Alex Veiga

November 15, 2004 | Law.com

Marvel Enterprises is suing South Korea-based NCSoft Corp. and San Jose, Calif.-based Cryptic Studios over a computer superhero role-playing game. Marvel claims "City of Heroes" lets players make virtual characters that are too similar to heroes in the comic book company's stable. In what appears to be the first such action to address the scope of an online game, the suit raises the question of whether a company is responsible for their customers' actions on its computer server.

By Alex Veiga

3 minute read

March 24, 2004 | Law.com

The recording industry sued 532 people Tuesday, including scores of individuals using computer networks at 21 universities, claiming they were illegally sharing digital music files over the Internet. The latest wave of copyright suits brought by the Recording Industry Association of America marks the first time the trade group has targeted computer users swapping music files over university networks.

By Alex Veiga

2 minute read

September 17, 2007 | Law.com

Verizon Wireless struck what was initially an exclusive deal with Verizon late last month allowing Verizon to sell cuts of Bob Marley songs for use as customized ringers on its mobile phones. The Marley estate objected, claiming Verizon failed to get permission from the singer's family before making use of his music and likeness on its Web site. The estate threatened to sue for trademark infringement. Despite the objections, however, the company resumed selling the ringtones Sept. 14.

By Alex Veiga

3 minute read

January 24, 2005 | Law.com

Bertelsmann AG has agreed to pay $50,000 to settle a music publisher's copyright infringement suit over the media conglomerate's one-time role as investor in the now-defunct Napster file-sharing service. Bridgeport Music Inc. and its affiliated record companies claimed Bertelsmann knew about the unauthorized, free sharing of music over the Napster service but still loaned the operation $85 million between 2000 and 2001. Bertelsmann still faces suits by other parties over that loan.

By Alex Veiga

2 minute read

August 08, 2006 | Law.com

A coalition of recording companies on Friday sued the operators of LimeWire for copyright infringement, claiming the firm encourages users of the popular online file-sharing software to trade music without permission. The case is the first piracy lawsuit brought against a distributor of file-sharing software since the U.S. Supreme Court ruled last year that technology companies could be sued for infringement on the grounds that they encouraged customers to steal music and movies over the Internet.

By Alex Veiga

3 minute read

October 15, 2007 | The Legal Intelligencer

A federal judge on Monday granted a request by Ticketmaster LLC to block a Pittsburgh software company from making or distributing computer programs used to flood the ticket retailer's Web site with orders, beating consumers who log onto the Web site manually to buy tickets.

By ALEX VEIGA

2 minute read

January 24, 2005 | Law.com

A former executive with Gemstar-TV Guide International Inc. has agreed to pay more than $305,000 to settle federal fraud charges brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, the agency said Friday. Jonathan B. Orlick, who served as general counsel, executive vice president and was a member of the media and publishing company's board of directors, is also prohibited from serving as officer or director of a public company for 10 years, the SEC said.

By Alex Veiga

2 minute read

September 01, 2005 | Law.com

Authorities unsealed a grand jury indictment Tuesday that charges a Nigerian man with multiple counts of identity theft and other crimes in connection with personal information stolen from Georgia-based consumer data collector ChoicePoint Inc. The indictment, returned by a grand jury in Los Angeles last week, accuses Olatunji Oluwatosin of 22 counts of identity theft, conspiracy, grand theft and credit card fraud, prosecutors said.

By Alex Veiga

2 minute read

November 17, 2005 | Law.com

Online file-sharing service i2hub, which linked university students and others over the super-fast Internet2 network, has shut down under threat of a lawsuit from the recording industry. I2hub was one of seven firms behind file-sharing software to get cease-and-desist letters in September from the Recording Industry Association, accusing them of enabling computer users to distribute copyrighted music online without permission.

By Alex Veiga

2 minute read

June 24, 2004 | Law.com

The music industry filed copyright infringement lawsuits against 482 computer users Tuesday, the latest round of litigation by recording companies against suspected online music file-swappers. While some surveys have shown the number of people engaging in file-sharing has declined since the Recording Industry Association of America began its legal assault, other data shows millions continue to share music, movies and software online.

By Alex Veiga

2 minute read