Wednesday News: Sony employees sue over hack, extreme copyright appeal, rise of the power couple, and kitschy menorahs

JanetPublishing Newscopyright / Free Speech / gender stereotypes / Hanukkah / holiday lists / privacy / security2 Comments

Sony employees file lawsuit, blame company over hacked data – So this is pretty interesting. The famous Sony executive email hack is, according to a new lawsuit filed by current and previous Sony employees, symptomatic of a much larger security problem within the company. Most damaging are allegations that Sony did nothing to protect sensitive data after a 2011 security breach, and that data of at least 15,000 employees was subject to compromise.

It’s becoming clearer and clearer that so-called “security” is more perception than reality in our evolving digital landscape, but it seems like some companies are all but inviting hackers in with inferior security measures and obstacles to easy hacking.

The complaint also cites various security and news reports to say that Sony lost the cryptographic “keys to the kingdom,” which allowed the hackers to root around in its system undetected for as long as a year.

The lawsuit, which also accuses Sony of violating state laws in California and Virginia, also says that the company should have tightened up its security practices after a previous incident in 2011 that saw hackers steal information from millions of PlayStation owners. –Gigaom

Appeals court rehears copyright case over anti-Muslim film – Remember that anti-Muslim film that catalyzed widespread backlash online and around the world? One actress who claimed that she had no idea what the film was really about filed a copyright claim in order to have the trailer removed from various online venues, including YouTube. When the actress won her case, it catalyzed another kind of backlash, this one among First Amendment and copyright advocates who felt the ruling did substantial damage to both. It’s a tough case, because the actress was apparently subjected to death threats after the trailer was released, but her actual appearance amounted to a scant 5 seconds, and her intellectual property rights in the film are not exactly self-evident. A three-judge panel granted her claim in the original case, and 11 judges are hearing the appeal. The original ruling was without precedent.

Garcia, according to her attorney, was told by Youssef that the film would be called “Desert Warrior” and that it was “an adventure film … about ancient Egyptians.” Garcia’s dialogue in the YouTube clip was apparently dubbed over with the line: “Is your Mohammed a child molester?”

Neal Kumar Katyal, representing Google, said such a view would “fragment copyright law into a thousand possible claims.” Only performers whose work can stand alone, such as Celine Dion’s performance for the “Titanic” soundtrack, are entitled to copyright, he argued. –Los Angeles Times

The New Trophy Wife – This title to this Huff Po piece is somewhat misleading, because the article’s thesis is that the trophy wife is being usurped by the so-called “power couple” (with a reference to George and Amal Clooney). Some are arguing that we’re seeing a historical shift, while others claim that we’re seeing a new “alpha” female figure. I’m not convinced the trophy wife is defunct, especially given some of the stories I’ve heard lately about long-term marriages dissolving with the entrance of a much younger woman. Also, my understanding is that the number of women choosing not to marry at all continues to grow.

There may be a historic social change occurring here. Men’s attraction to professionally achieving women is one piece of a much larger story as to what people in the 21st century want in a partner. Men in their 20s and 30s in relationships with strong and high-salaried women are relieved that they no longer have to be the sole breadwinner and decision-maker. With her own high-paying career, the new trophy wife is highly educated, self-assured and able to hold her own financially. She’s also not afraid to intimidate any male that has antiquated ideas of gender roles. –Huffington Post

18 quirky menorahs to brighten your Festival of Lights – Looking for the perfect kitschy menorah? Check these puppies out. And I mean that literally – the dachshund menorah is pure genius! –Mashable

Janet

isn't sure if she's an average Romance reader, or even an average reader, but a reader she is, enjoying everything from literary fiction to philosophy to history to poetry. Historical Romance was her first love within the genre, but she's fickle and easily seduced by the promise of a good read. She approaches every book with the same hope: that she will be filled from the inside out with something awesome that she didnʼt know, didnʼt think about, or didnʼt feel until that moment. And she's always looking for the next mind-blowing read, so feel free to share any suggestions!

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