[Q] Copyright doubts. Request for app removal - General Topics

Hi All,
Some time ago I've created a game called "Boulders and Diamonds" for Android.
The game was similar to well known 80s game "Boulder Dash", but contained no original code, graphics, levels or name. I've also added a lot of additional elements never present in "Boulder Dash", which makes game-play very different.
But after few weeks after distribution, I've got an email from "President" of First Star Software (original Boulder Dash publisher - not author!), that my game is not legal and have to be removed from market, because is violating their copyrights. See email below for details.
They assume that nobody can use falling stones or any other elements which were present in "Boulder Dash". Actually, thinking this way leads to conclusion that there is no legal application created nowadays, because every application contains some elements introduced previously!
Do you think they are right and I cannot create a game which is similar (but not the same) to their game or everything they say is just a bull****?
Note: As far as I know they don't have any patents for a game.
I've decided to unpublish my game from Android Marked for now.
Thanks in advance for comments.
/Arek
Here is an email from First Star Software:
Hello again Arkadiusz,
We are writing to you once again regarding "Boulders & Diamonds" to let you know that the current version also infringes upon our copyrights which are registered with the United States Copyright Office.
Further due to international copyright laws, treaties and conventions, your continued distribution of "Boulders & Diamonds" is illegal; and, as pointed out in prior email, such continued distribution, even of a free, ad-supported game, has already caused us to suffer financial damages and losses.
The fact that you have changed the graphics and cave maps does not mean that 'Boulders & Diamonds" no longer violates our Intellectual Property rights. As stated above, it still does. While indeed, the graphics and cave maps are PART of our copyrighted material there is a GREAT deal more that is also copyrighted by us that remains in "Boulders & Diamonds".
Among these, without limitation, are the following non-obvious elements that comprise our copyright: the rules of physics that we created to determine when and how a boulder falls; the rules of how diamonds fall and their effects on the player; the 3 x 3 tiles size of explosions; the movement patterns of the enemies; the ability to push/grab/dig without moving; having the death of one type of enemy result in the creation of 9 diamonds, while other enemies die with a 3 x 3 explosion but without creating diamonds; having explosions destroy certain types of walls but not those that create the border of the cave; etc., etc.
You yourself in the game state: "Based on ideas of game developed by Peter Liepa and Chris Gray in 1980s." As stated in previous email (August 1, 2010, again below) First Star Software, Inc. purchased ALL rights to that game = Boulder Dash(R) and no one can use the protected ideas contained therein without our prior, written approval.
If you have any doubt or questions about the copyright claims being made here by First Star Software, Inc. you should consult an attorney who specializes in Intellectual property law; but, let me say, in summary form, and without prejudice of any kind: our Intellectual Property rights, including copyrights, protect the fundamentals of Boulder Dash(R) e.g. the unique and non-obvious expressions of ideas that were original and unique to Boulder Dash when it first came out. So, for example, even if someone changes the way things look (the in-game elements) we're still protected.
For example in Boulder Dash(R) one collects diamonds, however, the fact that in a 'clone' the player collects carrots instead, does not mean that the clone is non-infringing. Thus, if a clone is 'different' from Boulder Dash(R) because they both use different graphics to represent the corresponding 'elements' e.g. diamonds become carrots, boulders that fall are made to look like something else (say a melon), walls that block your path look differently but serve the same purpose, etc., etc. then the clone IS violating our Intellectual Property rights.
Sometimes the 'differences' are that some features in Boulder Dash are not included in these clones; BUT, all of the features, gameplay mechanics, etc. that are used in the clones FIRST appeared in Boulder Dash. (For example, we have enemies which turn into diamonds if they are killed by a falling boulders and others that do not turn into diamonds when killed...each enemy type moving in a unique pattern (algorithm) that controls how they travel in empty spaces). It is things such as these, and those listed above, that are protected under copyright law.
Once again, as we did in August, we are contacting you immediately upon learning that you have again posted 'Boulders & Diamonds" to the Android Marketplace, as required under law, in our attempt to mitigate our losses and enforce our Intellectual Property rights.
So, once again, with this email we are formally requesting, in writing, that you immediately remove "Boulders & Diamonds" from the Android Marketplace as well as any and all other distribution platforms and channels.
Please send an email acknowledging your receipt of this email and let us know when you have removed 'Boulders & Diamonds' from the Android Marketplace. Further, please attempt to notify the sites below, and any others that you are aware of, that you have been contacted by the owners of Boulder Dash(R) and that you have agreed to cease all distribution of any type or manner of 'Boulders & Diamonds' and request that they remove any and all download links from their sites. Thank you.
Again, by way of full disclosure, I must mention that if we have not heard from you by 10:00 a.m. (New York time) Monday morning, Nov. 1, 2010, we will be filing a formal Android Market Digital Millennium Copyright Act Complaint with Google.
Arkadiusz, now that we have further explained the basics of copyright law, it is my hope and expectation that you will please conform to our request; immediately remove 'Boulders & Diamonds' from the Andorid Marketplace and as many other sites as you can and work with us in protecting our Intellectual Property rights.
Thank you in advance for your prompt attention to this serious matter,
Richard
Click to expand...
Click to collapse

IMHO these guys are mental. They apparently aren't familiar with the 21st century. Name something that hasn't been cloned?
Sent from my SGH-T959 using XDA App

Related

Job Opening: Mobile Application Developer - MOGA| Woodinville, WA

Location: Woodinville, WA
Divison: Consumer Products
Direct Report: TBD
Employment Type: Salaried; Exempt
Qualifications & Experience
5+ years of relevant experience in software development, information systems or equivalent technical environment; minimum 1-year experience in development utilizing Android SDK; iOS and/or WP7 a plus.
Proven experience delivering successful software, including customer-facing mobile applications, preferably game apps currently available via Google Play, Xbox LIVE and/or the App Store.
Solid understanding of in-app analytics and PII best practices.
BA/BS in Computer Science or related field preferred; Interactive Design a plus.
Skills & Traits
Passion for app development, focus on UX/UI, strong project management skills and attention to detail are required.
Proficiency in Java, Android SDK frameworks, XML, web-service technologies, emerging web standards (i.e., HTML 5), analytics tools (i.e., Omniture, Google Analytics).
Ability to plan, drive and complete projects. A thinker and a doer.
Excellent verbal and written communication skills.
Strong problem solving abilities including an ability to influence internal stakeholders.
Ability to take initiative and demonstrate leadership.
Desire to work hard, learn fast, generate ideas and make things happen the best way in a changing environment. Willingness to do whatever it takes to get the job done.
Professional disposition/appearance, and positive attitude and outlook.
Excellent interpersonal and relationship building skills.
Interest in video games a plus.
Duties & Responsibilities
Develop mobile applications for BDA’s Consumer Products division, creating simple interactions for complex functionality.
Work with supervisor and co-workers to prioritize projects, app features and deliverable timelines for maximum business impact.
Manage requirements, documentation, testing and participate in troubleshooting efforts within a highly matrixed organization.
Work with supervisor and creative staff/contractors to drive the process of UI design, apply user tests, specify user flows/screens and direct graphical design within the framework of BDA’s consumer brands, owning the day-to-day execution in the form of design comp reviews, functional reviews with development teams, and presentations to internal stakeholders.
Serve as company-wide mobile app subject matter expert (SME).
Coordinate content delivery with BDA’s consumer packaging teams and websites, including PowerA.com and MUNITIO.com.
Participate in creative brainstorm meetings to provide input for fresh, new ideas, vision and project direction.
Develop and maintain an effective, positive working relationship with other BDA teams and individuals.
Additional marketing responsibilities as assigned by supervisor.
Occasional weekend and evening hours required.
Contact
Melissa
Only local canidates or persons willing to relcoate will be considered (no relocation fee will be paid).
i don't think this is a right section..?
Please read THIS if you would like your job advertised on xda
This is relevant to the Job Board forum

[GUIDE] Some incredibly simple things to protect YOUR PRIVACY!

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The term "privacy" means many things in different contexts. Different people, cultures, and nations have a wide variety of expectations about how much privacy a person is entitled to or what constitutes an invasion of privacy. Information or data privacy refers to the evolving relationship between technology and the legal right to, or public expectation of, privacy in the collection and sharing of data about one's self. Privacy concerns exist wherever uniquely identifiable data relating to a person or persons are collected and stored, in digital form or otherwise. In some cases these concerns refer to how data is collected, stored, and associated. In other cases the issue is who is given access to information. Other issues include whether an individual has any ownership rights to data about them, and/or the right to view, verify, and challenge that information.
This post does not intend to address the many definitions of privacy or the many technical means of protecting and invading one's privacy. There are already many posts addressing this aspect and brief search can turn up lots of answers for you.
This post is only intended to help the least technically savvy among us in maintaining some small amount of data security and privacy without getting very technical about things. It was derived from many diverse sources on basic privacy.
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Recently, a friend handed me his phone and asked me to take a picture. “What’s the password?” I asked. “I don’t have one,” he said. I think I must have had a puzzled look on my face as, I suppose, I tend to grimace when someone I know tells me they’re choosing not to take one of the very simplest steps for privacy protection, allowing anyone to look through their phone with the greatest of ease, to see whichever messages, photos, and sensitive apps they please.
So, this post is for you, big guy with no password on your Galaxy/iPhone/Nexus/whatever, and for you, girl who stays signed into GMail on your boyfriend’s computer, and for you, person walking down the street having a loud conversation on your mobile phone about your recent doctor’s visit of that odd ailment you have. These are the really, really simple things you could be doing to keep casual intruders from invading your privacy.
1 Password protect your phone! It is one of the simplest things you can do to most devices (smartphones, tablets, etc.) with the least amount of effort. Many people tell me it is “annoying” to take the two seconds to type in a password each time before using the phone. Gimme a break, everyone!. Choosing not to password protect these devices is the digital equivalent of leaving your home or car unlocked. If you’re lucky, no one will take advantage of you. Or maybe the contents will be ravaged and your favorite speakers and/or secrets stolen. If you’re not paranoid enough, spend some time reading entries in Reddit, where many Internet users go to discuss issues of the heart. A good percentage of the entries start, “I know I shouldn't have, but I peeked at my gf’s phone and read her text messages, and…” Oh, and before you pick a password like "123456" or "password" do yourself a big favor and visit the Worst passwords of all time web page! No laughing allowed!
2 Turn on 2-step authentication in GMail (that is, if you use GMail, of course). The biggest conclusion you can derive from the epic hack of Wired’s Mat Honan is that it probably wouldn't have happened if he’d turned on “2-step verification” in GMail. This simple little step turns your device into a security fob — in order for your GMail account to be accessed from a new device, a person (you?) needs a code that’s sent to your phone. This means that even if someone gets your password somehow, they won’t be able to use it to sign into your account from a strange computer. (How it works - video) Google says that millions of people use this tool, and that “thousands more enroll each day.” Be one of those people! Yes, it can be annoying if your phone battery dies or if you’re traveling. Of course, you can temporarily turn it off when you’re going to be abroad or phone-less. Alternately, you can leave it permanently turned off, and increase your risk of getting epically hacked. Which do you like better?
3 Put a Google Alert on your name! This is an incredibly easy way to stay on top of what’s being said about you online. It takes less than a minute to do. Go here: http://www.google.com/alerts; anyone can do it easily. Google Alerts are email updates of the latest relevant Google results (web, news, etc.) based on your queries. Enter your name, and variations of your name, with quotation marks around it. Boom. You’re done. Now, that wasn't too tough, was it? I didn't think so. :-]
4 Sign out of your Facebook / Twitter / GMail / etc. account! Do it each time you are done with your emailing, social networking, tweeting, and other forms of general time-wasting. Not only will this reduce the amount of tracking of you as you surf the Web, this also prevents someone who later sits down at your computer from loading one of these up and getting snoopy. This becomes much more important when you’re using someone else’s or a public computer. Yes, people actually forget to do this, with terrible outcomes. Incidentally, if you have the Chrome browser on your PC and you use “incognito” (Ctrl Shift N) or Internet Explorer and you use “InPrivate” (Ctrl Shift P) you will automatically be logged out when you close the window, and no cookies or passwords will be stored. Pretty cool, right?
5 Don’t give out your email address, phone number, or zip code when asked. Hey, if some scary (or weird) looking dude in a bar asked for your phone number, you'd say no, wouldn't you? But when the person asking is a uniform-wearing employee at a local store, many people hand over their digits without hesitation. Stores often use this info to help profile you and your purchase. Yes, you can say no. If you feel badly about it, just pretend the employee is that scary looking dude!
6 Change Your Facebook settings to “Friends Only.” I really thought that by now, with the many Facebook privacy stories which have been published, everyone would have their accounts locked down and boarded up like a cheap Florida house before a hurricane. Not so. There are still lots and lots of people on Facebook who are as exposed on the internet as Katy Perry at that water park. Go to your Facebook privacy settings and make sure the “default privacy” setting isn't set to "public"! If it’s set to “Custom” make sure you know and understand any “Networks” you’re sharing with.
7 Use unique passwords for every site you go to. This sounds really difficult but - surprise - it is quite simple! Password managers come in many sizes and flavors these days. They will generate complex passwords and remember them for you. Protect yourself against phishing scams, online fraud, and malware. Many of these apps have versions you can use on your computer as well as on your tablet and phone. Some are free and some cost money. Your choice. Here, let me show you how simple it is to find a bunch of them: http://bit.ly/V4xehO! As I said, there are many - the one I use is this one here.
8 Clear your browser history and cookies on a regular basis. Do you remember the last time you did that? If you just shrugged, consider changing your browser settings so it is automatically cleared every session. Go to the “privacy” setting in your Browser’s “Options.” Tell it to “never remember your history.” This will reduce the amount you’re tracked online. Consider one of the several browser add-ons, like TACO, to further reduce tracking of your online behavior.
9 Read the posted privacy policy. Boring, isn't it? Every web site has one and likely for a good reason. Have you ever seen the XDA Privacy Policy? Yup, that's just what I thought!
In conclusion, here's one from the Wall Street Journal's Law Blog.
As I said, this is not a technical article but it may make you think if it does the job right.
Sixth Circuit: No Expectation of Privacy in Cell Phone GPS Data
Drug dealers, beware. Your pay-as-you-go phones probably have GPS. And, according to a federal appeals court in Cincinnati, police can track the signal they emit without a warrant.
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit ruled that the Drug Enforcement Administration committed no Fourth Amendment violation in using a drug runner’s cellphone data to track his whereabouts. The DEA obtained a court order to track Melvin Skinner’s phone, after finding his number in the course of an investigation of a large-scale drug trafficking operation.
The DEA didn’t know much about Mr. Skinner or what he looked like. They knew him as Big Foot, the drug mule, and they suspected he was communicating with the leader of the trafficking operation via a secret phone that had been registered under a false name. Agents used the GPS data from his throw-away phone to track him, and he was arrested in 2006 at a rest stop near Abilene, Texas, with a motorhome filled with more than 1,100 pounds of marijuana.
Mr. Skinner was convicted of drug trafficking and conspiracy to commit money laundering. On appeal, he argued that the data emitted from his cell phone couldn’t be used because the DEA failed to obtain a warrant for it, in violation of the Fourth Amendment.
The question in the case was whether Mr. Skinner had a reasonable expectation of privacy in the data his phone emitted. It’s a question that several courts are wrestling with. Federal law enforcement authorities, as in this case, say that investigators don’t need search warrants to gather such information.
Justice Department lawyers argued in a court brief that “a suspect’s presence in a publicly observable place is not information subject to Fourth Amendment protection.”
Judge John M. Rogers, writing for the majority, agreed:
There is no Fourth Amendment violation because Skinner did not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in the data given off by his voluntarily procured pay-as-you-go cell phone. If a tool used to transport contraband gives off a signal that can be tracked for location, certainly the police can track the signal. The law cannot be that a criminal is entitled to rely on the expected untrackability of his tools. Otherwise, dogs could not be used to track a fugitive if the fugitive did not know that the dog hounds had his scent. A getaway car could not be identified and followed based on the license plate number if the driver reasonably thought he had gotten away unseen. The recent nature of cell phone location technology does not change this. If it did, then technology would help criminals but not the police.
He was joined by Judge Eric L. Clay. Judge Bernice B. Donald, who concurred but disagreed with the majority’s Fourth Amendment reasoning, said the DEA couldn’t have figured out the identity of Mr. Skinner, the make and model of his vehicle or the route he would be driving without the GPS data from his phone.
“It is not accurate…to say that police in this case acquired only information that they could have otherwise seen with the naked eye,” she wrote. “While it is true that visual observation of Skinner was possible by any member of the public, the public would first have to know that it was Skinner they ought to observe.”
A lawyer for Mr. Skinner didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.​
Comments? Suggestions? Ideas? They are all welcome.
Flame wars (relating to privacy or otherwise) are not. :-]
[GUIDE] Some incredibly simple things to protect YOUR PRIVACY - Part 2
Cameras on smart phones, getting better with each generation of new devices, allow people to take pictures or videos on the go and transmit these images by e-mail or post them to the Web. With phone in hand, unexpected sightings of celebrities can be snared with a flick of the wrist (turning the celled into the 'snaparazzi'), as can chance encounters with pretty girls or gorgeous sunsets. Their impact can be great for both good and evil.
Not too long ago two men lit themselves on fire in protest. But only one of them is credited with starting a revolution.
The difference between the two? Mobile phones recorded Mohamed Bouazizi, a Tunisian fruit vendor, as he set himself ablaze in despair over his economic plight. Those videos kicked off the wave of 2011 Arab Spring demonstrations.
Abdesslem Trimech, the other man, fell into relative obscurity. (Source: The Mobile Wave: How Mobile Intelligence Will Change Everything by Michael Saylor)
Back in 2005, a retail fraud investigator for one of the larger chain stores said that while he was still unable to capture a usable image of a credit card from even the then newer camera phones, he has been able to grab readable images of all account and routing info from the personal checks customers have produced at the checkout. Check writers, he says, have a tendency to "lay out" their check books on the writing counter at the registers and keep them stationary enough to obtain a clear image of all the personal information printed on the check. He has also tested this theory with camera-equipped palm tops and has found that with the adjustable resolution he has been able to get a pretty clear picture, with zoom, from a reasonable distance away (3-5 feet). So at this point in time, as phone cameras get better and better, your credit card might still be secure but your personal check might not be.
So, what personal information does your mobile phone reveal about you? Do you know? Do you care?
It seems that many people are slowly becoming more aware of the pitfalls and the mobile-privacy concerns.
According to reports, 54% of cell phone users in the U.S. have decided not to install an app once they discovered how much of their personal information it would access. (The amount of sensitive info an app can access typically is indicated by the "permissions" the app requests, listed on its information page.)
Also, nearly one-third of mobile app users report uninstalling an app from their phone because they learned it was collecting personal information they didn't wish to share.
We need to first be aware and also be willing to actively take steps in order to protect our own privacy. Children of all ages need to be carefully taught as well.
Okay, but what about students? Do students have an expectation of privacy on their cell phones while at school?
The short answer to this in the U.S. is a qualified yes. Whether educators have the authority to search the contents of student cell phones depends on a lot of factors. The key issue in this is the standard of reasonableness. According to New Jersey v. T.L.O (1985) students are protected by the Fourth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution which protects citizens against unreasonable searches and seizures. In T.L.O., the Supreme Court goes on to say that the standard that law enforcement officers must reach to conduct a search (probable cause that a crime has been committed), is not required of educators. In general, the standard applied to school officials is whether the search is “justified at its inception and reasonable in scope.” (See When can educators search student cell phones)
What information should children be taught NEVER to reveal?
The suggestions depend on their age. Common 'wisdom' suggests the following:
Elementary School Kids should NEVER share (their own or another’s):
Age
Full Name
Address
Phone Number
Name of School
Password Information
Images (with possible exception depending on parental involvement)
Middle School Kids should NEVER share (their own or another’s):
Age
Full Name
Address
Phone Number
Name of School
Password Information (even to friends)
Most Images (At this age, kids get into social networking and will be sharing images via cell phones and digital cameras. Parents should focus on limiting the images their children share online)
High School Kids should NEVER share (their own or another’s):
Address
Phone Number
Password Information (even to friends)
Offensive or Sexually Suggestive Images or Messages
If you managed to get this far there must have been something that concerned you.
Congratulations! Learning more about privacy is the first step.
Here's one more little trick you might try since you spent all the time getting here. :highfive:
Want to have an unlisted phone but would not like to have to pay monthly for it? Ask your phone company to replace your last name with another name - your grandmother’s maiden name or something that you never use. This will cost a few dollars, but works very well. Many phone companies will do this for you. No monthly fees for having your number unlisted and as soon as you hear someone calling you Mr. {your grandmother’s maiden name}, you can either block the number or request to be put on the company’s Do Not Call List or <fill in the blank of your choice>. Note that Caller ID takes its information from the phone book, so you will be identified as Mr. {your grandmother’s maiden name} on Caller ID units of people you call unless you turn this feature off.
Another helpful addition to the listing (available in some areas) is: "(data line)", meaning that the phone number is connected to a fax or computer and not to a live person. Check with your local company if this option is available.
Some time ago, in a concerted effort, multiple ACLU affiliates filed a total of 381 Freedom of Information Act (FoIA) requests in 32 states, asking local law enforcement agencies to disclose how they are using mobile phone location data.
The FoIA request in North Carolina struck gold: a copy of an official Department of Justice flyer, dated August 2010 that explains exactly what data is retained by Verizon Wireless, T-Mobile, AT&T, Sprint, and Sprint division Nextel. There's an enhanced copy on the ACLU website.
The eye-openers:
All of the mobile phone companies keep details about the location of cell towers used by every phone, for a year or longer.
All of the mobile phone companies keep records about voice calls and text messages received and sent for a year or longer. Verizon stores the contents of every text message for three to five days. (The others don't keep the text.)
IP session information -- tying your phone to an IP address -- is kept for a year by Verizon and 60 days on Sprint and Nextel.
IP destination information -- which IP addresses you connected to -- is stored for 90 days at Verizon and 60 days on Sprint and Nextel.
The ACLU is gathering information on what steps local police have to go through in order to acquire that stored data: warrants, formal requests, emergencies, possibly even informal procedures. They're also trying to figure out how law enforcement agencies share the data and how long it is retained.
There doesn't appear to be any sort of uniform nationwide policy or widespread judicial precedent.
The ACLU is also looking at law enforcement requests to "identify all of the cell phones at a particular location" and "systems whereby law enforcement agents are notified whenever a cell phone comes within a specific geographic area."
If you have been concerned about privacy and location data being leaked sporadically on your iOS or Android or Windows Phone device it seems you have been looking at very, very small potatoes!​
Comments? Suggestions? Ideas? They are all welcome.
Flame wars (relating to privacy or otherwise) are not. :-]
[ Another place holder ]
[GUIDE] Some Incredibly Simple Things To Protect Your Privacy!
If you find this thread helpful then do not forget to
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If you find a particular post is helpful, please click on the Thanks button
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Thanks ny_limited - I just did all these!
Cheers
Tom
Szczepanik said:
If you find this thread helpful then do not forget to
Rate: *****
Submit thread as News Tip
If you find a particular post is helpful, please click on the Thanks button
If you are using XDA App or Tapatalk, long press on the post and select :good: Thanks
Thanks ny_limited - I just did all these!
Cheers
Tom
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Appreciate the kind works, Tom, but.. This thread is for the non-technical ones among us. I suspect you are more technical than I am thus you hardly qualify to be here.
Thanks for the tips.
For extra protection, there's quite a few security apps on the market that will lock whatever information sensitive apps you want locked, usually with the same security options that your phone offers i.e. Password, PIN, pattern etc.
Just search "app lock" in the play store, for those interested.
--> dominating your screen from my t-mobile gs3, powered by: FreeGS3 R7 "Resurrection"
Complacency is one thing that most if not all internet/mobile/computing user have. I always advocate "Do not remember my password" while browsing from any form of medium to my friends. You never know when you will get compromised. Just leave your computer for a moment, your friend with malicious intent can extract all your private information with a simple and obtainable usb trick..
Even the thing most personal to me, my mobile phone, has no sites on "Log me in always" checked.
I hope websites would leave the box unchecked, as sites I visit always encourage user to have that option enabled. E.g. Ebay, Facebook..
Post # 2 has been updated just in case you need more reading material.
ny_limited said:
Post # 2 has been updated just in case you need more reading material.
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like 1 better :good:
coohdeh said:
like 1 better :good:
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Agreed. I guess I really didn't need the 3rd placeholder after all.
---
Spes in virtute est. (via XDA app)
This article is just over a year old but still makes good reading if you haven't seen it yet.
Few people would willingly carry around a device that tracks their movements, records their conversations, and keeps tabs on all the people they talk to. But, according to documents recently released by the American Civil Liberties Union, cell phone companies are doing all of that -- and may be passing the information on to law enforcement agencies.
"Retention Periods of Major Cellular Service Providers," an August 2010 document produced by the Department of Justice, outlines the types of information collected by various cell phone companies, as well as the amount of time that they retain it. On some levels, this is reassuring: Verizon (VZ) is the only company that holds on to text message content, and they erase it after 3-5 days. However, text message details -- the information about who you text with -- is retained for a minimum of a year, with some companies keeping it for up to seven years. In other words, that little back-and-forth you had with Bernie Madoff back in 2007 will be on the books until 2014.
Complete article is here
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The privacy buck stops with the user
Yes, those terms of service are annoying. They're usually too complicated and too long, and users who want a certain mobile app will be inclined to click 'next' without actually reading the fine print, even if they're worried about what rights they're signing away. Still, "cellphone users need to take responsibility for their own data," maintains Steve Durbin, global VP of the Information Security Forum.
Click to expand...
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​
Cellphone and smartphone users have a love-hate relationship with mobile apps. While they love the functionality and enhanced user experience they bring to the table, clearly many hate the perceived privacy intrusions, suggests a newly released report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
More than half -- 54 percent -- of app users surveyed decided against installing a cellphone app when they discovered how much personal information they would need to share in order to use it. Thirty percent uninstalled an app that was already on their cellphone because they learned it was collecting personal information that they didn't wish to share.
Many cellphone users take additional steps to protect the personal data on their mobile devices, including backing up photos, contacts and other files -- tasks performed by 41 percent of those surveyed. Some 32 percent have cleared the browsing or search histories on their phone, and 19 percent have turned off the location-tracking feature due to privacy concerns.
Finally, 12 percent of cell owners say that another person has accessed their phone's contents in a way that made them feel that their privacy had been invaded.
The complete article was written by Erika Morphy and published in the E-Commerce Times in September.
i just know that you can monitor the keywords via google alerts
some useful information here. Thanks a lot!
More cell phone privacy notes
Police Searches of Cell Phones
You may have a legitimate expectation of privacy of the information stored in your cell phone, and so a search warrant may be needed before a police officer can look at your phone's data. However, an officer has the authority to search a cell phone when the search is "incident to an arrest." The search is deemed similar to an officer that searches a closed container on or near a person that he's arresting.
Traditional search warrant exceptions apply to the search of cell phones. Where the accessing of memory is a valid search incident to arrest, the court need not decide whether exigent circumstances also justify the officer's retrieval of the numbers from your cell phone. Police officers are not limited to search only for weapons or instruments of escape on the person being arrested. Rather, they may also, without any additional justification, look for evidence of the arrestee's crime on his person in order to preserve it for use at trial.
Illegally Intercepted Communications
Most people would think that public broadcasting of an illegally intercepted cell phone conversation would be illegal. Well, the US Supreme Court has found that (U.S.) the First Amendment allows an illegally intercepted cell phone conversation to be shared with others when the conversation involves matters of significant public interest. The lesson here is to be careful because technology has increased the chances that your cell phone conversations are being recorded and could be made public or used against you.
Cell Phone GPS Tracking
Although there are many advantages to cell phone GPS tracking, there are also privacy concerns. As most people carry their cell phone with them at all times, the ability is in place to track the exact movements of all individuals. Cell phone GPS could prove useful in saving lives during emergencies.
For these reasons the (U.S.) Federal Communications Commission (FCC) requires wireless network providers to give the cell phone GPS tracking location information for 911 calls that have been made from cell phones. This is known as E911. The law on E911 is fairly explicit. It allows carriers to provide tracking location information to third parties for E911 emergency calls only, however not under any other circumstances whatsoever without the consent of the cell phone owner. Recent court hearings have disallowed the requests of law enforcement agencies to obtain cell phone GPS tracking information from the cell phone companies for suspects in criminal investigations.
The complete article was written and published on Lawyers.com.
Instagram says it now has the right to sell your photos
Instagram said today that it has the perpetual right to sell users' photographs without payment or notification, a dramatic policy shift that quickly sparked a public outcry.
The new intellectual property policy, which takes effect on January 16, comes three months after Facebook completed its acquisition of the popular photo-sharing site. Unless Instagram users delete their accounts before the January deadline, they cannot opt out.
Under the new policy, Facebook claims the perpetual right to license all public Instagram photos to companies or any other organization, including for advertising purposes, which would effectively transform the Web site into the world's largest stock photo agency. One irked Twitter user quipped that "Instagram is now the new iStockPhoto, except they won't have to pay you anything to use your images."
"It's asking people to agree to unspecified future commercial use of their photos," says Kurt Opsahl, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "That makes it challenging for someone to give informed consent to that deal."
The complete article is written by Declan McCullagh and published in c|net.
Thanks to FameWolf for the link!
Horrible Autoplay Video Ads Are Coming to Facebook
Facebook will unveil a new video ad product that will auto-play commercials upon arrival, executives told AdWeek's Jason del Ray. This most annoying addition, which will allow advertisers a chance to slap unsolicited videos all over the Facebook news feed, is expected to launch by April 2013, the sources say. And, to reiterate, yes, these will be the same variant of videos that pollute the ESPN.com homepage — the ones that start without you asking them to.
Facebook, which has been trying just about every kind of new ad it can this year, has not yet decided if these commercials will automatically play with or without sound. But in either case, you can bet they'll be a pain — and you can expect plenty of frustrated users. On the desktop version of Facebook, the vids will expand "out of the news feed into webpage real estate in both the left and right columns -- or rails -- of the screen," explains del Ray. Meaning: they will be everywhere. Also, for people who use a million tabs on older computers, imagine a ton of video playing over and over: slow-load city. Add a little audio in the mix and we can already see the confused masses looking for that one tab with the unwanted sound coming out of it. Oh, yeah, this is a really great idea, Facebook. As if you weren't full of those this week already.
The complete article is written by Rebecca Greenfield, published in The Atlatic Wire
ny_limited said:
Instagram said today that it has the perpetual right to sell users' photographs without payment or notification, a dramatic policy shift that quickly sparked a public outcry.
The new intellectual property policy, which takes effect on January 16, comes three months after Facebook completed its acquisition of the popular photo-sharing site. Unless Instagram users delete their accounts before the January deadline, they cannot opt out.
Under the new policy, Facebook claims the perpetual right to license all public Instagram photos to companies or any other organization, including for advertising purposes, which would effectively transform the Web site into the world's largest stock photo agency. One irked Twitter user quipped that "Instagram is now the new iStockPhoto, except they won't have to pay you anything to use your images."
"It's asking people to agree to unspecified future commercial use of their photos," says Kurt Opsahl, a senior staff attorney at the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "That makes it challenging for someone to give informed consent to that deal."
The complete article is written by Declan McCullagh and published in c|net.
Thanks to FameWolf for the link!
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Instagram has backed off the language in its new privacy and terms of service policies that set off a significant firestorm online. Instagram cofounder Kevin Systrom posted on the company’s blog under the title “Thank you, and we’re listening”. Whether you believe him or not you can read more about it at Forbes.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Enjoy the festivities!
Will see you all next year!
New 2013 CA laws affect online privacy, homeowners, schools
From protecting your online privacy to party buses, there are 750 new California (USA) laws taking effect in 2013.
The complete KABC-TV (Los Angeles) article of January 1, 2013 can be found here.
[USA] New laws keep employers out of worker social media accounts
Employers in Illinois and California cannot ask for usernames and passwords to the personal social media accounts of employees and job seekers under laws that took effect on Jan. 1.
Illinois Gov. Patrick Quinn in August signed legislation amending the State's 'Right to Privacy in the Workplace Act.'
California Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation adding the prohibitions to the State's Labor Code in September.
The two states join Maryland, Michigan, New Jersey and Delaware in implementing such privacy laws.
Full ComputerWorld article: http://bit.ly/118L2tM

Implications of latest Wikileaks report on CIA backdooring/hacking Android.

So now that these exploits for Android and iPhone are out in the wild, will developers patch them?
Would like to know everyone's thoughts.
For those who aren't up to speed on the news report today here is the press release and relevant info:
Today, Tuesday 7 March 2017, WikiLeaks begins its new series of leaks on the U.S. Central Intelligence Agency. Code-named "Vault 7" by WikiLeaks, it is the largest ever publication of confidential documents on the agency.
The first full part of the series, "Year Zero", comprises 8,761 documents and files from an isolated, high-security network situated inside the CIA's Center for Cyber Intelligence in Langley, Virgina. It follows an introductory disclosure last month of CIA targeting French political parties and candidates in the lead up to the 2012 presidential election.
Recently, the CIA lost control of the majority of its hacking arsenal including malware, viruses, trojans, weaponized "zero day" exploits, malware remote control systems and associated documentation. This extraordinary collection, which amounts to more than several hundred million lines of code, gives its possessor the entire hacking capacity of the CIA. The archive appears to have been circulated among former U.S. government hackers and contractors in an unauthorized manner, one of whom has provided WikiLeaks with portions of the archive.
"Year Zero" introduces the scope and direction of the CIA's global covert hacking program, its malware arsenal and dozens of "zero day" weaponized exploits against a wide range of U.S. and European company products, include Apple's iPhone, Google's Android and Microsoft's Windows and even Samsung TVs, which are turned into covert microphones.
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Thoughts? Concerns?
I can't post outside links yet, but if you want the full information, you can search "wikileaks press release vault 7" on google and see the press release and search the information database and exploits. Basically exploits are out in the wild that compromise your android phone completely rendering them completely insecure and giving zero privacy.

My Galaxy 7 ihas been Hijacked and I can not Stop It- I need help!

For some time now, many years, I have experienced problems with my cellular telephone that I could not explain or rectify. I know I am being hacked and no matter how many times I factory reset the phone the problems still exist. My phone has been lost and stolen in which insurance has replaced the phone and in no time or immediately I experience the exact same problems. My videos and pictures are altered, deleted or hidden. All the programs or applications seem to be altered or customized with options that are not the genuine developer or creator options and images. The graphics associated with the applications and web pages are not the genuine images and I am sure that violates trademark, copyright, intellectual property rights and other laws I am not aware of. Web pages information, contact information, address information, and content are altered and changed which can affect all sorts of areas such as personal safety, product safety, access to information is blocked, altered or displayed in ways that make it impossible to get directions, product availability, law enforcement help, legal help and information. When I use Google Maps for directions, it will take me down one way streets the opposite direction toward oncoming traffic,, have ludicrous directions, unnecessary turns, wrong speed limits, and out right wrong directions or even switch my end point without my knowledge. I tried to order cleaning gloves and masks today, and no store in my city was in stock, and delivery was not until July the 5th, 2020. I am also experiencing the same things with all my electronics such as my computer, smart televisions, printers and gps units. I did a screen recording of the applications on my phone, and the about phone section. I know from that it is apparent that my phone is hacked and under control of some other party or person. Someone is either maliciously attacking me with the purpose to cause extreme harm for reasons of personal enjoyment, or my name, reputation and activities have been purposely misled and lied about in a gross manner where a cellular telephone developer, or a technology hacker, or information pirate or mercenary developed and/or gave someone or some group a program and knowledge on how to capture my phone and all other electronics and hold it hostage. I have tried to root the phone in order to put a custom rom on it, but my searches and efforts are blocked and never get any traction or success. I am attaching the screen capture video- it is 20+ minutes and will show the extent of the hacking. Someone is perverting and illegally using developers tools, programs, applications and code in ways that were never intended and can only lead to extreme problems of which in all honesty death or terminal scenarios are all real possibilities. I am hoping to identify these people with your help, and bring them to justice and alleviate my life problems that this has caused and stop the illegal and intentional perversion of the original intent for cellular development which is the fruitful search for knowledge and advancement of useful and legal technology. Please help me in this battle to which all operations on my device are unsuccessful, disheartening, and uncontrollable. Thank you in advance and if this should be posted in another area or forum please advise, however I am posting it in a few that I think are relevant. I live in Houston, Texas- so if there is a group of developers, or some people that can help me combat this locally please message me their contact information. Take care. - Dale-
Screenshots attached and a link to the video of my phone and it’s contents.
Here is the link to the screenshots of applications, programs and phone information: wwwdotdrive.google.com/drive/folders/1OImrdp64ndMzJGN74v7K4G6H4zc2DzV9?usp=sharing
Here is the link with the video of the screen shots and a little narration: wwwdotdrive.google.com/file/d/1i7GU9TVUnqfJvgyLq5roaaPR08EkBf0z/view?usp=sharing

Non-emergencey contact to personal device security research institutes collaborative thread

This posts here to increase the effect of sending my phones and other devices targetedly hacked files and file contents to the correct places to help forward the progress of patching the in routes and exploits used to conmlrimise my devices. im not mass generically hacked like all content marketing oriented loa pricepoint device users are. im also targetedly hacked, being a poster of evidence of organized crime. how i know this is surveying the various search results of numerous parts of code grep'd through for everything from 'usually' to 'when the' and the like and finding undocumented code); analytics traces reports screenshots etc i need to send to the correct agencies labs and engineers to effetiely take an opportunity one rarely has, not a whole lot more luck needed just to expose what ive found to get help swnding it all to the right researchers.., here to also overstep and des mceibe a social engineerig aspect to this criminal co-perogative that seems to be boiled down to a method or science always changing specific tech understanding apartide line that one would say would be inperceptible if not being lóoked for. These effects are already known, ask any journalist or researcher whos benefitted from the use of tor. do u ever get o ly search results fro. 2013 2014? ueah thats not right its 2022 and those are whats been whiddled down as passable as results to you that will derail your presumptive expectation to find usefull relevant info. like free black market oligarchay totalitarianiasm censorship of good info by masses of evil black hearted tyranical rulers. What is or was being done was not unlike untargeted hacking, wasnt unlike stalking, wasnt unlike gaslighting, was engineered by heinous psychologists under a larger tech side of a harasment as a service outfit utilizing specific individually itemized psychological attacks managed and administered from a heirerarchal chain of command involong hassers unbeknownst (effectively anyone), and salaried operative sabetuer assailant rights violators harassers, being orchestrated by a few headpieces workong to effect intimidation, harm, debilitation, eventual ruin of targets. im a lucky one to have escaped their heretounforsceen murderous grasp... technical implementation and phychological advice, and the client criminal operations, all likley make io the types involved.. and some .MOs? . A score is kept of each targets perceptable work toward outing the criminal client(most dont continually announce display post what they know under threat to their familys, i fly in the face of these intimidations and threats as ofton as possible, or as necessary. they especoally anger me and i ofton
make sure to give a speech about it if needed bwcause id say thaTs the proverbial time and place for that
the stalker or stalkers will note it all and interfere suggesting or positing jackassedly outloud (the two harasser grouping lends to this) which is being pumped as audio to the tatget , only filtered down to narrow effective frequency bands of audible sound. a effort to disturb distract frustrate is debilitating especially at length. i have audio recorsdngs of this subliminal harassment,¹¹¹i will post and have posted online. Undocmentble and likely undocumented (ie unprovable) aspects of reality, of which there are many, are derived contrieved etc by the stalkers one after the next and projected subliminally to the target as heassments, threats, psychosis induction, all to kéep reports from going to police, knowlede of anythining relevant or related from being learned basically preventing anything the target might do in the course of a day,, randomly or specifically or especially if ostensibly they were heading to the police station printing store etc. a target has to endure : Internet is filtered
friends are threatened and harssed the programs on anyones phone in the vicinity re beiing montoped to know if recording or video apps start running. Im not the only person who knows bout what i videod and posted, many involved are plausibly victims, many benefiting, profiting, buying àre monstors heartless soulless murderous enemys to mankind. How i got targeted? i was attacked by two guards at a high rise, recorded it incidentally, posted it online, in the bckground is evidence of the activities of aug fifteenth sixteenth twentyeighteen, some largescale illegal sex crime party for high rolling invertebrate clients, and not just in the background, but my interactions with the guards upclose are all evidence and the 15 mins of video as i exited the vicinity all contain evidence. They usually keep anything like video taken on a cell phone contained and from ever reaching the net, but i was recording to disk and feeling extra like it was a miracle i survived the attack gonna take the disk out for safe keeping minded also, gonna post immediately minded after evading immedite stalker harassers traveled on foot strategizing for 12 hours, went forward in visiting an art school campus, visiting the library and uploading over a simple Vpn to youtube (browser built in one if i remember correctly). My civil rights activism prior to this gave me some ability to evade gang stalker harassments, and all in all i had been being targeted digitally and had some upload strategy to use because of the same, the civil rights and land use activism i was doing videoing and posting. So the stops were pulled and full scale cmpaigns were deployed to psychologically or otherwise send me into ruin in a way that would be indetectible in any way as being foul play or at least un reportably or documentably, because tens if not hindreds had to have noticed the oddities of patterns and diversions from the norms of everything everywhere variousley i frequented. stalkers effirts were all made with intention to have effect but also to effectively obscure what was being done, why, what crime there was to reported if any, and any routes or reasons provable that i might have to seek relief from foundations for the crimes against me, so as to be able to persist and continually attack playing any and all angles of various of psychological and physiological attacks through incetivatized or otherwise achieved malfunction or alternate to normal operation of things ... this is where conputers come in, my devices were and still are if im being realistic used for and integral in facilitating this, but not without a lot of code paper trail i was expected not ever to be able to ascertain knowledge of or obtain. Largescale distributed obscured attack on individual targets isnt always viable, but ofton is it would seem... In the curse of weathering this attack i achieved slowely progress in my life , trancendance above and beyond the thercheous pitfalls and all that laid out figuritvely to ensnare me, and have atained for myself many if not a few more of my life goals as well. I have explained and exposed the immediate harassments and stalking to those being subjected to its immediate and side effects, and a page long list of other focused intentional sometimes subtle corrective or stimulating vitalization of some sort to the social and interpersonal climate within which i live life ive been, seeing as how it was being accurely poluted. it wasnt always easy or obvious but certainly something of the needed necessary and natural reaction type of measure i believe either way i know i have succeeded in the various ways i went about keeping my life from falling apart. Somewhere in these outcomes, milemarkers, graduations and self afirmations i categorically became, non susceptible to a certain category of sheer wall affront to a person who is targeted. socially, technically, socially correctovely, verbally, orationally, (speech giving?), attritionally effectively strategically, in one too many ways they cant effect their zero click exploit on one Kyle Varela, as it were, and now im here, right pretty much where id be, only here in my hand is alot of the info needed to disenfranchise those who this computer based evasion of my privacy and much worse was undertaken by, to help potentionally a lot of people, to help the world operate one incriment less innificiently... But i have to delve into realms unknown to turn in the files and doing so will continue to make it self aparent in its non accomplishability approached alone by just me. ...Leading to my posts reason.
Stated: source help, advice, and leads into and about the most suspicious of the many entrys and code snippets within the uploaded files all taken from systems i was using, and i believe is likley to contain evidence provingthY the disfunctionalityt of my devices software and hardware was intentional identifiable and ultimately hopefully reportable and patchable.
This post will be finished with attachments after getting initial post up. Just a moment

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