- The European Union is moving to outlaw “hacking tools,” such as programs used to access information without a password. Security researchers are concerned that the new law, if implemented, would hinder their ability to do their jobs and perform important research in cybersecurity. [Wired]
- The Department of Justice filed suit against Apple and certain book publishers over e-book pricing. The DOJ argued that contract provisions known as “most favored nation” clauses, which forbid the publisher from allowing a book to be sold below a certain price, violate antitrust laws. Three publishers have already settled with the DOJ. This lawsuit is a boon for Amazon, which will be able to lower prices for Kindle books and better compete in the marketplace. [N.Y. Times]
- The Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit has ruled in U.S. v. Nosal that it is not a crime under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act to violate an employer’s computer use policy or a website’s terms of service. David Nosal, the defendant in the case, had obtained information that he was legally permitted to acquire, but then used it improperly. The majority expressed worry that the government’s interpretation of the statute would criminalize minor lies on social networking sites or slight improprieties (such as an employee sending a personal email from a work computer). The dissent argued that this case was not about the violation of the terms themselves, but rather about intent, and Mr. Nosal acted with an actual intent to defraud. [Law.com]
