Microsoft has just launched a constitutional challenge against the federal government over its use of indefinite gag orders when the government subpoenas information from customer cloud account.  The action was clearly timed to capitalize on public sentiment against the government for its perceived instrusion on privacy rights in the recent action against Apple regarding the encryption of the San Bernardino terrorist smartphone.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog further explores this development in the blogpost linked below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/microsoft-launches-new-constitutional-challenge-against-government-over-secret-data-requests

The U.S. Justice Department has announced that the third party who came forward and convinced the FBI that it could unlock the San Bernardino terrorist’s encrypted iPhone successfully unlocked the encrypted iPhone, ending the standoff between Apple and the FBI.   The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog addressed the developments in this fight between the U.S. Government and Apple in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/third-party-hacks-san-bernardino-terrorist-iphone-ending-standoff-between-apple-and-fbi.

The Department of Justice signaled today that it may be rethinking moving forward with the Apple litigation over the iPhone encryption issue, canceling a hearing scheduled for tomorrow in order to explore a possible new method that had come to light for unlocking the terrorist iPhone that has sparked the dispute.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog further explored today’s developments in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/government-backtracks-in-dispute-against-apple-over-unlocking-terrorist-iphone.

When the Justice Department decided to wage a legal battle against Apple over encryption on the iPhone of one of San Bernardino terrorists, the government moved the encryption debate into the public arena and triggered a public debate over the issue.  Now, it is reported that the government is considering launching a second case over the encryption issue against yet another company.  Who will be the ultimate winner in this debate?  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog explores the issues in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/who-will-ultimately-win-in-the-fbis-standoff-with-the-software-industry

Apple’s trademark dispute with Proview has become a two-front fight on both the local and international levels, as The Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law Blog explored in the following blog post:

http://www.siliconvalleyiplicensinglaw.com/apple-trademark-dispute-with-proview-becomes-a-global-fight/

What are the lessons Silicon Valley companies should take away from Apple’s trademark dispute over the use of the mark “iPad” in China?  The Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law Blog looks at the dispute and the lessons to be learned from the dispute in the following blog post:

http://www.siliconvalleyiplicensinglaw.com/lessons-for-silicon-valley-companies-in-apple-trademark-dispute/

Apple has signaled its intention to step up its enforcement of its royalty on direct sales of apps being sold on the App Store, as the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog explained in its blog post linked below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/apple-signals-new-enforcement-strategy-to-companies-distributing-applications-at-the-app-store

Amazon, Google, and the Wall Street Journal have all now modified their applications  on the Apple App Store in response to signals by Apple that it will be stepping up enforcement of its royalty policies, as was discussed by the Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law Blog in its recent blog post:

http://www.siliconvalleyiplicensinglaw.com/amazon-google-wall-street-journal-move-to-modify-applications-on-apple-app-store/