Skirmishes in the patent war
Before Christmas, Apple launched lawsuits in several countries against Samsung, claiming the Samsung Galaxy tablet computer infringed Apple's iPad patents, including its patent on the use of rounded corners. In the Netherlands, the Court of Appeals at the Hague has rejected Apple's arguments.

Pushing the boundaries
Richard O'Dwyer, a 23 year old from Bolsover, Derbyshire, and a computer science student at Sheffield Hallam University, is facing extradition to the US and a possible five year prison sentence for copyright crimes committed over the internet,... despite those actions not being prosecuted as crimimal offences here in the UK.

Bitter pill for the NHS
The Information Commissioner's Office is proposing to issue its biggest ever fine to the Brighton and Sussex University Hospital Trust after patient records were sold on E-Bay. But does the punishment fit the crime?

Buyer beware,... and sellers too
Cautionary tales about the perils of doing business over the internet are far from new. Sadly, in one case, it apparently led to PayPal ordering the destruction of an antique violin.

Phones from space
So how tough is your computer? Would your laptop survive if you knocked it off the table? How would your phone fare if it fell from a second floor window? And what about the third floor? Or the fourth? Some of our computer gadgets are a lot stronger than you might expect.

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