Watch the new Windows Phone Commercial

Watch the new Windows Phone Commercial ...

New Window Phone Commercial by Microsoft. This commercial is totally so effective. Its different from previous commercials by Microsoft. Nice and lovely graphics and view.


Let's watch the commercial:

HTC Trophy begins to receive the update of Windows Phone 7 February

HTC Trophy begins to receive the update of Windows Phone 7 February...

The update of Windows Phone 7 February begins to reach terminals distributed in Spain, at least in the case of the HTC Vodafone Trophy, although this is not the strong upgrade, but a simple snack that will allow to install which should arrive this month of March with the copy and paste by flag. Thus it seems that the promise of universal updates Microsoft is a noted.


The update is done through Zune, which also must be upgraded with a small patch automatically to be able to proceed to update the phone. Then we can already download the update and will have access to a new window of Zune that will be in charge of guiding us through the process, limited to say the State and whether we should or not unplug the phone at each step. The process takes about 20 minutes and we will not notice anything on the phone at the level of operation, or loss of data, or noteworthy improvements, except the change of version of Windows Phone 7 to review 7008.

In our case, with a HTC Trophy we have not had the dreaded and recognized error of some Samsung handsets, and the update of February 2011 raced without the slightest setback. Hopefully for the March update is us not wait until April and contains more news out of the "copy paste", as the ringing tones, the tethering on terminals that still can not and other fringes.

Windows Phone 7 Samsung device upgradeable on back

Windows Phone 7 Samsung device upgradeable on back...

Recall that a few days ago we talked about a glitch which affected some users of Samsung phones after they had installed the latest update of Windows Phone 7. An update that would do nothing more than pave the way towards other much more significant update expected for this year (such as copy and paste), but that it was revealed dangerous for some terminals.


After Microsoft had withdrawn apologized, promising that he would become available within a short time. Since yesterday evening, however, the update is available again, and the problem has been fixed.

Microsoft addresses the challenge of creating software that run on different hardware from different manufacturers (a bit what with Microsoft in the PC) while Apple doesn't have to worry about this kind of problems, as has at most 3 device supported simultaneously by iOS  (Right now 2, since iOS 4.3 no longer supports the iPhone 3G). This does not mean that there are problems, just think of the silent alarm or belated which gave some headache last autumn and on new year's Eve.

Flickr app for mobile devices equipped with Windows 7, officially launched

Flickr app for mobile devices equipped with Windows 7, officially launched...

We had our friend Yira Albornoz in early January that Flickr was preparing an application for phones equipped with Windows Phone 7 and tablets running Windows 7. Well, the launch is now official, Flickr just announced on his blog.

If you're using Windows Phone 7 know that the program has been available for several weeks in the Marketplace . In fact, there have been various updates and you can download version is 1.1. If you update frequently may already have one.

Among the new features that Flickr announced for the two applications include:

• View all recent activities and past work uploaded to your contacts.
• Optimized for viewing new high resolution screen, zoomable.
• " Context View , a completely new way to access the history of the image and its author.
• Geolocation capability in a full-screen interactive map.
• Easy to share pictures with your friends from your mobile device directly from Flickr and Facebook, Twitter or email.

In short, a careful design tool and very useful for users of social network acquired by Yahoo, which has recently experienced a reversal by the emergence of other ways to share images by using Facebook mainly.

Apple defends itself from Microsoft. If the name of the App Store is "their generosity", then so is Windows

Apple defends itself from Microsoft. If the name of the App Store is "their generosity", then so is Windows...

Last January we informed you about the motion he had submitted Microsoft to the Office U.S. Patent and Trademark Office requesting that refused it to Apple 's award of the name "App Store" as a trademark , arguing that it was too generic a term that was used to refer to all mobile application stores and not just to the apple company.

Apple's response could not be expecting too much more and have taken to remind them why a word like Windows can be registered as a trademark within a certain context. "Microsoft is unable to see the forest for the trees" , shamelessly says the document listed the names of the different stores applications from companies such as Nokia, Palm, BlackBerry or Microsoft itself as evidence of anything specific and generic nature of the term "App Store".

Now it's up to the Office U.S. Patent and Trademark consider the case and determine if the motion of Microsoft have enough weight or else let the trademark go through the hearing for a final resolution in which it is granted (or not ) to Apple.

"The Windows brand is as generic and over App Store," says Apple

"The Windows brand is as generic and over App Store," says Apple...

Apple has recently responded to a complaint from Microsoft on its own brand "App Store", claiming that the term "Windows" is, in reality, just as generic as their own.



Here's what Apple says:

After all the time it took for Microsoft to settle the trademark "Windows", this would be better not talk about it without judging whether a mark is generic or not.

But Apple did not stop here and so decided to call in question, Robert Leonard, a language expert, who stated that the term "App Store" is often used to mean just the store's digital home of the bitten apple, and not simply a generic. But his report did not stop here and, indeed, has accused Microsoft of using the word to indicate its Marketplace Store only in order to avoid the use of the mark App Store.

This will be considered and decided by the authorities in charge of the case, we await further developments.

Vodafone Germany from Microsoft and NokiaVodafone Germany from Microsoft and Nokia

Vodafone Germany from Microsoft and NokiaVodafone Germany from Microsoft and Nokia...

Nokia and Microsoft have recently made a commitment that will lead to the slow death of Symbian while by the end of the year should appear on the market the first European handsets produced by the company posts the Redmond software. Vodafone Germany appears to be on the side of both to this Agreement, or so it seems, listening to the words of CEO Jan Geldmacher during an interview of CeBIT held in Hanover.

We are attentive to the situation that will hire new products on the cooperation of Microsoft and Nokia.

Nevertheless, Geldmacher sees the race for the smartphone market in a different way from Stephen Elop, CEO of Nokia. The latter believes that the battle between Apple, Google and Microsoft, while Geldmacher believes that Android and iOS are driving horses, and behind them, Microsoft, Nokia and RIM are forced to chase.

Windows Phone 7 updating raging in some terminals

We have identified a technical problem with the process of updating Windows Phone affecting a small number of phones. In response to this new problem we have temporarily removed the latest update software for Samsung phones in order to correct it as soon as possible to redistribute the update.

However, contrary to the official statement from Microsoft, the first update for Windows Phone 7 still seems to be available. According to at least several digital media update would not have been withdrawn, while still on Wednesday morning available for download.

A hard stick to the Redmond that after the targeted both its alliance with Nokia, expects to reap a huge success with his young mobile platform. However it seems that not everything will be plain sailing, although some evidence suggests that the error may be in the terminals themselves and not Samsung's own software update, but they have also found errors in some HTC.

Microsoft does not react in time

However, Microsoft only managed to stop sending notifications to the terminals that had not yet received, which they announced the availability of this update, leaving the software available for download from any unwary. A blunder by the software giant has made it possible for some users suddenly found that his phone had been transformed into a simple paperweight to be totally useless.

We found a success rate of 90% globally for customers when trying to install this update. The remaining 10%, the two main problems are the result of customer problems and Internet connectivity insufficient storage space on your phone or PC. These represent more than half of the reported problems with this update.

The most damaged Samsung

However, much of the reported cases have occurred primarily in the Samsung Omnia 7 and Samsung Focus, which have experienced serious problems when installing the update, coming to stop at different stages of the process without any explanation.

Luckily for some, depending on the breaking point, the phone comes to life with a simple reboot of the system but without the update installed. For the less fortunate, the corruption of their phone's firmware will have to contact your carrier and check the options for repair or replacement of the terminal that is offered.


Apparently it boils down to the assortment of versions of firmware that Samsung has distributed to its terminals. Some versions as JI9, IADB JJ4 and is used in the Samsung Omnia 7 fail. Not so those who bear the latest version JK1, but not many guarantees, having to resort to Samsung Diagnostic application to know which is which is your terminal before to try to ensure the integrity of the terminal before to take action.

Windows Phone 7 on quicksand

This is a blow to Samsung and the trust that customers have placed in the brand. But above all, is a blow for Microsoft, noting some serious gaps in the distribution and installation of your operating system, away from the closed architecture towards greater stability and performance on which hangs the long shadow of fragmentation.

By the time the Redmond continue to work on a solution to have ready soon, "the updater to update" that leads them to meet deadlines "node", but have not given it a precise date for its relaunch.

Windows 8 might be released earlier than expected

The launch of a new operating system from Microsoft is often accompanied by rumors, silences and contradictions. Until there is an official statement, any "progress" no longer a speculation that has to be taken with all types of reservations.

A leak in the roadmap development program indicates that the new version of Windows could advance its launch in several months. The assumption is based, because the version "Milestone 2 (M2) was completed in five months.

If M3, which apparently began this week, takes place at the same rate, the stages of coding, integration, error correction and closure would be completed in late July. This would have the first beta in time for the Professional Developers Conference, to be held in September.

In addition, Microsoft has declined to comment other filtration on Dell's roadmap, which they say could have a tablet with Windows 8, as a demonstration to mark the CES (Consumer Electronic Show) to hold between 10 and 13 January 2012.

In any case, it appears that if the first beta is ready in September and the forecast is that there is a second release candidate and later, in mid-2012 could be the final list. This forecast is not crazy, because a breakthrough as it has already happened in the release of Windows 7.

Nokia takes care of its developers with a Nokia E7, and in the future with Windows Phone 7

Good news for Nokia developers that they needed. The Finnish company is giving away a Nokia E7 to each of them to facilitate the work of programming, and also promised that when I get Windows Phone 7 to Nokia, developers also will have one.

I think the news is welcome because many of them must not be content with walking so much change in strategy that intentions have been removed, and the time lost in learning languages and tools that Nokia no longer trust.

Clearly the movement of Nokia is focused on caring for their developers, but also to make them think of Windows Phone 7. We understand it is a good way to motivate developers on the agenda of the Finnish firm.

Also will benefit from free technical support and evaluation of applications, plus a free ticket to the next Nokia World. We know that in the remainder of life for Symbian at least three new terminals are coming on the market, with better specifications than we know.

Microsoft tries to persuade companies not to buy iPads

The iPad has an advantage over their competitors, and one reason is its integration into the professional world. Companies are adopting it at a good pace, and 80% of the Fortune top 500 companies on what data are widely used by Apple. Microsoft tries to stop this change with a presentation, in which employers can view a list of the shortcomings of the tablet.

Among the arguments that we read in this presentation include the ease with which you can lose a iPad (which can compromise the security of the data), along with some techniques to sell Windows 7 tablets with incorporated companies already using iPad as a computer. Microsoft has been showing slides as you can see in the image above for some time now, since the network have been circulating since last month.

It is a logical move by Microsoft to try to avoid selling more tablets, especially seeing how the market has become increasingly making them the PCs lose some ground, and how at the Mobile World Congress every major brand except Nokia and Microsoft (curiously allies) have prepared their own tablets Android systems, WebOS and others. Personally I would say to the Redmond, before trying to convince businesses that it is not appropriate iPad try out a tablet with an optimized and more versatile (which is expected to make Microsoft with the launch of Windows 8). At last, after all, if Apple tablet has become the second "PC sales market will have been for nothing.

Nokia will customize Windows Phone 7, do not expect major changes

As I predicted yesterday in reviewing Windows Phone 7 manufacturers, Nokia will have some privileges in terms of customizing the system, beyond the inclusion of shortcuts on the home screen or creating hubs.

The vice president of Nokia, Niklas Savander informed us that the company is working on the user experience of Windows Phone 7, something that none of the above manufacturers have been able to smell, and that HTC was particularly interested in it.

Another issue is that they want to take this opportunity, and we also anticipates that we should not expect a radical change, but change just to make the system a little Nokia, but that does not involve falling behind in updates. We all know what is happening with Android, and the Finns have taken notice.
Improvements that will benefit other manufacturers

It is possible that some improvements can be incorporated into Windows Phone 7 ahead of other manufacturers to use them. Especially on issues such as mapping and navigation. This possibility may represent an alternative way to make money for Nokia.


In short, the customizations you can do about Windows Phone 7 Nokia, are at two levels:

* High level, which can easily be carried to new versions of Microsoft operating system if it deemed necessary.

* Low, to be implemented with Microsoft, which will aim to use the system to other manufacturers.

I have curiosity about how far they will be playing Nokia, but I think the main difference will be found in the hardware itself, in its designs, including better cameras and such details. The concepts presented last few days have been received positively by the public, we have to wait a year to see the end of the first telephone.

Acer joins Fall

We'll have more information about Windows Phone 7 from Microsoft's MIX conference held in April. On the most significant upgrade of the system, Mango, come from the hand of new hardware.

Manufacturers who are already on the platform to launch new phones, but it also seems that Acer will incorporate the improvements coming to Windows Phone 7 is encouraged, and have your first phones in September, far later in October.

The push that two giants like Acer and Nokia will give us Windows Phone 7 leaves little doubt that the system will become the third option strongest in the world of Smartphones.

Windows Phone 7 Connector comes to the App Store

Microsoft's first application in the App Store and the first implementation of the new company to control their mobile devices from a Mac OS X. It seems that Microsoft is prepared to its mobile operating system to succeed, even if it means creating applications for the Mac App Store.

The application, designed to synchronize your Windows Phone7 new equipment is compatible with any terminal or Zune HD, and since it allows us to synchronize any content, except for applications with your mobile device. The main features are:

* Sync music, movies, TV shows and podcasts from the iTunes library to their existing devices.
* Sync photos and videos from your existing iPhoto library with your devices
* Recover photos and videos taken on your Windows Phone and device automatically import existing iPhoto library
* Examine and display a preview of multimedia elements that are on devices

* Download and install operating system updates for the Windows Phone.

A fairly complete application in which the only downside is that you can use or synchronization of files with DRM so I understand that the music purchased on iTunes can not be synchronized using this program. You can download the program from the Mac App Store for free.

Motorola: "Windows Phone 7 was late", are concerned the other manufacturers?

Since Nokia reported that chose Windows Phone 7 is expected to know the opinion of other manufacturers licensees of Microsoft's operating system, especially given the favorable treatment that is assumed with the Finns to let them play around with the interface and especially the importance media has undermined them.

Reviewing some see as HTC answers in the words of Peter Chou, seems pleased with the arrival of Nokia and ended up benefiting everyone. The Taiwanese still betting big on Windows Phone 7, but I sure would like to customize the system more than you let them. Perhaps the fact that a company that focuses on different operating systems, does not give the exclusivity of the partnership of Nokia.

If we go to Sony Ericsson, has never closed the door on the platform, in recent statements by its executives have been closer, but the reality is that right now is too married to intuit Android and no horns in the relationship. HTC, Sony Ericsson has no problem to lead a multi-platform strategy.

Another large as LG joined Microsoft from the beginning, leaving out Android with negative results, has also failed to highlight in the first batch of terminals WindowsPhone7 actually showed nothing new or old in the MWC, and Android is his current priority .

Samsung's best not to speak, are everywhere, and I do not have problems continue to evolve with the Microsoft operating system. Together with HTC are those who have had better reception in the first months.

Other companies like Acer and Asus are knocking at the door for Microsoft but does not end up going, have prototypes but are awaiting the views of operators to share their range as Android.

Motorola Android just think

A company that has no problems in thinking on several operating systems, now does so only in Android, in the short to medium term will not be on the side of Microsoft, but not close doors for the future.

"I do not envision us using Microsoft. I Would Never Say Never But It's Not Something we're entertaining now. "Christy Wyatt

They tell us that Americans valued the opportunity until the last minute, but the schedule that Microsoft offered did not seem satisfactory, and allowed to differentiate as they have done with Android. Perhaps this decision led to Google to partner with it in different occasions that have presented exclusive products: Motorola Xoom, Droid, etc.

During the news I alluded to a couple of times a unique partnership and the benefits it can bring the fact of using a single operating system, as the cited case of Motorola, or Nokia event possible with their new handsets.

But a very important player in this game are the operators, if found in Windows Phone 7 what they need: personalization, inclusion of services, etc., manufacturers will be more close to use.

Windows 7 Phone arrives at the 8000 applications in the Marketplace

Windows Phone 7 Marketplace appears to continue to rise, especially now with the covenant sealed with Nokia to distribute Microsoft's operating system. In the last two weeks has increased the number of applications to a total of 8000, a step that brings a drop over the future stability of Windows Phone 7 on the market.

This information is heightened its importance if we look at the number who had his rivals at the time. In the case of Android it took 11 months to get 10,000 applications after its official release. And if we are to iOS had some that seem very even to Windows Phone 7, taking about six months the Apple Store to reach this milestone.

With more than 54% of payment applications, and 74% of Anglo-language applications, the Marketplace Microsoft seem to have much life ahead. Major industry players such as Yahoo (with Flickr), and Amazon with its Kindle have landed recently promoting this idea, and now that Nokia is intended to attract enough developers to accelerate the pace of growth.

Microsoft announced at the Mobile World Congress the new features of Windows Phone 7

A few days after the announcement of partnership between Nokia and Microsoft, the Redmond giant unveiled new features for Windows 7 Phone at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona.

Since March chronological order the new features will be: "Copy and paste", to be incorporated into the first update of the operating system, integration with Twitter People in Hub, support for Office documents in the cloud, the incorporation of Internet Explorer 9 for improving the browsing experience and a new wave of multithreaded applications.

These new features will be available throughout the year. By 2012 the aim is the implementation of the operating system in a large number of Nokia following the agreement reached between the two companies on 11 February.

According to Andy Lees, president of Mobile Communications Business at Microsoft, in short sharecroppers in U.S. terminals equipped with Windows Phone 7 through Verizon and Sprint.

The Nokia-Microsoft alliance would be beneficial for competition

Commenting on the recent announcement of the new alliance between Nokia and Microsoft to create smartphones running Windows phone, some analysts said that Apple would benefit from this situation.

In particular, Mike Abramsky of RBC Capital said that this alliance could inadvertently help the competition, primarily Apple and Google Android, as well as RIM.

The agreement between Nokia and Microsoft, in fact, could produce a very strong platform that, if successful, would help Microsoft to win 30-35% of the smartphone market, speeding up, however, the growth of the shares of competitors.

This is because, as Microsoft has promised priority for the alliance with Nokia, many other mobile phone makers could block the adoption of Windows Mobile and choose, for example, Android, as well as, conversely, Google may permanently close the door to Nokia.

And Apple might benefit from the fact that, initially, the developers prefer to wait for the actual performance of the new platform and that only in case of success will begin to develop in earnest. This, the analyst continues, could result in a boost for Apple and its rivals.

Finally, he concludes Abramsky, Nokia alliance - Microsoft, just because that seemed so strong, it could create a clear contrast between the trio Google-Apple-RIM and Nokia-Microsoft duo.

Nokia's chooses Windows Phone 7 official

We can stop beating around the bush, the alliance between Nokia and Microsoft are already a reality, the official blog confirmed the news of Nokia: Nokia smartphones will Windows Phone 7.

The option chosen was the most logical as having found the way Google is erased, so the partnership is based on the use of Windows Phone 7 as primary choice in high-end phones from Nokia.

For those who do not have believed the story, Stephen Elop and Steve Ballmer video tell us about the agreement:



Presumably Microsoft's operating system will reach new terminals, since the current does not meet the requirements set by the Redmond company, and therefore hope that the development and support of Symbian will not cut the roots. For now we will know the main points of agreement:

* In the new terminal we go dismissing the ecosystem that Nokia had been developing all these years, Ovi. With respect to applications and content, will become part of the Microsoft Marketplace.

* A third change, already evident if we follow the development of the strategy is that the Nokia Maps with Navteq will become part of Bing Maps. No need to keep reading a lot more to think that Bing is the default browser on Nokia handsets and services.

* The last two players, but not least, Office and Xbox Live are both actively present in WindowsPhone7, and provide a bonus to the capabilities of Nokia smartphones.

And no need to discover that Microsoft is also greatly enhanced out of this situation, it was the push he needed WindowsPhone7 to settle in the market, is that Nokia will contribute its expertise in hardware design, support, relations with operators, payment systems , and especially with the arrival in more markets, segments and prices.


In order to deal with the marketing of products, Microsoft and Nokia will work closely together on the development of marketing activities, joint development and shared calendar dates. Unity is strength, and they want to take every sense of the industry.

It would be interesting to see the faces of executives of Samsung, LG, HTC and other phone manufacturers WindowsPhone7 to the alliance, since it presupposes an advantage to the Finns about them, or are they imagining things?.

These are the most important changes that will bring the strategic alliance, we look to the official conference, at eleven o'clock, that we discover the rest of the details.

Nokia adopt Windows Phone 7 on their smartphones (Updated: MeeGo and Symbian remain standing)

Officially confirmed what was already an open secret: the Finnish company Nokia will start using Windows Phone 7 operating system for most of their smartphones. The confirmation comes through a press release from Microsoft itself.

Broadly speaking, the agreement speaks to what we already know that Nokia smartphones Windows Phone 7 manufacture and distribute globally. But more than that. Apparently you want to achieve a complete synergy in the mobile (not going to be) also integrating ancillary services to smartphones itself.

An example of this is that Microsoft joined Nokia Maps within its mapping service. We know that despite Bing Maps offers a good service in the U.S. and other countries leaves much to be desired in other markets such as Latin America. So it makes sense that Microsoft decides to take advantage of the overall service offered by Nokia in this regard. And it is worth highlighting that this integration will not only maps in Windows Phone, but will affect Bing Maps in general.

In addition, Nokia will use Bing as default browser in all its services and products, not just smartphones but also online services and "feature phones." In addition, Microsoft will use Nokia contracts with operators to facilitate payments in the Marketplace with charges to the phone bill.



Finally, Nokia says it will integrate the content store in the Marketplace OVI Microsoft. This is a bit confusing, as all these apps are designed for Symbian, so it would have little future in this new scenario. Unlike the case of OVI music store, whose content could easily be added to the Zune Marketplace.

But beyond these details, there is little doubt that we are dealing with a story that marked a before and after this "war of the smartphones, will have to wait to see how things evolve.

Update: As Engadget mentioned that Nokia does not plan to kill any of the operating systems that currently work. MeeGo will be an experimental platform in which will continue to work now and in the long run, while Symbian will leave as a franchise, while still providing support to users of this sistema.Por other hand, Nokia will use as Bing default browser in all its services and products, not just smartphones but also online services and "feature phones." In addition, Microsoft will use Nokia contracts with operators to facilitate payments in the Marketplace with charges to the phone bill.

Letter from AmeriKat: It's Super Bowl Sunday!!!

This week marks the 100th AmeriKat post (although there have been several non-AmeriKat posts from this feline). There would be no more apt a day to publish her 100th Letter than on SUPER BOWL SUNDAY! FOOTBALL!!!!!!!! Readers will have to excuse the AmeriKat for her sudden burst of feline frenzy, but she does love a good American football game. This year it is the Pittsburgh Steelers and Green Bay Packers who are at loggerheads -- the AmeriKat is rooting for the Steelers, although this may change following half-time. For those who have been engrossed by the rugby this weekend on this side of the Atlantic, take a moment and enjoy the beauty that is American football, not just the sport but its impact on IP. Last year the Supreme Court ruled on an issue regarding NFL team trade marks and competition law issues in the American Needle case (AmeriKat reports here). Ahh ... the NFL, bringing together two American pastimes - Sunday night football and litigation. You can't really say that about rugby, can you?

The AmeriKat will be gone next weekend as she will be finishing off (or writing) a book chapter on the Viacom v YouTube litigation, but will be back the following week with news of Microsoft's Supreme Court filing in the i4i case.

Google's "Bing Sting" takes a punt at Microsoft, but is it really copying?

Another epic battle between two massive teams has also been launched when last week Google accused Microsoft and their Bing search engine of copying their search results. Google's engineers had created 100 "synthetic" search queries such as "hiybbprqag" to which predetermined real search results that had nothing to do with the original query would then appear. After a few weeks of implementing this 'sting', these same search results were also displayed on Bing. Google's Amit Singhai published a detailed blog post about the ins and outs of Google's sting and said that their experiment confirmed their suspicion that something strange was happening with Bing. Google suggests that individuals who are using some combination of Internet Explorer 8 - which can send data to Microsoft via its Suggested Sites feature and/or the Bing Toolbar which can do the same, are inadvertently sending data to Bing about what keywords they search for on Google and what results Google in turn displays. A sort of "search engine espionage" if you will. Singhai stated that

"At Google we strongly believe in innovation and are proud of our search quality. We’ve invested thousands of person-years into developing our search algorithms because we want our users to get the right answer every time they search, and that’s not easy. We look forward to competing with genuinely new search algorithms out there—algorithms built on core innovation, and not on recycled search results from a competitor. So to all the users out there looking for the most authentic, relevant search results, we encourage you to come directly to Google. And to those who have asked what we want out of all this, the answer is simple: we'd like for this practice to stop."

Microsoft denied copying Google and has instead accused them of conducting "spy-novelesque stunts". Vice President of Bing, Harry Shum, stated that

"We do not copy Google's search results. We use multiple signals and approaches in ranking search results. Opt-in programs like the toolbar help us with click stream data, one of many input signals we and other search engines use to help rank sites."

Click stream data basically tracks or maps how users are searching and using the web. So if you use the Bing toolbar or Internet Explorer to search something on Google then it can see the URL for that query and the resulting search results. It can also see when you search something on Amazon, or when you check out the latest YouTube clip or browse shoes on Nieman Marcus (picture, left - the AmeriKat asleep in one such shoe). There is no specific Google signal, just a general search signal for the whole gambit of websites. Some of these search signals are very weak (tails) and some are very strong (heads). Head signals are generic terms such as "movies" or "shoes" - terms that millions of people search every day and will thus be 'strong'. Tail searches are your more obscure searches, such as the nonsensical queries used in the sting operation. Because these tail searches are searched less frequently a search stream will thus have less data to go on and thus the results may appear to be that Bing is "copying"' Google's results, but really there is less data to go on and the data that is out there is from only a few sources including Google (if the AmeriKat is understanding this correctly!). According to Danny Sullivan, both Google and Bing agree that this replication of search results can occur in instances of weak signals.

According to Sullivan, Google's test proves that the surfstream is a weak signal because even where Google was providing the sole signal or sole data for the nonsensical terms, Bing used this signal (data) only about 9% of the time. So are Google's claims of being copied legitimate? Shum says that Bing is not copying Google, they are only watching how users search and use the web. Much, says the AmeriKat, like what Google does with Google Chrome and their own search and browse settings. Although she knows this is not an equitable issue, the maxim "one who comes into equity must come with clean hands" is chiming around the AmeriKat's head right now ...

So is this just a PR battle being waged by Google? Is there any copying taking place at law? Further, what protection does Google have in the search results? If algorithms are being copied (of which there does not appear to any evidence of direct taking), perhaps copyright infringement is taking place or, if there is some patent at work, is there patent infringement? In so far as results are displayed, is there another possible copyright claim in the layout or table of search results? The AmeriKat has to admit that the inner workings of search engines are a mystery to her, so identifying the intellectual property rights is also a stab in the dark. What do readers think?

If anything, the AmeriKat is sure that Viacom and their amici (which include Microsoft) in Viacom v YouTube are loving hearing Google whine about being copied and saying choice things such as

“I’ve got no problem with a competitor developing an innovative algorithm. But copying is not innovation, in my book."

The Amerikat would like to thank Dave Sant of the BBC for spurring her interest in this story.

US Officials score a touchdown in fight against online counterfeits

Last week, with the assistance of Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), the US Attorney's Office of the Southern District of New York seized 10 websites that allegedly streamed live sporting and and pay-per-view events online - mere days before the big SUPER BOWL GAME! The Super Bowl game attracts about 100 million viewers a year and in recent years many viewers have been tuning in online, either legally or illegally. The websites that have apparently assisted in the illegal viewing of sports games that were subject to the seizure under Title 18 of the United States Code included channelsurfing.nehq-streams.com, firstrow.net, ilemi.com and rojadirecta.org. What makes the seizure of rojadirecta.org particularly controversial is because this Spanish site was held to be operating legally by a Spanish court last May. (picture, top left - the notice now displaying on the seized websites)

These websites were alleged to illegally provide links to sites that would show or stream professional sports organizations' content, including games from the NFL and the NBA (National Basketball Association). For anyone who has ever watched an NFL or Premier League game, you will know that the sports organizations will usually own the copyright in film and sound recording of the game/match, the trade marks of some of the teams' logos and/or uniform, the music, layout, etc. Thus, unauthorized streaming or use of this content is a violation of their copyright. With more and more fans turning to their laptops to watch their favorite game, sports organizations are now facing the age-old battle with sites that illegally provide this content.

US Attorney, Preet Bharara (photo, right) stated

“The illegal streaming of professional sporting events over the Internet deals a financial body blow to the leagues and broadcasters, who are forced to pass their losses off to fans by raising prices for tickets and pay-per-view events. With the Super Bowl just days away, the seizures of these infringing websites reaffirm our commitment to working with our law enforcement partners to protect copyrighted material and put the people who steal it out of business.”

But the efficacy of such seizures is under question and anyone who battles counterfeit websites online know what that is: as soon as one domain goes away, another one will soon swoop up in its place. However, ICE Director John Morton remains undeterred

“This swift action by our Homeland Security Investigations New York special agents and analysts sends a clear message to website operators who mistakenly believe it’s worth the risk to take copyrighted programming and portray it as their own. We will continue to aggressively investigate this type of crime with our law enforcement partners."

But how effective is this? Although it may not completely get rid of these types of sites, it does shove the domains back down in the Alexa ratings which means they are more difficult to find. The more difficult a site is to find, fewer users access it, which in turn results in any advertising revenue on the site drying up. It may not be perfect, but it has the desired effect of essentially making the commercial viability of counterfeit websites less attractive to their operators.

However, not everyone is happy about the seizures. A critic of these types of seizures and of an anti-piracy legislation that will probably be reintroduced this term,Senator Ron Wyden (D-Oregon, left) wrote to Attorney General Eric Holder and Morton expressing his concern. He called for greater transparency about the criteria on why these domain seizures were being allowed to proceed. He noted particular concern in that the 10 websites that were seized last week providing links to infringing content, not providing infringing content themselves, and an apparent lack of due process. Senator Wyden stated that

"These seizures represent a major shift in the way the U.S. government combats copyright infringement in the digital environment...I grow concerned when the methods used may not be effective and could stifle constitutionally protected speech, job-creating innovation and give license to foreign regimes to censor the internet."

Steven Tepp of the US Chamber of Commerce (a private lobbying institution) previously stated in an e-mail to the AmeriKat that the anti-priacy legislation Combating Online Infringement and Counterfeits Act (COICA), that has Senator Wyden concerned does provide for due process in that the legislation does require the Department of Justice to "simultaneously give notice to the accused domain so that they have an opportunity to come to court to defend themselves" and allows a party served with an order the opportunity to modify or vacate the order. To read the text of this bill click here.

At the same time the website seizures were taking place Deputy Director of the ICE Kumar Kibble announced another successful sting, which was cleverly dubbed in time for Super Bowl Sunday as "Operation Interception". The Operation saw $3.56 million in fake NFL merchandise seized. The Operation will continue throughout the weekend.

Now that the Digital Economy Bill's website blocking clause is being reviewed by the UK Government, what do IPKat' readers think about introducing similar enforcement procedures in the UK as those undertaken by the US ICE?

Many thanks to Oliver Weingarten of the Premier League for alerting laden ladenfam to the ICE seizure-story.