legal challenges Archives

AppWizard

February 14, 2025

Minecraft creator Notch and his next move

Markus "Notch" Persson, the creator of Minecraft and founder of Mojang Studios, has been largely absent from game development since selling Mojang to Microsoft for .5 billion in 2014. Recently, he launched a social media poll to gauge interest in his next project, considering either a new game or a sequel to Minecraft. He expressed interest in developing a roguelike game but acknowledged the legal challenges of creating a Minecraft sequel without Microsoft's approval. Following the poll, he decided to develop a roguelike dungeon crawler titled "Levers and Chests," despite some fans' disappointment over the lack of a Minecraft sequel. Microsoft has distanced itself from Persson since the acquisition, removing references to him from Minecraft and excluding him from the game's tenth-anniversary celebration. Persson's new project will retain a voxel/pixelated art style reminiscent of Minecraft, and he aims to create a game that honors Minecraft's legacy while respecting Mojang's intellectual property.

AppWizard

February 8, 2025

TikTok allows US Android users to download app via website

TikTok has enabled US Android users to download its app directly from its website to bypass restrictions from a law that threatens to ban the platform unless its Chinese parent company, ByteDance, divests ownership. Since the law's enactment on January 19, Apple and Google have not reinstated TikTok in their app stores due to national security concerns. The legislation requires ByteDance to sell TikTok or face a ban, halting new downloads from official app stores while current users can still access the app. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order delaying enforcement of this law by 75 days and is in discussions regarding a potential acquisition of TikTok. He has also proposed creating a sovereign wealth fund to facilitate the acquisition, though details are unclear. TikTok has 170 million users in the US and denies allegations of being a security threat, stating that user data is stored on Oracle-operated cloud servers and content moderation is done domestically. The ban has faced criticism from free speech advocates, and concerns persist about ByteDance's potential obligations to the Chinese government regarding user data. TikTok maintains it operates independently and has measures to protect user information. ByteDance has not disclosed plans for the sale of TikTok or legal challenges to the law.

TrendTechie

February 4, 2025

Overclockers.ru: Telegram заблокировал канал торрент-трекера RuTracker

Telegram has suspended the official channel of the torrent tracker RuTracker (@rutracker_news) for copyright violations. The channel, created in 2017, had around 29,000 subscribers and posted only 21 times since its inception, with the last updates in January 2025 regarding outages. RuTracker, launched in 2004, has faced legal challenges, including a court-ordered block in Russia since 2016, and continues to operate despite being largely inaccessible to most users in Russia. In early 2021, RuTracker raised over 1.8 million rubles through crowdfunding for hard drives to store rare torrents. Telegram's suspension of the channel is part of its stricter policies against internet piracy, which have led to the removal of other channels associated with pirated content, such as Z-Library and Anna’s Archive.

AppWizard

February 4, 2025

Perplexity launches an assistant for Android

AI-powered search engine Perplexity has launched a new feature called Perplexity Assistant, available for Android devices, which integrates reasoning, search capabilities, and app functionalities. The assistant can perform multi-app actions, such as hailing rides and searching for songs, and can set reminders by creating calendar entries. It utilizes the phone's camera for contextual inquiries and maintains context across various tasks, like researching restaurants and making reservations. The assistant is initially free for users in 15 languages. CEO Aravind Srinivas acknowledged that some features may not perform as expected and improvements are planned. Perplexity has also introduced Sonar, an API service for enterprises, and acquired Read.cv. Founded in 2022, Perplexity has raised over 0 million in funding and processes over 100 million queries weekly. The company faces legal challenges from publishers, including lawsuits from News Corp and a cease and desist order from The New York Times, but emphasizes its commitment to respecting publisher content through a revenue-sharing program.

AppWizard

December 14, 2024

Russia blocks Viber messenger

Russia's media regulatory authority, Roskomnadzor, has blocked the Viber messaging application due to violations of national law. The decision is based on Viber's alleged non-compliance with legal mandates regarding information dissemination, with concerns about its potential misuse for terrorism, extremism, and drug trafficking. As of October, approximately 26% of the Russian population aged 12 and older used Viber, with 14% using it daily. Viber has faced previous legal challenges, including a fine of one million rubles imposed on June 20, 2023, for not removing false information related to the military operation, and an additional fine of 800,000 rubles on March 13, 2024, for publishing prohibited content.

AppWizard

November 30, 2024

Crysis 3 source code has reportedly been leaked a decade after launch — Crysis 3 mods incoming?

The source code of Crysis 3 has been leaked to a prominent code leaker and researcher known as @SvenTek_667, as reported by @vxunderground. This leak occurred nearly nine years and nine months after the game's initial launch in February 2013, and three years after the release of its Remastered version. The original Crysis trilogy faced performance issues on older hardware, while the Remastered versions improved the experience. The non-Remastered Crysis Trilogy has been removed from Steam. The leak may benefit mod developers by providing access to the game's internal mechanics, though legal challenges remain. The likelihood of a new game resulting from this leak is low, as previous leaks have already revealed insights into CryEngine 3, and the latest version, CryEngine 5.7.1, was released in 2022.

AppWizard

November 28, 2024

$1 For 14 Days of PC Game Pass is Back

XBOX has reintroduced its 14-day PC Game Pass for a promotional price, allowing access to a library of games including Call of Duty: Black Ops 6, ahead of its release on October 27, 2024. The subscription will automatically renew at a monthly rate of .99 unless canceled. Some users have raised concerns that the affordability of the service could lead to increased cheating in Black Ops 6, particularly due to criticisms of the game's anti-cheat system.

TrendTechie

November 11, 2024

Новости. Создатель онлайн-библиотеки Flibusta объявил о закрытии проекта

The creator of the online library Flibusta, known as Stiver, announced the project's impending closure due to his hospitalization from a brain tumor. Flibusta has been operational since 2009 and faced legal challenges, including a permanent ban issued by the Moscow City Court in 2016 following restrictions by Roskomnadzor after a lawsuit from the publishing house Eksmo. The library was targeted for blocking alongside other platforms like Litmir.me and Rutracker.org.

AppWizard

October 22, 2024

Google’s Play Store celebrates its Sweet Sixteen

The Google Play Store celebrates its 16th anniversary today, having evolved from the Android Market, which was launched on October 22, 2008. Initially focused on app distribution for Android devices, it expanded with a web-based interface in early 2011 and was rebranded as the Google Play Store in 2012, incorporating various media types and subscription services. Google has prioritized safety and quality, working to eliminate malware and low-quality apps. The Play Store has faced legal challenges, including a case from Epic Games, but has managed to maintain operations while considering future adjustments.

AppWizard

October 20, 2024

Google wins delay in opening Android app – Manila Standard

A federal judge in San Francisco has granted Google a temporary reprieve from a deadline requiring the opening of Android-powered smartphones to competing app stores, which was part of an antitrust case initiated by Epic Games. The deadline, originally set for November 1, has been suspended. Google expressed satisfaction with the ruling, while Epic Games criticized it as “meritless” and indicated their intent to continue pursuing a more competitive app marketplace. Android devices hold approximately 70 percent of the global smartphone market, making Google a target for regulatory scrutiny and legal challenges.