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NEWS - December 22, 2005

by roddy32 Dec 22, 2005 12:03AM PST

New spyware claim against Sony BMG
Reuters
Published on ZDNet News: December 21, 2005, 10:32 PM PT

The Texas attorney general said on Wednesday that he added a new claim to a lawsuit charging Sony BMG Music Entertainment with violating the state's laws on deceptive trade practices by hiding "spyware" on its compact discs.

Attorney General Greg Abbott filed the original lawsuit in November, accusing the company of violating state anti-spyware laws by embedding software in its CDs and media player to monitor users' habits.

The new charges brought by Abbott contend that MediaMax software used by Sony BMG to thwart illegal copying of music on CDs violated state laws because it was downloaded even if users rejected a license agreement.

more here
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1040_22-6005042.html?tag=zdnn.alert

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British 'rogue dialers' face heftier fines

by roddy32 Dec 22, 2005 1:57AM PST

By Graeme Wearden, ZDNet (UK)
Published on ZDNet News: December 22, 2005, 9:09 AM PT

British Parliament members have agreed to raise the maximum fine that can be imposed against companies that operate "rogue dialer" software that hijacks a dial-up Internet user's Web connection.

Parliament on Wednesday agreed that as of Dec. 30, companies caught abusing U.K. premium-rate services should be liable to fines of up to 250,000 pounds ($434,281), up from the existing limit of 100,000 pounds ($173,99.

Many thousands of dial-up Internet users have fallen victim to rogue dialers throughout 2005. Once installed on a dial-up user's PC, the applications can secretly dial a premium-rate number. This has led some people to run up call charges of hundreds of pounds.

more here
http://news.zdnet.com/2100-1035_22-6005760.html?tag=zdnn.alert