Google wins location-based ad patent

Google has won a patent that may give it unprecedented control over the emerging location-based ad sector, reports StrategyEye.

The patent means Google owns ad technology that will allow it to detect specific locations - such as cities, post-codes or phone area codes - and offer targeted ads based on that information.

The patent was originally filed in April 2004, pre-empting the recent boom in location-based services and apps that has seen the growth of start-ups. It credits four Google execs as the inventors of the technology, including Google engineering VP and AdWords boss Sridhar Ramaswamy.

A lawsuit filed against a Pennsylvania school district that accuses officials of using laptop Web cams to spy on students at home is prompting educators across the country to re-examine where protecting school computer property ends and invading students' privacy begins, writes Education Week.

The Lower Merion School District near Philadelphia finds itself defending against a potential class action after a student complained last month of being photographed inside his home by a Web cam from a school-issued laptop computer and accused of selling drugs.

While the district told parents it only activated the Web cams as part of an anti-theft measure, technology experts say school officials could have used far less intrusive methods such as GPS tracking devices.

Apple is suing HTC, having filed a complaint with the US International Trade Commission, alleging the company is infringing 20 Apple patents related to the iPhone, says CNET News.

"We can sit by and watch competitors steal our patented inventions, or we can do something about it. We've decided to do something about it," says Steve Jobs, Apple's CEO. "We think competition is healthy, but competitors should create their own original technology, not steal ours."

The patents Apple alleges HTC is infringing are related to the iPhone's graphical user interface, and the iPhone's underlying hardware and software design. The company is asking for a permanent injunction, which would prevent HTC from importing and selling infringing devices in the US. Apple also said it is seeking damages, but it did not specify an amount.