the printed page. From the heady early days when the internet was seen as a beast too wild to be tamed by the law, there is growing debate as to whether and how the web should be regulated.
In the past few weeks, we have seen a series of legal issues arise in relation to comments on the internet – particularly on Facebook.
In one case, $30,000 in damages was rewarded in response to defamatory comments by a man using various pseudonyms on a stock market forum. We have also seen an Indonesian man currently face jail time for insulting his music mentor on Facebook. ..."
See also - Facebook Ads article
Websites
This is the course website:
Peter Black, who co-taught this subject last year, has this blog. http://freedomtodiffer.com/ He has become a famous Twit.
Google falls foul of privacy once again
From JL:
It is interesting to note that once again Google has reached for the freedom of speech lever as the apparent universal panacea absolving itself of any and all responsibility for breaches of privacy.
I for one would have though that, as an American company, Google would have been well-versed in the notion that freedom of speech is only 'free' to the extent that it does not impose on, contravene or breach another person's legal rights.
If tertiary institutions have the capability of analysing work submitted by students for plagiarism through the use of algorithm programs, then surely the technical boffins at Google can devise some process whereby material submitted for posting to the web can be assessed.
In this particular case, it is difficult to embrace the Google's Code of Conduct "Don't do evil" as being anything other than a marketing slogan. For mine, aiding and abetting the doing of evil equates to the same thing. If Google is serious about corporate social responsibility, then I suggest it not just talk about it, but in the words of another multinational "Just do it!"
See also NY Times
Net Fraud
Net fraud accused back online
From: The Courier-Mail
February 21, 2010
A TEENAGE Brisbane student accused of using the internet to defraud Queensland's biggest bank of $2 million has today had his ban on using the internet lifted.
Brisbane Magistrate Noel Nunan this morning varied bail conditions for Philip Heggie, 18, so he could use the internet to continue his university studies.
Heggie, a University of Queensland business student, made a brief appearance in the Brisbane Magistrate's Court to answer charges of fraud, attempted fraud and uttering a forged document.
Click here to read the full article on the website
--- A class member asks the following regarding the above story:
Given the level of sophistication required to perpetrate these alleged activities, has the Court (in its most recent decision concerning bail conditions) paid sufficient heed to the possibility of the accused undertaking similar acts? How meaningful are either of the different sets of bail conditions prescribed by the court, given that cyber crimes can be undertaken anonymously?
Google Counter-sues regarding AdWords
This recent article is worth reading, as it relates to Google, trademark issues and also jurisdiction issues:
The Law of Google 2010 (updated)
These are my notes for class for 1 March 2010. The class is "The law of Google". Have a look at these websites (and if you have a Google account, log in to that account first):
1. The breadth of Google.
Search
www.google.com
www.google.com.au
www.google.co.uk
www.google.ca
www.google.de
www.google.com.br
www.google.com.bd
www.igoogle.com
News
Images
Blogs
Maps
Videos
Books
Scholarly Papers
Finance
Custom Search, example: Leading Australian Law Firms
Syndicated Search and example and example
Directory
Products
Google Base
Search tricks and tips
Internal search
Site Search
Site Map
Other Google Stuff
Toolbar and SideWiki
Google Accounts
Web History
Gmail
D. AdWords
KeyWord Tool and Tool
More information: Google Learning Centre
E. Other types of Google advertising
Maps
1. The breadth of Google.
Search
www.google.com
www.google.com.au
www.google.co.uk
www.google.ca
www.google.de
www.google.com.br
www.google.com.bd
www.igoogle.com
News
Images
Blogs
Maps
Videos
Books
Scholarly Papers
Finance
Custom Search, example: Leading Australian Law Firms
Syndicated Search and example and example
Directory
Products
Google Base
Search tricks and tips
Internal search
Site Search
Site Map
Other Google Stuff
Toolbar and SideWiki
Google Accounts
Web History
Gmail
Google Wave (plus video here)
Photos: Picasa and Picasa Web
Chrome Browser
Blogger
Groups
Reader
Notebook
Calendar
Docs
Talk
YouTube
Photos: Picasa and Picasa Web
Chrome Browser
Blogger
Groups
Reader
Notebook
Calendar
Docs
Talk
YouTube
Android
More information: Wikipedia
How Google Works
Google Sitemap
2. AdWords and AdSense: Google Advertising
A. Do these searches on Google, Australian Googleand UK Google and compare results:
B. AdSense
Look at the Google Ads on these websites:
C. Google Trends and Google Analytics
Also, Google Insights for Search
More information: Wikipedia
How Google Works
Google Sitemap
2. AdWords and AdSense: Google Advertising
A. Do these searches on Google, Australian Googleand UK Google and compare results:
- Noosa
- Hilton
- Q1
- cheap accomodation queensland
- flowers paddington
- the tallest building in brisbane is
- DSL-G604T
- Sony
- Harvey World Travel
- Harvey World Travel Insurance
Have a look at the two Google search interfaces on this page (http://www.cyberspac.com/Cyber_Law_and_Policy/Search.html) and do the same searches on both and compare the results.
Look at the Google Ads on these websites:
- NY Times
- Van Gogh Gallery
- Brisbane Apartments and Reviews
- Cyberlaw and Policy and example article
- This Blog (look top right --->
C. Google Trends and Google Analytics
Also, Google Insights for Search
D. AdWords
- create Ad
- select Keywords, budget and display location
- people then click on your Ad.
KeyWord Tool and Tool
More information: Google Learning Centre
E. Other types of Google advertising
Maps
Local Maps
You Tube
F. Problems & Issues
(a) Pay Per Click Websites
Look at these websites:
(What is legitimate? See RealSpanking and Jackassand UStream)
(b) Click Fraud
What percentage of click are fraudulent? See this story and here too.
Clickfraud is old news: Crack-down
(c) Trade Mark Issues
Google Procedure
ACCC Lawsuit: See here and here and here andhere(Google filed its defence on 17 November 2008.)
RescueCom Lawsuit
French Lawsuit
Geico Lawsuit and settlement
More information
Google Business Solutions
3. Legal issues and lawsuits
Book Search Lawsuit and here
Caching & Copyright: see here and here and here
F. Problems & Issues
(a) Pay Per Click Websites
Look at these websites:
(What is legitimate? See RealSpanking and Jackassand UStream)
(b) Click Fraud
What percentage of click are fraudulent? See this story and here too.
Clickfraud is old news: Crack-down
(c) Trade Mark Issues
Google Procedure
ACCC Lawsuit: See here and here and here andhere(Google filed its defence on 17 November 2008.)
RescueCom Lawsuit
French Lawsuit
Geico Lawsuit and settlement
More information
Google Business Solutions
3. Legal issues and lawsuits
Book Search Lawsuit and here
Caching & Copyright: see here and here and here
Have a look at other Google posts on this blog: Click Here
First Class 2010
Welcome to LWN117 Cyber Law and Policy in Semester 1, 2010 at QUT.
This unit is offered in internal mode, commencing Monday 22 February 2010 at 6pm.
The Venue is: GP:B506
Google, Privacy and Buzz
Google moved quickly to contain a firestorm of criticism over Buzz, its new social network, taking the unusual step of announcing changes to the product over the weekend to address privacy problems.
Late Saturday, Todd Jackson, product manager for Gmail and Google Buzz, wrote in a blog post that Google had decided to alter one of the most vehemently criticized features in Buzz: the ready-made circle of friends that Buzz gives new users based on their most frequent e-mail and chat contacts. Now, instead of automatically connecting people, Buzz merely suggests to new users a group of people that they may want to follow or want to be followed by. ....
Critics Say Google Invades Privacy With New Service
SAN FRANCISCO — When Google introduced Buzz — its answer to Facebook and Twitter — it hoped to get the service off to a fast start. New users of Buzz, which was added to Gmail on Tuesday, found themselves with a ready-made network of friends automatically selected by the company based on the people that each user communicated with most frequently through Google’s e-mail and chat services.
Google's decision to use e-mail and chat as the basis of a social network was unfair and deceptive, some critics claimed.
Readers' Comments
Share your thoughts.
But what Google viewed as an obvious shortcut stirred up a beehive of angry critics. Many users bristled at what they considered an invasion of privacy, and they faulted the company for failing to ask permission before sharing a person’s Buzz contacts with a broad audience. For the last three days, Google has faced a firestorm of criticism on blogs and Web sites, and it has already been forced to alter some features of the service.
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