Week in review: Tech goes to court
Google and Viacom take off the gloves in copyright case, while iPad sales skyrocket. Also: FCC's National Broadband Plan.
One tech giant settled a legal spat this week, while others are just warming up.
Court filings released recently in the bitter $1 billion copyright fight between Viacom and Google's YouTube show just how far apart the companies remain, as the 3-year-old case winds through federal court.
Viacom, in 108 pages of court documents, portrays YouTube's founders as reckless copyright violators who were far more concerned with increasing traffic to their site than obeying the law. Even executives at Google, which acquired YouTube for $1.7 billion in October 2006, questioned the ethics of building a site through questionable copyright practices, according to the Viacom filings.
But in the 100-page document filed by Google, perhaps not surprisingly, the search engine tells a different story. Viacom is painted as a media giant trying to play it both ways: demanding that YouTube take down videos even while third parties were uploading Viacom content on the entertainment giant's behalf. More intriguingly, the parent company of MTV and Paramount Pictures was at one point interested in acquiring the video-sharing site, according to the documents.
• Google's statement
• Viacom's statement
• HTC fires back at Apple patent complaint
• HP settles inkjet cartridge patent complaints
• Jury rules against Microsoft in patent suit
More headlines
Report: 'Hundreds of thousands' of iPad preorders
Sales of Apple's newest device are reportedly on pace to beat original iPhone in first three months.• The iPad developer's challenge
• When your iPad battery dies, dig out $99-plus
• Apple delays shipment of some iPad accessories
• Could lack of iPad accounts put kids, data at risk?
• iPhone app tracks your iPad--or any other delivery
• Nothing says 'I love you' like a $20,000 iPad
China warns Google partners: Look for backup
Web sites that use Google search services should seek alternatives in case Google goes through with its decision to stop censoring results, Beijing reportedly cautions.• Chinese ad partners beg Google for information
• Google optimistic about Android in China
FCC unveils National Broadband Plan
The agency takes the wraps off a major proposal, to be presented to Congress this week, that could cost as much as $350 billion of public and private money.• TV broadcasters prepare for spectrum battle
Chip spending could reach double-digit growth this year
Manufacturers say they'll step up their spending on semiconductors, helping the chip industry stage a healthy recovery this year after a sluggish 2009, says iSuppli.• Intel's fastest chip is scarce so far
• IBM, Dell, HP adopt Intel 6-core chip for IT, games
Windows Phone forgets how to copy and paste
Although previous versions of Windows Mobile have long supported a clipboard to move content around, the Windows Phone 7 Series devices due out this year won't have that ability.• A look at Windows Phone's 'smart links'
Twitter CEO unveils '@Anywhere' platform
The company's big announcement at the South by Southwest Interactive Festival was its new way to integrate Twitter data into partner sites.• Is Twitter aiming at Facebook Connect?
• Twitter's @Anywhere ID registered in late '07
Beware the new Facebook password reset scam
McAfee warns of password stealer hiding in attachment that comes with an e-mail purporting to be from Facebook.• Is social media better than sex?
Devo 2.0, the Internet start-up--take it seriously
Devo's presentation at SXSWi was a no-doubt-about it business pitch, yet it was so silly that people were nearly falling out of their seats.• Devo on the fate of the world--and Chatroulette (Q&A)
Also of note