With hopes of collecting possibly $1 billion a year in sales taxes, the California State Assembly approved a bill that would require buyers to pay taxes on Amazon and other online purchases. [More]
Government Policy
Xbox Gamer Allegedly Tricks SWAT Team Into Investigating Rival's Home
By 6.2.11
An online gaming disagreement turned into a nightmare for a gamer who refused to do the bidding of a person he spoke to over Xbox Live. The victim alleges a rival somehow discovered his name, address and phone number, then falsely reported a murder-suicide at his home, causing a SWAT team to descend on his home. [More]
Few Pirated Titles Named In Copyright Infringement Case Against CBS Interactive
By 6.2.11
A copyright lawsuit against CBS Interactive, the parent company of CNET, claims the company helped others infringe on copyrights by promoting and profiting on LimeWire downloads via Download.com in 2008. But when asked to provide a list of songs and movies that CNET allegedly helped others pirate, the plaintiffs came up with only six obscure titles: one movie (2007’s Fish Tales) and five songs which don’t yet have U.S. copyright registration. [More]
Tennessee Lawmakers Pass Bill Making It A Crime To Share Your Netflix Password
By 6.1.11
If you’ve ever let a friend or family member know your password for subscription services like Netflix or Rhapsody so they can watch a movie or listen to a song, we hope you don’t live in Tennessee, where state legislators have passed a bill making it a crime. [More]
Court Says U.S. Polo's Logo Tramples Ralph Lauren Trademark
By 6.1.11
According to a ruling by a federal judge, Ralph Lauren Polo has more of a right to an image of a man playing polo than the organization that represents the sport. [More]
Sprint Officially Asks FCC To Block AT&T Purchase Of T-Mobile
By 6.1.11
Since AT&T announced its plans to purchase T-Mobile USA for around $39 billion, the folks at Sprint have been quite public about their opposition to the deal, taking out mocking ads and testifying before lawmakers in Washington. Yesterday, Sprint made its stance official, filing a “Petition to Deny” the deal with the Federal Communications Commission. [More]
Toyota Recalls 106,000 Prius Vehicles Over Steering Concerns
By 6.1.11
Toyota has issued a recall on some early model (2001-2003) Prius vehicles over concerns that a problem in the steering system could could lead to drivers having difficulty controlling the car. [More]
Theft Of Pittsburgh's Iron Trash Cans Allegedly An Inside Job
By 5.31.11
After a police investigation, the mystery of where fifty of the city of Pittsburgh’s metal trash cans ran off to has been solved. The culprit wasn’t who Consumerist readers suspected. The cans were installed through a partnership with Lamar Advertising, and the man arrested for trying to recycle them just happens to work for Lamar. [More]
Lockheed Martin Says Hackers Didn't Get Sensitive Info In Data Breach
By 5.30.11
On May 21, hackers breached the defenses of aerospace/defense/security mega-contractor Lockheed Martin, causing cyber detectives to converge at the company’s Washington, D.C.-area headquarters. The experts have yet to track down the origins of the attack, but insist they didn’t make off with any sensitive information. [More]
New Law Would Allow Medical Marijuana Sellers To Get Bank Loans
By 5.27.11
Two new bills could make it easier for businesses that sell medical marijuana to stay in the green, er, black. Under the Small Business Banking improvement Act, accredited marijuana dispensaries would be able to apply for bank loans, and the Small Business Tax Equity Act would allow them to deduct business expenses when filing their taxes. [More]
Help The FTC Update Its Guidance For Internet Advertisers
By 5.27.11
The Federal Trade Commission has announced plans to update its “Dot Com Disclosures,” the guidelines it uses to tell businesses how federal advertising laws apply to the internet. The document was originally published in 2000, and the FTC admits that the “online world has changed dramatically” since then. [More]
ATM Repairman Accused Of Swapping Out Cash With Funny Money
By 5.27.11
An ATM repairman who is suspected of trafficking in counterfeit money stands accused of using ATMs as, well, ATMs for his criminal purposes. Authorities say the man swapped out $200,000 of genuine cash in exchange for his faux green. [More]
Suffering From Budget Cuts, Public Schools Charge For Basics
By 5.27.11
As state budgets get slimmer by the year, school systems suffering devastating cuts — a collective $17 billion nationwide in the past two fiscal years, partially counteracted by stimulus funds — are passing their costs on to students. [More]
Disney Is No Match For The Navy SEALS
By 5.27.11
The Walt Disney Company has dropped its efforts to trademark the term SEAL Team 6. The Navy had objected to Disney’s plans to market products based on the name of the unit that killed Osama Bin Laden, and filed its own trademark claims to block Disney. [More]
Current, Former Washington Redskins Make Goal Line Stand For TSA Worker Unionization
By 5.27.11
Transportation Security Administration workers have some unlikely allies in their struggle to organize: A pair of pro football players. Noting the need for labor solidarity across industries, one current and one retired Washington Redskin are speaking out in favor of the much-maligned airport security workers. [More]
Swords Are Not Acceptable Utensils At Pizza Hut
By 5.26.11
There is a time and place to pull out a sword when you are threatened, and that’s when you are He-Man and Skeletor unleashes an attack on Castle Grayskull. On the other hand, if you happen to, say, be inside a Louisville Pizza Hut and get in a heated argument, just keep that sword in its sheath. And ask yourself why you felt the need to bring it to the restaurant in the first place. [More]
Oregon Lawmakers Want To Cash Out Small-Balance Gift Cards
By 5.26.11
Gift cards with just a few bucks left on them are nagging annoyances. Oregon’s state house is fed up with the glorified plastic coupons and passed a bill that would require businesses to let customers exchange them for cash. [More]
City Paid $1,000 For Iron Trash Cans, Thieves Sell Them For Scrap Metal
By 5.26.11
Back in 2009, the city of Pittsburgh paid $250,000 for 250 elegant iron trash cans weighing more than 200 pounds each. Critics of the mayor called it a waste of city funds at the time, but they are very nice-looking. Now 20% of them are missing, and it took police and the public works department four months to figure out where they’ve gone. They were hauled off and sold for scrap. Update: Theft Of Pittsburgh’s Iron Trash Cans Allegedly An Inside Job [More]
