Facebook rape joke pages removed

8 November 2011 Last updated at 16:45 ET

Facebook has removed several rape joke pages from its social network.

The group pages, which included "You know she's playing hard to get when your chasing her down an alleyway" had been criticised by victim support groups.

The network said: "There is no place on Facebook for content that is hateful, threatening, or incites violence."

However, controversial postings may remain if administrators add a tag stating they are humorous or satire.

Facebook said it took the action because the pages broke its terms and conditions.

"We take reports of questionable and offensive content very seriously," the network told the BBC.

"However, we also want Facebook to be a place where people can openly discuss issues and express their views, while respecting the rights and feelings of others.

"Groups or pages that express an opinion on a state, institution, or set of beliefs - even if that opinion is outrageous or offensive to some - do not by themselves violate our policies.

"These online discussions are a reflection of those happening offline, where conversations happen freely."

Pub joke

The statement's formal language contrasts with the firm's previous comments.

In August it said: "Just as telling a rude joke won't get you thrown out of your local pub, it won't get you thrown off Facebook."

Facebook's initial reluctance to intervene prompted criticism from campaign groups. Businesses also expressed concern that their adverts were appearing on the pages.

Campaigners said they were "delighted" that the postings had been taken down. However, they said the network needed to do more.

"Simply removing the pages does not go far enough," said Jane Osmond, from the advocacy website Women's Views On News.

"The public need to know that Facebook have revised their position, rather than just removed the pages to protect their public image."

Untagged

Some of the joke pages attracted more than 190,000 "like" clicks from the website's members.

Although several postings are now offline, a search for "You know she's playing hard to get when..." still reveals many untagged pages remain.

That may change once the company decides it has given administrators enough notice to implement its rules.

"It's a tricky line for Facebook to walk," said Theresa Wise, a media consultant.

"The risk is that it becomes associated with such acts as the US government taking down Wikileaks or the Chinese restricting Google.

"On the other hand its commercial revenues depend on it not being linked to publicly odious sentiments."

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LG signs deal with patent giant

8 November 2011 Last updated at 14:43 ET

LG Electronics has become the latest smartphone maker to sign a deal with the patent house Intellectual Ventures.

IV licenses out its huge library of innovation rights rather than using them to build products of its own.

LG will be able to access IV's patents to threaten counter-attacks against any firm planning an intellectual property lawsuit.

Industry watchers say other businesses are likely to strike similar deals over the coming years.

"With companies claiming breach of patent across the board, firms can either defend every case that comes in or try to limit their exposure," said Chris Green, technology analyst at Davies Murphy Group Europe.

"Doing deals with big patent houses allows them to do the latter."

Lawsuit

The South Korean electronics firm was wounded in a previous patent battle. It had to pay Kodak $414m (�257m) in 2009 for infringing the camera maker's digital imaging rights.

Continue reading the main story

"Start Quote

It acquires patents and does some R&D of its own. But the vast majority of its patents are bought on the secondary market"

End Quote Florian Mueller Patent consultant

"Our alliance with IV gives us access to patents outside our core and allows us the freedom to focus on what's important in our industry - innovation," said Jeong Hwan Lee, head of LG's intellectual property centre.

Patent experts say the deal may allow the firm to become more adventurous.

"LG now has the opportunity to leverage IV's large patent portfolio and more aggressively expand product offerings in novel directions," said Andrea Matwyshyn from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School.

Legal Rights Library

Intellectual Ventures' was set up by Nathan Myhrvold, former chief technology officer at Microsoft.

Over the past 11 years it has built up a portfolio of more than 35,000 patents covering areas such as text messaging and internet security.

The firm has signed licensing deals with HTC, RIM and Samsung among others.

However, it has also filed lawsuits against Motorola, HP, Dell and Hynix Semiconductor alleging they have infringed its rights.

"Its business model is that of an aggregator," said Florian Mueller, a patent consultant whose clients include Microsoft.

"It acquires patents and does some R&D of its own. But the vast majority of its patents are bought on the secondary market, and its business model is to license them.

"But that's not necessarily a bad thing if the technology involved is a legitimate innovation deserving patent protection."

'Trolls'

However, others are more critical of patent owners who sue others but do not produce their own goods, describing them as "patent trolls".

A Boston University study recently claimed such organisations add over $30bn in costs to industry each year and contribute little in return.

However IV defends its business model.

"Our goal is to reach productive licence agreements that give our customers access to the patents that will help them minimise risk and stay competitive," said Andy Elder, the firm's executive vice president of global licensing.

"That's especially important in crowded markets like the mobile industry. Litigation is an option we have, but we prefer to negotiate a licence that's beneficial for both companies."

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Apple store hit by malicious app

8 November 2011 Last updated at 10:07 ET

A malicious piece of software designed for iPhones and iPads has been created to show that Apple's app store is not immune to malware.

The code was designed to look like a stock price tracker, but was also able to steal data.

Experts said that the proof-of-concept program was a "significant threat" to the app store.

Apple declined to comment. It also removed the app and barred the developer from its store.

The software was created by security expert and hacker Charlie Miller to demonstrate Apple's vulnerabilities.

The firm accepted the program to its iTunes app store in September. Two months later Mr Miller revealed that it contained malware that could remotely download pictures and contacts.

"Until now you could just download everything from the app store and not worry about it being malicious. Now you have no idea what an app might do," he said.

The InstaStock app took advantage of a recent update to Apple's mobile operating system which allowed non-approved code to be added to installed apps for the first time.

A few hours after Mr Miller disclosed the flaw, he received an email from Apple which said he was barred from the iOS developer program for violating its terms and conditions.

He wrote on Twitter: "First they give researchers access to developer programs, (although I paid for mine) then they kick them out.. for doing research. Me angry."

Mr Miller has made something of a habit of exposing Apple's security flaws.

In 2009 he identified a bug in the iPhone's text-messaging system that allowed attackers to gain remote control over the devices.

He has since exposed other vulnerabilities in Apple's Mac and mobile platforms.

Mr Miller plans to present his research at a security conference in Taiwan on 17 November.

Jail-broken

The app he created was described as "the most significant threat yet to Apple's app store economy", by independent mobile analyst Ian Fogg.

"Apple has been widely criticised for the way in which it limits what code developers can use but this suggests that it was probably right to do that," he added.

To date Apple's biggest security threat has been to the minority of its devices that have been modified.

So-called jail-broken handsets appeal to more tech-savvy users who want to introduce non-Apple approved software to their handsets.

However, many experts believe Apple's app store is still more secure than many of its rivals'.

"The Android marketplace has a supply chain that is rather less controlled and therefore offers more potential to malware writers," said Graham Titterington, an analyst with research firm Ovum.

But he added that this malicious iPhone app could be "the first of many".

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