Balough
March 19, 2016
(March 19, 2016) Some developers have included in their mobile apps the ability to turn on a phone’s microphone to listen for codes from television programs and advertisements to generate logs of the user’s viewing habits, all without the knowledge of the phone’s user. While the developer of the “Silverpush” technology stated that the app […]
Balough
March 3, 2016
(March 3, 2016) What do fishing tackle and butter have in common? Nothing, so there is no trademark infringement by either for using the same Land O’Lakes mark. In affirming the dismissal of competing trademark infringement claims, Seventh Circuit Judge Richard Posner said, “In this unusual case two firms sued each other though neither has […]
Balough
February 23, 2016
(February 23, 2016) The maker of ASUS home routers deceived customers when it claimed the devices could protect consumers’ local networks from attack. Instead, the company failed to employ reasonable security practices causing “substantial injury” to consumers, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) found. ASUSTeK Computer, Inc., has agreed to an FTC consent order that requires […]
Balough
February 18, 2016
(February 18, 2016) It was not a Hollywood movie but a real life ransomware attack that shut down the enterprise-wide hospital information system of an acute care facility for 10 days. Hollywood Presbyterian Medical Center said it paid 40 Bitcoins or about $17,000 in ransom to obtain a decryption key to unlock its information system. […]
Balough
February 15, 2016
(February 15, 2016) A driverless car does not have a human behind the wheel, which creates a problem for complying with various federal safety standards designed for vehicles with human drivers. The self-driving vehicles (SDV) being developed by Google, Inc. lack, among other things, steering wheels, accelerators, and brake pedals because the cars are controlled […]
Balough
February 15, 2016
(February 15, 2016) Richard C. Balough spoke at the Internet of Things (IoT) 2016 National Institute in Washington, D.C. The panel will discuss “IoT Intellectual Property Rights: How to Avoid Getting It Wrong.” Mr. Balough spoke on “Autonomous Vehicles Offer a Ride into the Internet of Things.” The two-day institute is designed to offer attendees an […]
Balough
February 5, 2016
(February 5, 2016) Users who downloaded a browser extension game were the ones who got played, according to a Federal Trade Commission (FTC) action. General Workings, Inc., d/b/a Vulcun purchased the Running Fred online extension game from its founders and replaced the game with its own extension, called Weekly Android Apps. An extension is a […]
Balough
January 26, 2016
(January 26, 2016) A new study finds Americans are willing under certain circumstances to share personal information for tangible benefits but are frequently unhappy about what happens to the information once they give it out. The Pew Research Center conducted a survey as well as online focus groups in which the participants were given specific […]
Balough
January 14, 2016
(January 14, 2016) In an effort to speed the development of autonomous vehicles, in the next six months the U.S. Department of Transportation will prepare proposed rules for their deployment and operation. U.S. Transportation Secretary Anthony Foxx made this announcement at the Detroit Auto Show. The push for new regulations is part of the White House’s […]
Balough
January 9, 2016
(January 9, 2016) Want to know where it is safe (and legal) to fly your new drone? The Federal Aviation Agency (FAA) now offers a smartphone app that identifies flying restrictions for you. It is currently available only for iPhones, but an android beta version is available. The B4UFLY app is designed “to provide situational […]
