Tweeting outlawed in courtroom

A US District Court in Rhode Island has passed a new rule aimed at preventing tweeting and blogging in the courtroom, reports Projo.com.

The court late last month approved changes to the rules governing the Rhode Island court that banned the transmission of any proceeding, unless otherwise authorised by the court. The rule previously prohibited all photographing, recording or broadcasting any proceedings, other than ceremonial events by permission. The court has now added a catchall phrase than bans any 'other' transmission.

“Right now, the court takes a very conservative view,” says David DiMarzio, clerk of the court. Only lawyers are allowed to bring cellphones into the courtroom.

Microsoft, the world's biggest software maker, infringed a patent on technology used to deter piracy, an appeals court ruled in a decision that may change how damages are calculated in future cases, says Bloomberg.

The ruling by the US Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit in Washington upholds the validity of a patent owned by Uniloc USA and Uniloc Singapore, while ordering a new trial to reassess the damages Microsoft should pay.

“It's a strong validation of the value of the patent,” Brad Davis, chief executive officer of Irvine, California-based Uniloc USA, said in a telephone interview. “The damages issue is what it is, and we'll live with it. We have a sense of how much we contributed to Microsoft's bottom line.”

A blind Bay Area law graduate was entitled to use computer-assisted reading devices that gave her the best chance of passing the California bar exam, a federal appeals court ruled in a broad interpretation of disability laws, reports SF Gate.

The decision by the Ninth US Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco gives Stephanie Enyart another chance to use the computer equipment when she takes the exam for the third time next month.

The court also upheld US Justice Department regulations that require all companies administering licensing tests - for lawyers, doctors, and other professions and occupations - to provide accommodation that best allows the disabled to demonstrate their skill and knowledge.