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Oracle

SAP Admits to 'Inappropriate' Downloading of Oracle Code 149

Posted by Zonk from the think-then-do-think-then-do dept.
netbuzz writes "SAP's CEO Henning Kagermann uses the undoubtedly lawyered term 'inappropriate download' to describe the company's questionable actions. Henning blames a rogue business unit, but there can be no mistaking the fact that Oracle caught SAP with its hand in the IP jar on this one. The legal proceedings that will follow should prove interesting. 'The admission hurts SAP's reputation in the battle with Larry Ellison's Oracle in the $56 billion market for software that manages tasks such as payroll. The rivalry between SAP and Oracle escalated when Oracle filed its March 22 lawsuit claiming SAP workers hacked into a Web site and stole software codes on a grand scale.'"
Security

The Current State of the Malware/AntiVirus Arms Race 139

Posted by Zonk from the watch-out-for-weblife dept.
An anonymous reader writes "An article at Net Security explores how malware has developed self-defense techniques. This evolution is the result of the double-edged sword of the malware arms race. Anti-virus technology is ever more advanced, but as a result surviving viruses are increasingly sophisticated. What Net Security offers is a lengthy look at the current state of that arms race. 'There are many different kinds of malware self-defense techniques and these can be classified in a variety of ways. Some of these technologies are meant to bypass antivirus signature databases, while others are meant to hinder analysis of the malicious code. One malicious program may attempt to conceal itself in the system, while another will not waste valuable processor resources on this, choosing instead to search for and counter specific types of antivirus protection. These different tactics can be classified in different ways and put into various categories.'"
Privacy

Submission + - Credit industry opposes anti-ID theft method (yahoo.com)

Submitted by
athloi
athloi writes: "Lawmakers across the country — pushed by consumer advocacy groups — are mounting a counterattack. They have passed laws that allow consumers to freeze their credit, a surefire way to prevent thieves from opening new accounts or obtaining a mortgage in a consumer's name. Under a freeze, a consumer cuts off all access to his credit report and score, even his own. All lenders require that information, so no one can borrow money in the consumer's name until he or she lifts the freeze. It's simple, and it works. So, of course, it's under threat from the Consumer Data Industry Association, which represents the Big Three credit bureaus. They make millions gathering and selling consumer data. Freezes cut into that business.

http://news.yahoo.com/s/usatoday/20070703/cm_usato day/aweaponagainstidentitytheft"
Biotech

Submission + - Deep-sea vents spawned pathogens (newscientist.com)

Submitted by
brian0918
brian0918 writes: "NewScientist reports on the suggestion being made by researchers in Japan that the harsh living conditions around deep-sea hydrothermal vents may have forced the development of highly capable disease-causing bacteria. These vents 'spew superheated water, rich in chemicals, from volcanically active mid-ocean ridges... The study found that vent bacteria frequently lose genes, develop new mutations, or acquire genes from evolutionarily distant sources... The ability to survive in an ever-changing environment is also useful for pathogens under attack from their host's immune system. The team suggests that the bacteria initially lived with vent invertebrates before swapping that location for life as a pathogen.'"
The Courts

Submission + - Round 1 of the RIAA vs. XM Radio goes to...

Submitted by kidMike
kidMike writes: The RIAA wins Round 1 in its battle against XM Radio and some portable XM handhelds that can record music for later playback. A judge ruled that the lawsuit has merit and can proceed. XM's defense was that this is simply an example of Fair Use, while the record labels contend that this makes XM into both a broadcaster *and* a distributor. As the owner of one of these devices, I cannot remove(/resell/redistribute) the music that gets recorded, making it more secure than a normal audio cassette recording. From the article:

"'The record companies sufficiently allege that serving as a music distributor to XM + MP3 users gives XM added commercial benefit as a satellite radio broadcaster,' Batts said. Although XM argued in court papers that an XM + MP3 player is much like a traditional radio-cassette player, the judge said 'it is not.'"
The Courts

MySpace Sued by Families of Online Predator Victims 433

Posted by Zonk from the nothing-funny-goes-here dept.
MySpace is facing more lawsuits, as the victims of sexual predators have filed suit against the social site and parent corporation News Corp. In total, four families from across the U.S. have joined together after their underage daughters were abused by men they met via MySpace. MySpace has responded to past allegations by putting in place educational efforts and partnerships with law enforcement. The company is also developing technologies to allow parents to have some measure of access to their child's account. From the article: "'In our view, MySpace waited entirely too long to attempt to institute meaningful security measures that effectively increase the safety of their underage users,' said Jason A. Itkin, an Arnold & Itkin lawyer. The families are seeking monetary damages 'in the millions of dollars,' Itkin said."

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