Happy New Year!

Happy 2011! Will be back in the New Year with more top stories on all things IP, Telecomm, & Tech.

Sony Sues LG for Patent Infringement

Sony's ringing out the year with a patent infringement lawsuit against LG.  The suit, filed with both the International Trade Commission and the U.S. District Court in Los Angeles, claims that the importation and sale of LG's mobile phones and modems in the United States is violating seven of Sony's patents. Sony would like the ITC or the court to prevent LG from “importing, selling, marketing, advertising, or demonstrating these devices in the States." More on this suit in the New Year!    

Ars Technia Staff Reveals Top Stories 2010 in Tech & Policy

Ars Technica wraps up 2010 with top stories in technology law and policy. Of these stories, here are my top 4:

1. US government finally admits most piracy estimates are not exactly accurate.
2. Apple loses big - jailbreaks are "fair use." 
3. TSA pat downs & privacy violations.
4. Having a big-screen Super Bowl party this year? Be ware of copyright law violations!

For the full article, please click here.

Privacy Suit Filed Against Apple for iPhone and iPad Applications, Another Patent Infringement Suit Looms

Just a couple of weeks after the Department of Commerce Internet Policy Task Force released its first privacy report encouraging the government to set out privacy principles to ensure consumer protections, Jonathan Lalo is filing a privacy lawsuit against Apple, Inc. According to Bloomberg Businessweek,the suit alleges that Apple's iPhones and iPads are encoded with identifying devices that allow for third party advertisers to track application users' downloading activity.

The suit is seeking a class action status for customers who downloaded applications on either an iPad or iPhone beginning December 2008 up until last week.  The claim, the transmission of personal information, violates federal computer fraud and privacy laws.

Apple is not the first technology company facing privacy issues. Both Google and Facebook recently came under fire for their own privacy violations.  

As we wait to see what happens with Lalo v. Apple, 10-5878, U.S. District Court, Northern District of California (San Jose),  Apple's legal woes continue as Microsoft's Paul Allen re-filed a patent infringement suit against Apple and listing 10 other technology firms as defendants (including Google and Facebook).

For more information on the patent suit, see article, Paul Allen Revises Patent Suit Against 11 Tech Firms.