Hi, Here is your weekly round-up of highlights from OUT-LAW News. As always, click the links to read the full stories of the summaries below or see these and many other stories from this week's news at http://www.out-law.com/page-5951. You can also access our archive of weekly emails at http://www.out-law.com/page-7793. The OUT-LAW Team ***This week's highlights from OUT-LAW News*** 1. Indefinite liability for online libel must end EDITORIAL: The European Court of Human Rights missed an opportunity to kill an absurd libel law this week. That law exposes online news archives around the world to indefinite liability in British courts. 12/03/2009 http://www.out-law.com/page-9865 2. BBC programme broke law with botnets, says lawyer A BBC programme has broken the Computer Misuse Act by acquiring and using software to control 22,000 computers, creating a botnet capable of bringing down websites. A technology law specialist has said that the activity is illegal. 12/03/2009 http://www.out-law.com/page-9863 3. Google launches behaviour-tracking ad system Google has launched a behavioural advertising system which will track users' online activity to display to them adverts it thinks will be more relevant to them. The company said users will be alerted to the activity through labels on ads. 11/03/2009 http://www.out-law.com/page-9859 4. Database infringements depend on taking, not usage, of data The European Union's Database Directive is infringed when data is taken out of someone else's database regardless of what they intend using the information for, the European Court of Justice (ECJ) has said. 11/03/2009 http://www.out-law.com/page-9856 5. ICANN postpones limitless domain plan A plan to create a limitless supply of new internet domains has been postponed so that the concerns of major brand holders can be taken into account. Brand holders have objected to the costs they will incur in defending their names. 10/03/2009 http://www.out-law.com/page-9851 6. Data sharing u-turn is response to public outcry, says Government The Government has shelved plans to allow Government departments to share citizens' personal information with each other and with the private sector. A Ministry of Justice spokesman said that the u-turn was a response to criticism of the plan. 09/03/2009 http://www.out-law.com/page-9850 ***OUT-LAW Radio: Whatever happened to digital signatures?*** We wonder why the most complex and secure kinds of electronic signatures never really took off 12/03/2009 http://www.out-law.com/page-7212 ***About this email*** This is a weekly email for subscribers of OUT-LAW.COM, a website with more than 8,000 pages of free legal news and guidance. If and when you need further advice, we hope you'll choose Pinsent Masons, the law firm behind OUT-LAW.COM. Feel free to forward this email to your friends. If someone forwarded this email to you and you'd like your own subscription, register free at http://www.out-law.com. Existing subscribers: you can manage your profile at http://www.out-law.com/page-520. The email address for this subscription is <>. Feel free to give us your feedback by replying to this email. To unsubscribe, please reply with the word UNSUBSCRIBE in the subject line. (We'd also appreciate you telling us why you've decided to unsubscribe.) This email is sent on behalf of Pinsent Masons LLP, a limited liability partnership registered in England & Wales (registered number: OC333653) and regulated by the Solicitors Regulation Authority. The word 'partner', used in relation to the LLP, refers to a member of the LLP or an employee or consultant of the LLP or any affiliated firm who has equivalent standing and qualifications. A list of the members of the LLP, and of those non-members who are designated as partners, is displayed at the LLP's registered office: CityPoint, One Ropemaker Street, London EC2Y 9AH, United Kingdom.