Tag Archives: Company Legal & Law Matters

The name YouTube Shorts isn’t a trademark infringement, UK court rules

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Be prepared, you might never read another article using the word "shorts" so many times again. Ready? A UK high court has ruled Google is free to use the word shorts (here we go!) for YouTube's platform Shorts. A British short films television channel called Shorts International, sued Google last year, arguing the name Shorts infringed on its existing trademark for the word, you guessed it, shorts. 

The court disagreed. "None of Google’s uses of signs including the word “shorts” gives rise to a likelihood of confusion as to origin," Judge Michael Tappin stated in his ruling. "While the similarities between Google’s signs and SIL’s trade marks will give rise to a link in the minds of the limited group of UK consumers amongst whom SIL’s trade marks have a reputation, Google’s uses of signs including the word “shorts” will not cause damage to the distinctive character or repute of SIL’s trade marks." 

YouTube Shorts launched in 2020 in response to the popularity of other short video platforms like TikTok. It reached over 1.5 billion monthly users two years later and can now show videos up to three minutes long — still pretty short (that's 12 short(s) for you).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-name-youtube-shorts-isnt-a-trademark-infringement-uk-court-rules-150258393.html?src=rss

The name YouTube Shorts isn’t a trademark infringement, UK court rules

Posted on by

Be prepared, you might never read another article using the word "shorts" so many times again. Ready? A UK high court has ruled Google is free to use the word shorts (here we go!) for YouTube's platform Shorts. A British short films television channel called Shorts International, sued Google last year, arguing the name Shorts infringed on its existing trademark for the word, you guessed it, shorts. 

The court disagreed. "None of Google’s uses of signs including the word “shorts” gives rise to a likelihood of confusion as to origin," Judge Michael Tappin stated in his ruling. "While the similarities between Google’s signs and SIL’s trade marks will give rise to a link in the minds of the limited group of UK consumers amongst whom SIL’s trade marks have a reputation, Google’s uses of signs including the word “shorts” will not cause damage to the distinctive character or repute of SIL’s trade marks." 

YouTube Shorts launched in 2020 in response to the popularity of other short video platforms like TikTok. It reached over 1.5 billion monthly users two years later and can now show videos up to three minutes long — still pretty short (that's 12 short(s) for you).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/the-name-youtube-shorts-isnt-a-trademark-infringement-uk-court-rules-150258393.html?src=rss

A fired Disney employee allegedly altered menus to change allergy markers

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As someone allergic to a big sect of food (hey gluten free eaters!), I know how important accurate allergy markers are on a menu. Yet, a new criminal complaint alleges that a former Disney World employee intentionally altered a menu's allergy information to state foods didn't contain peanuts that, in fact, did, 404 Media and Court Watch reported in collaboration. 

The complaint alleges that Michael Scheuer was fired by Disney and then used still viable passwords to access a third-party created proprietary menu creation and inventory system. Over the course of his misdoings, he allegedly changed the allergy information along with adding profanity, altering prices and changing the font to Wingdings. Those wingdings were what initially tipped off employees. All menus in the database were deemed unusable and the application went offline for one to two weeks to fix the issues.

Disney changed the passwords, but then Scheuer allegedly broke into multiple of the third-party company's FTPs, to change the allergy markers and altered QR codes from directing to a menu to a boycott Israel website. He also tried to break into Disney employees' accounts nearly 8,000 times. Disney claims that the altered menus were identified before being shipped out to restaurants. 

This case is unrelated to a doctor who died of an allergic reaction after eating at a Disney Springs restaurant last year. Notably, Disney tried to get a lawsuit filed by the doctor's husband thrown out in August, alleging that he had agreed to settle lawsuits out of court through arbitration. The reason? He had signed a terms of service for a one-month Disney+ trial in 2019 and again when making an account to buy park tickets. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/a-fired-disney-employee-allegedly-altered-menus-to-change-allergy-markers-161549481.html?src=rss

Brazil sues Meta and TikTok for over $500 million for not protecting minors

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Meta and TikTok are once again in hot water for allegedly failing to protect minors or limit their use on the platforms. The Collective Defense Institute, a consumer rights group in Brazil, has issued two lawsuits against Meta, TikTok and Kwai, another short video platform from China, to the sound of three billion reais ($525.8 million), Reuters reports. 

The lawsuits pull from some of the (many) studies demonstrating the risk of social media use. It orders Meta and co. to clearly issue warnings about how platform addiction can negatively impact minors' mental health. It also calls for the companies to lay out detailed data protection mechanisms. 

"It is urgent that measures be adopted in order to change the way the algorithm works, the processing of data from users under 18, and the way in which teenagers aged 13 and over are supervised and their accounts created, in order to ensure a safer, healthier experience...as is already the case in developed countries," said Lillian Salgado, a lawyer and one of the plaintiffs.

This is far from the first lawsuit for Meta or TikTok regarding the safety of minors. In late 2023, New Mexico sued Meta for not protecting children in a claim that both Facebook and Instagram suggested sexual content to minors. One month later it was revealed that, in a 2021 internal memo, Meta had found over 100,000 child users faced daily harassment. Yet, Meta executives rejected recommended algorithm redesigns. Earlier this month, 14 attorneys general sued TikTok for "falsely claiming its platform is safe for young people." These are just two of the many suits filed against social media platforms for not protecting young users.

Meta recently created teen accounts on Instagram that are mandatory for all users under 16. They have stricter privacy settings and require parent approval for any changes. However, these accounts are not yet available in Brazil — though Meta claims they will be soon. 

A statement from Meta said it wants "young people to have safe and age-appropriate experiences on our apps, and we have been working on these issues for over a decade, developing more than 50 tools, resources, and features to support teens and their guardians." 

Notably, Brazil has recently squared off with Elon Musk's X (formerly Twitter) for refusing to block profiles that the government claimed promoted election misinformation. The company eventually paid a 28 million reais ($4.9 million fine).

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/brazil-sues-meta-and-tiktok-for-over-500-million-for-not-protecting-minors-154518826.html?src=rss

Dutch police say they’ve taken down Redline and Meta credential stealer malware

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Today, Dutch National Police announced that it had gained access to the servers of Redline and Meta. Not to be confused with Facebook parent company Meta, Redline and Meta are a type of malware known as infostealers criminals can use to obtain the credentials of users and companies. Operation Magnus, a joint effort by Dutch National Police, the FBI, NCIS and several other law enforcement agencies, disrupted the illegal tools.

TechCrunch notes that Redline has been active since 2020, while the Operation Magnus website states that Meta is newer but “pretty much the same.” A 50-second video in English posted to the Operation Magnus website also lists some “VIPs” or people “very important to the police” that the authorities are looking for.

Redline is often cited as the malware responsible for the 2022 Uber hack. Specops, a password management company, found that Redline was used to steal almost half of the 170 million passwords from data gathered by KrakenLabs. Even gamers aren’t immune to Redline; McAfee found that a variant was hidden in fake game cheats.

The video showed the agencies accessing user credentials, IP addresses and Telegram bots criminals use to steal sensitive data. Additionally, authorities found the source code for both malware programs on the servers.

While there isn’t news of any arrests being made, the Operation Magnus website states that “involved parties will be notified, and legal actions are underway.” There’s also a countdown for almost 20 hours later, promising more news to come.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/dutch-police-say-theyve-taken-down-redline-and-meta-credential-stealer-malware-161531556.html?src=rss

Dutch police say they’ve taken down Redline and Meta credential stealer malware

Posted on by

Today, Dutch National Police announced that it had gained access to the servers of Redline and Meta. Not to be confused with Facebook parent company Meta, Redline and Meta are a type of malware known as infostealers criminals can use to obtain the credentials of users and companies. Operation Magnus, a joint effort by Dutch National Police, the FBI, NCIS and several other law enforcement agencies, disrupted the illegal tools.

TechCrunch notes that Redline has been active since 2020, while the Operation Magnus website states that Meta is newer but “pretty much the same.” A 50-second video in English posted to the Operation Magnus website also lists some “VIPs” or people “very important to the police” that the authorities are looking for.

Redline is often cited as the malware responsible for the 2022 Uber hack. Specops, a password management company, found that Redline was used to steal almost half of the 170 million passwords from data gathered by KrakenLabs. Even gamers aren’t immune to Redline; McAfee found that a variant was hidden in fake game cheats.

The video showed the agencies accessing user credentials, IP addresses and Telegram bots criminals use to steal sensitive data. Additionally, authorities found the source code for both malware programs on the servers.

While there isn’t news of any arrests being made, the Operation Magnus website states that “involved parties will be notified, and legal actions are underway.” There’s also a countdown for almost 20 hours later, promising more news to come.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/cybersecurity/dutch-police-say-theyve-taken-down-redline-and-meta-credential-stealer-malware-161531556.html?src=rss

Apple wins $250 in Masimo smartwatch patent case

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The legal battle between Apple and medical technology company Masimo rages on, with the bigger company — sorta, kinda — winning their latest face off. A federal jury has agreed with Apple that previous versions of Masimo's W1 and Freedom (pictured above) watches infringed on its design patents, according to Reuters. It only awarded Apple $250 in damages, which is the smallest amount that could be awarded for patent infringement, but the company's lawyers reportedly told the court that it wasn't after money anyway. 

What Apple, which is worth $3.5 trillion, wanted was an injunction on the sales of Masimo's current smartwatch models. However, the jury determined that those newer models don't violate Apple's intellectual property. That is why Masimo is also treating the jury's decision as a win, telling the news organization that it's thankful for the verdict that's "in favor of Masimo and against Apple on nearly all issues." Apparently, the ruling only affects a "discontinued module and charger." As for Apple, it told Reuters that it was "glad the jury's decision today will protect the innovations [it advances] on behalf of [its] customers."

Masimo sued Apple in 2021, accusing it of infringing on several of its light-based blood-oxygen monitoring patents, while the tech giant countersued a year later. A court sided with Masimo in 2023, forcing Apple to pause sales on its latest smartwatch models, as the US International Trade Commission blocked all Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 imports into the country. The company appealed and was ultimately able to sell its watches in the country earlier this year by removing the technology from the units offered in the US. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-wins-250-in-masimo-smartwatch-patent-case-150020340.html?src=rss

Apple wins $250 in Masimo smartwatch patent case

Posted on by

The legal battle between Apple and medical technology company Masimo rages on, with the bigger company — sorta, kinda — winning their latest face off. A federal jury has agreed with Apple that previous versions of Masimo's W1 and Freedom (pictured above) watches infringed on its design patents, according to Reuters. It only awarded Apple $250 in damages, which is the smallest amount that could be awarded for patent infringement, but the company's lawyers reportedly told the court that it wasn't after money anyway. 

What Apple, which is worth $3.5 trillion, wanted was an injunction on the sales of Masimo's current smartwatch models. However, the jury determined that those newer models don't violate Apple's intellectual property. That is why Masimo is also treating the jury's decision as a win, telling the news organization that it's thankful for the verdict that's "in favor of Masimo and against Apple on nearly all issues." Apparently, the ruling only affects a "discontinued module and charger." As for Apple, it told Reuters that it was "glad the jury's decision today will protect the innovations [it advances] on behalf of [its] customers."

Masimo sued Apple in 2021, accusing it of infringing on several of its light-based blood-oxygen monitoring patents, while the tech giant countersued a year later. A court sided with Masimo in 2023, forcing Apple to pause sales on its latest smartwatch models, as the US International Trade Commission blocked all Watch Series 9 and Ultra 2 imports into the country. The company appealed and was ultimately able to sell its watches in the country earlier this year by removing the technology from the units offered in the US. 

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/apple-wins-250-in-masimo-smartwatch-patent-case-150020340.html?src=rss

Cash App users can claim thousands of dollars in a data breach settlement

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Heads up if you’ve had a Cash App account over the last six years or so: you may now be able to claim thousands of dollars as a result of a class-action settlement. The company proposed the $15 million settlement earlier this year following two security incidents. If you're eligible to make a claim, you only have a few weeks to do so.

The first related breach took place in December 2021 when, according to Cash App, a former employee downloaded reports containing information on more than 8 million users. This included their full names, brokerage account numbers and, in some cases, the holdings and value of investment portfolios. Cash App disclosed the incident in April 2022.

The consolidated class-action complaint alleged that Cash App and parent company Block failed to enact sufficient security measures to prevent another data breach. This involved Cash App’s person-to-person payment services. According to the plaintiffs, “an unauthorized user accessed certain Cash App accounts in 2023 using recycled phone numbers." The complaint contended that Cash App and Block mishandled complaints related to both breaches and fraudulent transactions.

Cash App and Block have denied any wrongdoing, The New York Times reports. They say the settlement is not an admission of liability.

You may be eligible to make a claim if you had a Cash App account between August 23, 2018 and August 20 of this year. The settlement will cover up to $2,500 of out-of-pocket costs stemming from the breaches, as well as up to three hours worth of lost time at $25 per hour. Those who have sustained a monetary loss and haven’t yet been reimbursed can file a claim for that too.

If you plan to file a claim through the settlement website, you’ll need to do so by 2AM ET on November 19. A final court hearing in the case is set for December 16.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/cash-app-users-can-claim-thousands-of-dollars-in-a-data-breach-settlement-194520756.html?src=rss

Cash App users can claim thousands of dollars in a data breach settlement

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Heads up if you’ve had a Cash App account over the last six years or so: you may now be able to claim thousands of dollars as a result of a class-action settlement. The company proposed the $15 million settlement earlier this year following two security incidents. If you're eligible to make a claim, you only have a few weeks to do so.

The first related breach took place in December 2021 when, according to Cash App, a former employee downloaded reports containing information on more than 8 million users. This included their full names, brokerage account numbers and, in some cases, the holdings and value of investment portfolios. Cash App disclosed the incident in April 2022.

The consolidated class-action complaint alleged that Cash App and parent company Block failed to enact sufficient security measures to prevent another data breach. This involved Cash App’s person-to-person payment services. According to the plaintiffs, “an unauthorized user accessed certain Cash App accounts in 2023 using recycled phone numbers." The complaint contended that Cash App and Block mishandled complaints related to both breaches and fraudulent transactions.

Cash App and Block have denied any wrongdoing, The New York Times reports. They say the settlement is not an admission of liability.

You may be eligible to make a claim if you had a Cash App account between August 23, 2018 and August 20 of this year. The settlement will cover up to $2,500 of out-of-pocket costs stemming from the breaches, as well as up to three hours worth of lost time at $25 per hour. Those who have sustained a monetary loss and haven’t yet been reimbursed can file a claim for that too.

If you plan to file a claim through the settlement website, you’ll need to do so by 2AM ET on November 19. A final court hearing in the case is set for December 16.

This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/big-tech/cash-app-users-can-claim-thousands-of-dollars-in-a-data-breach-settlement-194520756.html?src=rss