Law and Innovation

Fresh and interesting article posted on TechCrunch about how Twitter's stock has been under pressure for months, as the company struggles to boost user growth and the potential sale. Happy reading! "Twitter continues to inch its way to a sale process, and the latest developments come in the form of alleged bids from potential buyers. Today CNBC is  reporting , and we have also independently heard, that both  Google  and  Salesforce  are interested in buying the company. We have additionally heard that  Microsoft  and  Verizon  have also been knocking, although  right now  Verizon (which also owns AOL, which owns us), may have a little  too much  on its plate. Twitter currently has a  market cap of $13.3 billion , and it opened for trading today with a jump of nearly 22%, in response to all these whispers. Google, Microsoft and Verizon have been reported as potential suitors in the...

“The U.S. government doesn’t have the power to search a home in another country, nor should it have the power to search the content of email stored overseas” (David Howard - Corporate Vice President & Deputy General Counsel, Microsoft). Microsoft's overseas data warrant dispute is definitely one the cases that privacy lawyers will be watching in 2015. The fight will now take place in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit . Here is a brief summary of the main issues at stake.  The debate over privacy and technology has intensified. As it is common with new technology, the advent of cloud computing brought with it a variety of legal challenges, including privacy, jurisdictions, and intellectual property concerns. The “idea” that location is irrelevant because data simply flows in the “Neverland world of the cloud” has come to an end. Recently, a U.S. District Judge held that Microsoft must comply with a U.S. search warrant to disclose the content of digi...

Fresh and interesting article posted on PatentlyApple about Apple, Cisco and AT&T filling amicus curiae  briefs supporting Microsoft in its appeal of a decision requiring it to hand over data about an Irish customer to U.S. law enforcement officials.  Happy reading! "Microsoft's case to prevent the United States government from using search warrants to demand data that is not stored in the United States has picked up a number of high-profile backers. Although Verizon, AT&T and the Electronic Frontier Foundation are supporting Microsoft's position, it was Apple and Cisco's legal teams that filed a joint amicus brief with the court in the Southern District of New York late on Friday. Apple makes the case that it offers iCloud services to customers for storing photos, contacts, calendars, documents and more. Because some of those servers are located outside the United States, Apple is subject to, or may become subject to, various foreign laws regarding ...

Fresh and interesting image showing how much major tech companies make in one second. In just ONE second, Apple makes $1,997, while Google makes $658. Facebook brings in $81.

Fresh and interesting article from The Verge . After Siri (Apple) and Google Now (Google), a new Microsoft digital personal assistant enters the market "Cortana".  "Microsoft’s upcoming Windows Phone 8.1 update will include Cortana, a personal digital assistant designed to rival Siri and Google Now. Sources familiar with Microsoft’s plans have revealed to The Verge how Cortana looks and operates , replacing the built-in Bing search functionality on Windows Phone 8.1. While the feature is named after the Halo game series, Cortana will take the form of a circular animated icon instead of a female character. Cortana will animate when it’s speaking or thinking, forming a personality not dissimilar to Apple’s Siri. Nicknames just like Siri . Just like Siri, Cortana will also allow Windows Phone users to set how they want to be addressed by the voice-activated assistant. Cortana can call users by their name or nicknames like "Master Chief...

Fresh and interesting BREAKING NEWS!!! ( source ) "From: Satya Nadella To: All Employees Date: Feb. 4, 2014 Subject: RE: Satya Nadella – Microsoft’s New CEO Today is a very humbling day for me. It reminds me of my very first day at Microsoft, 22 years ago. Like you, I had a choice about where to come to work. I came here because I believed Microsoft was the best company in the world. I saw then how clearly we empower people to do magical things with our creations and ultimately make the world a better place. I knew there was no better company to join if I wanted to make a difference. This is the very same inspiration that continues to drive me today. It is an incredible honor for me to lead and serve this great company of ours. Steve and Bill have taken it from an idea to one of the greatest and most universally admired companies in the world. I’ve been fortunate to work closely with both Bill and Steve in my different roles at Microsoft, and as ...

A fter almost half a century of striving for unified patent protection throughout the European Union, one of the biggest single markets on the planet, the creation of a single EU patent system is within reach and should be a reality in 201 7 . However, the Unified Patent Court system still needs to be completed  [1] . With less than a week to go before October 1 , 2013 (deadline for the public, i.e. international companies, to submit their suggestions on the Unified Patent Court's Rules of Procedure  [2] )  things are getting a little more interesting. On Wednesday September 25, 2013 a group of 14 global innovators and users of the European patent system (among others, Google, Microsoft, HP, Intel, Yahoo, Apple, Samsung, and also non-IT companies such as Adidas and DHL), has sent an open letter   [4] to European Officials and decision-makers outlining their concerns about the coming change of this new Unified Patent Court. As innovators, these tech com...