AT&T Considering Monitoring Traffic for Copyright Infringers
Hot on the heels of the news that Comcast may have been regulating Internet traffic, AT&T has admitted it’s evaluating whether to regulate the actual content being transmitted via their service.
The statement was made by Randall Stephenson, CEO of the corporate giant, at the World Economic Forum. Such monitoring would supposedly apply to peer-to-peer file sharing services, in an effort to crack down on copyright infringers. Stephenson’s statements followed similar ones made by senior VP James Cicconi last summer.
At the recent Consumer Electronics Show, both NBC and Microsoft joined AT&T in discussing Internet filtering. Microsoft later came out and said it does not support such monitoring.
The FCC announced in early January that it would investigate consumer complaints against Comcast for violating long-held net neutrality principles.
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AT&T and Other I.S.P.’s May Be Getting Ready to Filter (New York Times )
AT&T Looking at Internet Filtering (AP)
AT&T Plans to Block Pirated Online Content (Digital Trends)
Google Announces Name Tasters Banned from AdSense
Google announced it’s stepping up its AdSense program to exclude URL samplers, known as domain tasters, from generating revenue.
Domain tasting is the process of registering a domain name and then dropping the name within the five-day grace period to obtain a refund, only to turn around and register the name again. It’s typically used to test the marketability of a domain name. The practice is considered unfair, as it perpetually ties up certain domain names from legitimate individuals and business that may desire the address.
Google will monitor for names being repeatedly registered and dropped. It will then log the URLs so they are banned from its advertising program. The hope is that by diminishing potential revenue it will ultimately deter the activity.
In the past, Yahoo!, BMW and Dell have all sued domain tasters for violation of their trademarks.
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Google Combats Domain Name Loophole (AP)
Domain Tasting (Wikipedia)
Second Time Around for Limelight
Arizona-based Limelight Networks is facing its second patent infringement suit. This latest legal go-round was filed in U.S. District Court in Norfolk, VA. back in December by Colorado-based Level 3 Communications.
Limelight, which delivers Internet content, is being accused of infringing on various patents acquired by Level 3 after it purchased Savvis Communications last January.
Limelight faced another suit in 2006, when Akamai Technologies and MIT accused the company of patent infringement. Limelight denies all charges.
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