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Uber drivers in the UK entitled to minimum wage, tribunal rules
Uber drivers have won an employment tribunal case in the UK, making them entitled to holiday pay, paid rest breaks and the National Minimum Wage. The ride-hailing company has long argued that its chauffeurs are self-employed contractors, not employees; the tribunal disagreed, however, setting a major precedent for the company and its relationship with workers. GMB, the union for professional drivers in the UK, initiated the two "test cases" in July. It's described the decision as a "monumental victory" that will impact "over 30,000 drivers" in England and Wales.
China now streams some court trials on the internet
In China, some court cases will now be streamed on the internet for the public to view across the country. The Chinese government isn't exactly known for transparency, but this is certainly a step in that direction. As you might expect, not all cases will be aired. The BBC reports "sensitive trials," like those of human rights activists, may be among the topics excluded from the program.
Federal judge throws out evidence obtained by 'stingray' trackers
A federal judge has taken a stand against the use of "stingray" -- cell phone baiting surveillance devices used by the police and other government agencies. District Judge William Pauley decided to suppress evidence obtained by the stingray setup, ruling earlier this week that the defendant Raymond Lambis, charged in connection to a drug trafficking probe, had his rights violated when surveillance equipment was used without a warrant. The Drug Enforcement Administration used the tracker to find Lambis' apartment by pinging the defendant's cell phone, revealing his location down to the apartment number. "Absent a search warrant, the government may not turn a citizen's cell phone into a tracking device," Pauley wrote in the ruling.
Net Neutrality upheld by appeals court
An appeals court in Washington DC has upheld the FCC's Open Internet Order, affirming that Net Neutrality can live to fight another day. While the appellate judges have had to rule in favor of telecoms companies in previous cases, the FCC's law is now watertight and is acting within its powers. The decision is likely to stick in the craw of many networks, including AT&T and Verizon, which fought bitterly against provisions to maintain a free and fair market online. Unfortunately, Net Neutrality still has plenty of critics in high places, and several Republican politicians have attempted to gut the FCC in the hope of getting their own way.
Apple surprised at DoJ's request to cross-examine witnesses
On Wednesday the Department of Justice asked that its hearing with Apple on March 22 concerning the iPhone of San Bernardino shooter, Syed Farook be an evidentiary hearing. What that means is that both sides will be able to cross-examine witnesses that have made declarations to the courts. During a conference call with reporters, Apple attorneys said they were surprised by the last-minute request and said that this is something that should been asked for weeks ago.
NY judge rules feds can't force Apple to unlock an iPhone
A US magistrate judge in New York has ruled that the government can't force Apple to help law enforcement unlock an iPhone using the All Writs Act. This case in question is about drug trafficking and is not related to the San Bernardino shooter case.
Flightsharing website closes due to court ruling
DC's Court of Appeals has decided to uphold the FAA's ban on flightsharing websites, forcing Flytenow to shut down indefinitely. If you recall, the FAA announced last year that it's not cool with services that connect amateur pilots that have no commercial licenses with passengers willing to pay for flights. One of those Uber-in-the-sky services called Flytenow asked the court to overturn the FAA's ban, but it has obviously failed to sway the judge in its favor.
Reuters: Uber hacking investigation is targeting a Lyft exec
There is very little love lost between car-platform rivals Lyft and Uber. Nowhere is that more apparent than in a Reuters' article about anonymous sources pointing fingers at Lyft's technology chief Chris Lambert as the probable cause of an Uber hack. According to the report, after a massive breach of driver information back in February, Uber launched an investigation to determine who got into its system. That led it to court to determine who was behind a Comcast IP address that had accessed the security key the ride-sharing company accidentally left on GitHub. Even though the filing draws no connection to the actual hack (which according to Reuters sources was routed through a Scandinavian VPN) the court ruled that the information was "reasonably likely" to help the company find the person (or persons) involved in the breach.
Apple patent victory puts Samsung devices in jeopardy
Apple has won another small victory in its never-ending patent row with Samsung. The war that nobody asked for (and like most wars will have no winners, only losers) rages on with another appeals court decision. This one went in favor of Apple (as all but a few have), ruling that the company could force Samsung to stop using particular features on its cellphones and tablets. The ruling, while relatively narrow in scope, could still have significant consequences for Samsung and other device manufacturers.
Japanese court rules that bitcoin can't be 'owned'
Tokyo's district court has ruled that it's not possible for people to own bitcoin, and therefore they can't sue for compensation in the wake of Mt. Gox's collapse. The ruling comes a few days after the head of what used to be the world's largest bitcoin exchange was arrested on charges of fraud concerning its collapse. The case involved an anonymous individual who had 458 BTC in their account, roughly equivalent to just under $130,000 today. Naturally, the person was seeking to claw some of that cash back, but Judge Masumi Kurachi felt that bitcoins do not possess the necessary "tangible qualities" to constitute owned property under the country's law. We won't debate their wisdom here, nor the intricacies of Japanese property law, but given that Gox was holding thousands of people's bitcoin stashes, there's plenty more angry customers looking for compensation.
Big tech companies back Samsung in court case against Apple
Just like Taylor Swift in Bad Blood, Samsung has also found a powerful group of backers in its fight against Apple in court. According to a document unearthed by Inside Sources, Google, Facebook, eBay, Dell, HP and other big tech corporations have submitted a "friend of the court" brief on July 1st, supporting Samsung's stance. The two companies have been embroiled in legal fisticuffs for years, ever since Apple first filed a lawsuit against Samsung for violating various intellectual properties, such as tap-to-zoom, single-finger scrolling and two-finger zooming, as well as edge-to-edge glass design, among other things.
Uber will give you a free ride to jury duty in one US county
Jury duty may be an annoying (if vital) civic responsibility, but one US county is experimenting with a ridesharing offer that could make it a little more bearable. The County Clerk in Macomb, Michigan is partnering with Uber on a 60-day trial that gives jurors a total of $40 in credit for their rides to and from the courthouse. Ideally, this will save you from having to fight bad weather or pay through the nose for parking when you're trying to serve.
Arrested Uber France executives will stand trial on September 30th
The two Uber executives who were arrested yesterday will stand trial on September 30th, according to Reuters. Uber France CEO Thibaud Simphal and European GM Pierre-Dimitri Gore-Coty stand accused of running an illegal ride-sharing service, as well as "concealing digital documents" from the authorities. The service in question is UberPOP, which connects passengers to amateur drivers, something that's angered the nation's professional taxi drivers.
Court wants Comcast to expose commenter sued for defamation
Here's a reminder that online anonymity can't always protect you: the Illinois Supreme Court has ordered Comcast to reveal the identity of a subscriber involved in a defamation lawsuit. The case was filed by Bill Hadley who ran for the Stephenson County board a few years ago. In 2011, the Freeport Journal Standard published an article about him, where the defendant (using the moniker "Fuboy") left a couple of comments, including this: "Hadley is a Sandusky waiting to be exposed. Check out the view he has of Empire from his front door." Empire an elementary school right across Hadley's residence.
Court rules that UberPOP cars can still pick you up in Paris
Uber's Paris headquarters were recently raided by 25 policemen, but a court has now ruled that its disputed UberPOP service is actually honky-dory -- for now. The company's low-cost ridesharing option uses non-professional drivers, a practice that French authorities have called unlawful (its other services use professional drivers and are legal). However, the decision is more of a reprieve than a victory for Uber. Paris's Cour d'Appel merely passed the buck to a higher appeals court on whether or not to ban UberPOP. Still, it means Uber can continue to operate the service in Paris until at least June, when a new constitutional court ruling is due.
Fraudster's phoney email tricked prison into releasing him
In the movies, a daring prison escape usually involves a carefully orchestrated plan filled with intricate tunnels, ingenious bribes and chaotic distractions. But for Neil Moore, performing a similar breakout in the real world was so much simpler. With the aid of a smuggled mobile phone, he was able to set up an email address with a domain that closely resembled Her Majesty's Court Service. He then sent a forged letter approving his release to the prison, hoping they wouldn't inspect the document or sender's credentials too closely. Low and behold, the wardens were convinced of its authenticity (despite misspelling "Southwark" Crown Court) and Moore walked free in March 2014.
UK motorists can contest speeding tickets online from March
In a bid to free up the time that police and prosecutors spend dealing with low level traffic offenses like speeding, the government has decided it's time to utilise the internet. The Ministry of Justice announced today that it will allow UK motorists who have been charged with a minor offence to submit their plea via its new "Make A Plea" website. The system, designed to "modernise the courts and other public services," goes live next week and will let defendants make a plea via their PC or mobile device 24 hours a day, reducing the need for postal responses and court appearances. Drivers can also see the details of their case and view the evidence collected against them.
Online courts proposed to handle minor legal disputes in the UK
Few people like being swept up in a legal dispute. Whether it's a small disagreement or a bitter financial feud, once the courts are involved everything becomes a slow, stressful and potentially expensive mess. That's why the UK's Civil Justice Council (CJC) is proposing a new online system that would deal specifically with "low value" cases. The idea being that most of these smaller disputes could be automated or handled with minimal supervision from legal experts, making the process cheaper, faster and more convenient.
Court clamps down on warrantless surveillance case against NSA
This week, a US District Court judge ruled in favor of the NSA in a case challenging its tactics of intercepting messages on the internet without a warrant. California District Judge Jeffrey White said that the plaintiffs in Jewel vs. NSA didn't establish the legal standing needed to pursue claims that the US government violated their Fourth Amendment rights. White ruled that there wasn't enough evidence presented by the plaintiffs, and that the risk of revealing of state secrets would prevent the case from going forward even if they had. The group, who are all AT&T customers being represented by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), still has a case against the wider telephone record collection and other forms of mass surveillance employed by the National Security Agency. Jewel vs. NSA was filed in 2008 and is one of the earliest lawsuits brought against the federal government over its monitoring practices, preceding the whistleblowing work of Edward Snowden. [Photo credit: AP Photo/Rick Bowmer]
Arrivederci: WhatsApp cited in 40 percent of adulterous Italian divorces
Technology can bring people together... and tear them apart, apparently. The Italian Association of Matrimonial Lawyers claims that WhatsApp chats are cited as evidence in 40 percent of Italian divorce cases where cheating is involved. Reportedly, a lot of these less-than-faithful spouses can't help but message their lovers, whether it's to whisper sweet nothings or send sexy photos. In some cases, lawyers say they've seen people juggle "three or four" partners through WhatsApp at one time -- probably not how the developers pictured people using their service.
