U.S. takes first court
victory over downloaders
The
ongoing
debate
over file-sharing
has
resulted in a
court
mandate. The
Department of Justice won its first criminal case against
downloaders this week when it reached a plea agreement with two
men participating
in
peer-to-peer
piracy. William Trowbridge, 50, of Johnson City, N.Y., and Michael
Chicoine, 47, of San Antonio, each offered
internet users
free copies of computer software, games, movies and other copyrighted
material. Each man pleaded
guilty to one count of conspiracy to commit criminal copyright
infringement, which is a felony, in a U.S. District Court for the District
of Columbia. Trowbridge ran quite a large operation. During the
investigation, the government downloaded 70 copyrighted works worth
$20,648.63
from him.
Chicoine had half as many materials valued at $4,820.66. The maximum
penalty for first-time criminal copyright infringement is five years in
prison, a fine of $250,000, restitution to victims and destruction of the
works and the equipment used to copy them. The men will be sentenced in
April.
Beware of another tsunami-related e-scam
You
might feel compelled to offer assistance to tsunami victims, but think
twice before opening an email soliciting that help. According to anti-virus
company Sophos, an email message with
subject "Tsunami
Donation! Please Help!" asks readers to click an attachment to find
out how to offer aid. Opening the attachment will spread a virus to other
users and also initiates a denial-of-service attack against a German
hacking website. Because the DoS attack is targeted against a hacker
website, that indicates a battle between hacker "gangs,"
according to Sophos.
Study: Little flexibility at online music stores
A
new study by market research firm Shelley Taylor & Associates finds
that online music stores are a little lacking in the customer service
department. The study says such sites offer complex navigation choices and
force users to stick with their formats and music players. After surveying
15 of the best online music stores, the study said that Apple’s iTunes
music store lacks a number of desirable features including discounts for
buying multiple songs, the option of downloading music videos, and the
ability to purchase concert tickets. British retailer HMV was the
worst-rated music store in the study. According to the ST&A study, HMV
is
difficult to access, does not offer sufficient artist information, and is
hard to navigate.
Report
that heinous driver via online forms
Don't
have
your cell handy to call that "1-800-How's my Driving" number to
report the weaving driver ahead of you? Wait till you get home. Washington
state and a man in Arizona have begun programs allowing commuters to
report their problems online. It is only possible for a limited amount of patrol officers to be on the streets, so this is one of the newest methods
to help combat aggressive driving. In Washington motorists can report
problem areas as well as offending drivers’ license plate numbers via a
state web site. Road-ragers are contacted in person or by letter by the
police department notifying them that their aggressive driving has been
reported. A
Phoenix, Ariz., cop launched his own private website,
safedrivinginstitute.com, that lets people report bad drivers in any
state. For $24.99 a year, drivers can receive emails notifying them if
their car is reported.
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