Former President of TigerDirect (and parent company Systemax, Inc.) Carl Fiorentino finds himself accused of mail fraud, wire fraud, and money laundering for redirecting $230 million to manufacturers and suppliers who paid him kickbacks or bribes. Prosecutors claim Fiorentino was responsible for the company’s purchasing decisions but rather than going with the low bidder, he […]
The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. Do […]
The United States Department of Homeland Security shut down Mt. Gox’s ability to accept or send transfers using mobile payment service Dwolla last night. According to the warrant, a Homeland Security special agent believes Mt. Gox is guilty of the crime of operating an “unlicensed money transmitting business.” After an undercover informant used the service […]
A recent report from The Mainichi claims Japan’s National Police Agency (roughly equivalent to the FBI in the United States) urges ISPs to block internet connections for users found abusing Tor (The Onion Router) clients. Tor’s purpose is to create secure, anonymous connections to internet sites by splitting up the data stream and routing it […]
The Copyright Alert System (CAS) is here! Brainchild of such industries as the RIAA and MPAA, this new method to curtail illegal content sharing went live last week. An outline for the system began in July 2011, as the recording and movie businesses realized individual lawsuits weren’t accomplishing their goal of reducing or eliminating piracy. […]
Yesterday, Judge Denise Cote of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, in a 56-page decision, denied Apple’s motion to dismiss the federal antitrust complaint filed against it, which alleged that Apple spearheaded a conspiracy among e-book publishers to fix e-book prices by introducing “agency pricing” where the publisher, not the […]
U.S. District Judge Robert Blackburn has tossed out a 2010 Colorado law meant to pressure online retailers to collect sales tax. In his ruling, Blackburn claims the law and regulations required to carry it out “impose an undue burden on interstate commerce” and are unconstitutional. The law was part of a package of Democratic-backed legislation […]
Our Reuven Shechter may like his new iPad, but Australian consumer watchdog Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) cried foul yesterday over Apple’s claim of 4G compatibility. It turns out that the iPad isn’t compatible with Australia’s 4G network at all. From the Australian Broadcasting Company: Lawyers for the ACCC accused Apple of breaching consumer law […]
With the proliferation of mobile gadgets connected to the internet, President Barack Obama declares it’s time the United States has a privacy Bill of Rights. Administration officials urged consumer groups and technology companies to craft and submit suggested privacy protections to add to guidelines they began crafting on Thursday. Initially, these rules will be voluntary […]
Honeywell Corporation stings Nest Labs and Best Buy retailers this week with a surprise patent lawsuit over the Nest learning thermostat. Honeywell claims their patents were infringed related to “controlling a thermostat with information stored in a remote location,” “a thermostat’s inner design,” “simplified methods for operating and programming a thermostat including the use of […]
