Recent Entries in Wireless and the Law
Sign Up for Mobile Content Cash Action Award from Mobile Content Settlement
If you have ever been charged without your permission for mobile content, a combined lawsuit settlement, may owe you payments or free services. A Cook County, Illinois court granted preliminary approval to a global settlement agreement which combines 30 separate class action lawsuits that claims una…
More SideKick Outage: Forum Complainer Ousted, $20 Contract-Out Offered & SideKick Not 4 Sale
Yesterday, we learned about the @#$%& data loss problem due to a Microsoft Danger server outage for T-Mobile SideKick customers. Customers weren't thrilled with the offer of two months of free service. Today, T-Mobile is offering $20 towards and new smartphone and release from contract.Over 800,…
FCC Wants to Know Why Google Voice Doesn’t Serve Rural
Google Voice doesn't call everybody in the country and the FCC wants to know why. On Friday, they sent a letter to Google's attorneys. They want know the wherefore of why Google Voice is blocking calls to rural areas, how they do it and how they inform users of the restrictions. AT&T is no…
Auto Safety Group Petitions US Dept. of Transportation
Advocates for Highway and Auto Safety (Advocates) filed a petition with the U.S. Department of Transportation to prohibit or restrict the use of unsafe electronic devices, for talking, texting and other purposes, by operators of commercial motor vehicles, such as tractor trailers, motorcoach buses,…
AT&T Sort of Supports FCC’s Open I, Except for Broadband
AT&T issued a statement in favor of FCC Chairman Genachowski’s speech outlining a open Internet. They are concerned when it extends to mobile broadband. “We commend Chairman Genachowski for his speech today, which begins a public process of considering very important issues that wil…
Cell Dectection to Stop Illicit Cells in Prison Demoed, CTIA Pleased
CTIA-The Wireless Association, President and CEO Steve Largent issued astatement in response to the State of Maryland’s demonstration of cell detection and managed access technology to end contraband cell phone use in prisons. “CTIA thanks the State of Maryla…
Verizon Gets More than Squat ($33.15 Million) from Cybersquatter
Verizon wants the world to know that the largest cybersquatting judgment, ever has been upheld by a federal court in the Northern District of California. The court denied the motion of the defendant -- OnlineNIC, an Internet domain registration company in San Francisco -- to set aside a December 20…
Verizon Supports Senate’s Ban of Texting /Emailing While Driving
Yesterday, legislation was introduced in the U.S. Senate that would ban texting and e-mailing while driving. The proposed legislation, called the ALERT Act, was introduced by U.S. Sens. Chuck Schumer (D-NY), Robert Menendez (D-NJ), Mary Landrieu (D-LA), and Kay Hagen (D-NC). Verizon sent out a new…
AT&T Wins Battle Against Prepaid Mobile Traffickers Awarded $51 Million
AT&T obtained final judgments and permanent injunctions against defendants in four federal lawsuits stopping the unauthorized bulk buying and resale of prepaid mobileAT&T has filed 14 lawsuits against companies and individuals in Texas, Florida, California, and New York in an effort to stop …
Wireless Contributes to Economy, Jobs, and Capital, Says CTIA
Yesterday, CTIA-The Wireless Association filed an ex parte with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to show the significant contributions the wireless industry is making to aid the revitalization of United States short and long-term economic health. Some believe that the filing is to protec…
Mobile Advocacy Coaltion Formed to Lobby FCC
The Mobile Advocacy Coalition (http://www.mobileac.org) was formed in June 2009, in response to the Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit's ruling in Satterfield v. Simon & Schuster, Inc. They claim that the Court's decision to remand includes instructions that twist the meaning of the Tel…
Verizon to Pay Restiution for “Free” Mobile Content, Settles with FL
Florida Attorney General Bill McCollum announced his office has reached an agreement resulting in millions of dollars in refunds to Florida Verizon Wireless and Alltel consumers for third-party charges on their cell phone bills. Verizon Wireless, LLC has also agreed to adopt a series of “bes…
Let My Phones Free! Hopes Free Press
Media reform group, Free Press has been generating a lot press regarding wireless and phone matters. They are pleased with the FCC's actions, launched FreeMyPhone and believe that AT&T allowing video for some services but not others should be prohibited.Acting Federal Communications Commission C…
Auto Warranty Robocallers Sued by FTC
Have you ever gotten those annoying calls saying your warranty for a old battered auto is expiring? We have even gotten them on cell phones.Those flaky services have raked in over $10 million dollars and make more than 1.8 million calls a day. Over 30,000 do not call complaints have been filed…
Verizon Fights Text Spammer, Files Lawsuit
Verizon Wireless has filed a lawsuit against Pennsylvania-based Money Warehouse, Inc. (doing business as All State Mortgage Lender) and other John Does alleging they sent at least 800,000 wireless spam messages promoting mortgage products to Verizon Wireless customers and employees beginning in Febr…
MyWireless.org Calls for Tax Break on Wireless
As Americans all over the country recover from filing taxes, yesterday, the national consumer advocacy coalition MyWireless.org called for a 5-year break for consumers from new, discriminatory state and local wireless taxes. Bi-partisan legislation, entitled the ‘Cell Tax Fairness Act of 20…
T-Mobile Wins Injunction and $5 Million in Damages from Prepaid Phone Traficker DK Wireless
T-Mobile USA announced it obtained a final judgment and permanent injunction to combat the unauthorized bulk purchase and resale of T-Mobile's prepaid mobile phones and accessories.The order, handed down by a federal court in Brooklyn, N.Y., permanently enjoining DK Wireless Inc. (which does …
AT&T Rebaters Will Get $2.63 Million in New Visa Gift Cards, Says NY Attorney General
A $2.63 million agreement with AT&T Mobility over a misleading and deceptive sales promotion involving rebate offers that were fulfilled with onerous and condition-laden rebate cards by the New York's Attorney General Andrew M. Cuomo. AT&T is required to provide more than $…
Google Cleared from Fraudulent Ringtones Case
Google is not liable for fraudulent ringtone advertisements on its AdWords platform. The ruling by District Court Judge Jeremy Fogel states that the federal Communications Decency Act clears Google from any liability for pay-per-click ads created via AdWords. "Providing third parties with n…
LA DA Targets Voicemail Hacking & False Vociemail Safety Claims,
Voicemail was not safe from hacking and voicemail hacking is not legal in California. T-Mobile, AT&T and SpoofCard have been told to stop their misrepresentations by Los Angeles District attorneys.A New Jersey firm that provided customers unauthorized access to the cell phone voicemails of othe…
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