For those of us wired around the clock through digital devices, it’s ironic to realize that our parents and grandparents are the ones who have the best communication tools for a major disaster. Read more at GigaOM »
Google says the First Amendment should apply to its search results — even if this allows the company to favor its own products over those of its competitors. Is this a legitimate argument? Read more at GigaOM »
BuzzFeed published nine photographs and now an image owner wants $1.3 million. Is this a fair or practical way to use copyright law in an age where images are everywhere? Read more at GigaOM »
Marco Arment, one of the most creative publishers in the digital world, is trying his hand at one of the most conventional formats in the business — the magazine. Read more at GigaOM »
Your hunches about the Twitter population are probably correct. A new study by an analytics firm of 36 million users confirms some assumptions but also present some intriguing facts about ordinary Twitter users. Read more at GigaOM »
At a New York ad event, Google executives explained how ad buyers should invest in small screens. The presentation contained hype and nonsense but very few practical suggestions. Read more at GigaOM »
The Commission on Presidential Debates is partnering with three online media companies to stream debates and educate voters. The platforms will also give the companies a way to showcase their other content. Read more at GigaOM »
Parents trying to get their daughter’s Facebook messages to learn more about her death were stopped by federal privacy rules. The situation shows again how current laws have not evolved to account for the age of social media. Read more at GigaOM »
A French tabloid set off a temporary worldwide panic that Facebook had published the private messages of its users. France’s privacy regulator has now accepted the company’s explanation that this didn’t happen — but did blame Facebook for stirring up confusion. Read more at GigaOM »
News that Neil Young is on Twitter led thousands of exultant fans to follow him. It’s too bad, then, that Young appears to have nothing to do with the account. The fake hype reflects badly on both the company and the musician. Read more at GigaOM »
Apple lost an appeal to protect its famous music icon after trademark judges ruled that consumers were likely to confuse it with a mark now owned by MySpace. Read more »
A data company has filed a dramatic counterclaim against Craigslist, accusing the classified site of acting as an illegal monopolist. A court filing argues Craigslist engaged in illegal, predatory behavior through actions like “ghosting” and unfair licenses. Read more at GigaOM »
Former executives from the NBA and the NFL say that teams and leagues should encourage players to use Twitter — even if some foreseeable headaches occur. The marketing benefits are worth it and the number of gaffes may subside as players get used to the medium. Read more at GigaOM »
Consumers’ desire to consume content on mobile applies to video just as much to display. YouTube’s head product developer shared what this means for content makers and for advertisers. Read more »
Remember the hired gun lawyers who scoured the internet for copyright infringement and then took a cut of the legal settlement? If you thought those tactics vanished with notorious copyright troll, Righthaven, you’re mistaken. Here’s a look at a new form of copyright trolling. Read more at GigaOM »
Career site Dice acquired tech media icon Slashdot in the hopes that its energetic commentators will provide a new well of content and insight useful to job seekers. Will it work? Read more at GigaOM »
Twitter’s CEO Dick Costolo announced a major redesign to the site that puts media and photographs front and center. The company also launched a new iPad design. Read more at GigaOM »
Viral site BuzzFeed has a new retro-channel that taps into nostalgia cravings. The new vertical shows once again how BuzzFeed’s content and advertising savvy are pushing it to the front ranks of media powers. Read more at GigaOM »
A recent wave of lawsuits show that Time Warner is getting more aggressive in targeting DVD rings that use Amazon to sell unauthorized copies of HBO shows like True Blood. Read more at GigaOM »
A New York judge who has been disciplined in the past for misusing social media today forced Twitter to turn over the tweets of one of its users. The surrender serves to undercut Twitter’s right to appeal part of the closely watched social media case. Read more at GigaOM »
Kids have always said bad things about teachers and gotten into trouble with their classmates. But today, it’s much easier for schools to overhear them by accessing a student’s Facebook account. One judge has put the brakes on this. Read more at GigaOM »
Twitter is fighting a major privacy case that will help determine who has rights in social media. Unfortunately, the case is before a judge who has been disciplined for misusing Facebook. His track record suggests that he is the very last person who should be deciding these issues. Read more at GigaOM »
It’s becoming ever easier to copy and share not just computer files but physical objects too. An Economist article reports that the technology could inaugurate a technological revolution — but also give rise to massive new piracy problems. Read more at GigaOM »
Patent troll suits — in which shell companies that don’t make anything sue those that do — are proliferating. The latest example may include a shell firm suing Facebook and others for using banner ads. Read more at GigaOM »
A fuss about Bruce Willis and iTunes reminded people that our kids can’t inherit our digital media because we don’t own it in the first place. Here are some practical ways around that. Read more at GigaOM »
Cyber-squatting has been around for years but one Chinese man has especially aggressive in grabbing the names of popular US start-ups like Square and Etsy. More troubling for the companies, the man is also filing for trademarks. Read more at GigaOM »
Twitter is unsettling other tech companies and causing ripples in the media space. To learn more about where the company is going, we sat down with its head lawyer who shared his ideas on everything from publishing to patent trolls. Read more at GigaOM »
An activist group is trying to block a $22.5 million settlement between the FTC and Google because it doesn’t require the company to admit wrong-doing. The group is making mischief rather than raising a serious policy problem. Read more at GigaOM »
A patent holder who claims to own “signal abstraction” is going after companies that use basic anti-piracy techniques. The dispute has spawned dozens of lawsuits and raises questions yet again about the state of America’s patent system. Read more at GigaOM »
Netflix is ready to pay $9 million to resolve a class action over keeping subscriber records too long. But now dozens of people are telling a judge not to approve the deal because they get none of the money. Read more at GigaOM »
A judge ruled earlier this year that users have no privacy rights in their Twitter accounts. Twitter is challenging the rulings and today made new arguments, including that individuals have a 4th Amendment right in their Twitter account and that deleted tweets are not automatically public. Read more at GigaOM »
Samsung has suffered a massive defeat at the hands of Apple in the first major patent trial of the smartphone wars. The ruling appears to be a clear win for Apple which could help entrench the iPhone maker’s power in the marketplace. Read more at GigaOM »
Reports say the Apple-Samsung verdict is in. The case has large implications for the smartphone and mobile industry. We will be reporting shortly on whether the jury finds either side infringed the other’s intellectual property. Read more at GigaOM »
So which politicians might be buying Twitter followers? A new study dishes some details and also reveals that there is more to social media popularity than just numbers. Read more at GigaOM »
Schools like the University of Kentucky are forcing athletes to install software that monitors their social media accounts for words like “panties” or “fight.” Some states are proposing laws to put a stop this. Read more at GigaOM »
Aereo, a technology that uses tiny antennas to let people watch TV on the go, has already generated a flurry of lawsuits. Now the man behind Aereo is suing a copycat service for using his name. The disputes highlight disruptions to the traditional TV industry. Read more »
Game-maker Zynga is on the ropes and some think online gambling will give it a means to survive. But given that it’s late to the game and the messy laws governing American gambling, Zynga may have to fold its cards instead. Read more at GigaOM »
Insiders can now sell Facebook stock and the reaction so far hasn’t been pretty. Here’s a quick look at what the financial press is saying. Read more at GigaOM »
What is Twitter’s company identity? One clue may be found in a series of slogans it is posting on office walls and inscribing on employee laptops. Read more at GigaOM »
Federal investigators viewed the Facebook profile of an alleged gangster in the Bronx by asking his informant “friend” to show it to them. A judge ruled this was not unconstitutional because Facebook users can’t control what other people do with the information they post. Read more at GigaOM »
