Tech Law: DOJ Eyes Google Settlement, Apple Sued, Linux Guns for FAT, More

(MoneyWatch)  A look at highlights of the past week in the high tech legal world.

DoJ eyes Google Books settlement -- The Department of Justice is investigating whether the proposed settlement between Google and book publishers and authors raises antitrust issues. [Source: The Wall Street Journal]

Wiki operator sues Apple -- As we periodically note, being a litigation attorney for Apple must be as close to a guaranteed living as possible. This time, OdioWorks, which operates a public wiki, saw a set of documents on how to get Apple iPods and iPhones to work with non-iTunes software. The company says that Apple sent it a letter last November, demanding that the documents be taken down. OdioWorks took the documents down, but now, in conjunction with the Electronic Frontier Foundation, is suing Apple for declaratory and injunctive relief to be able to display the documents again. [Source: EFF press release and OdioWorks legal complaint]

Jobs deposition offers view of his return to Apple -- During the SEC investigation into stock option backdating, Steve Jobs underwent a deposition. As AppleInsider notes, it offers a view into the role of Jobs at Apple and "the largely fictitious history erected around his return to the company in 1997." [Source: AppleInsider]

Linux consortium guns for FAT -- The Open Invention Network, a consortium of companies using Linux, is trying to find prior art as part of an attempt to get Microsoft's patents on the FAT file system overturned. [Source: Ars Technica]

Pirate Bay verdict details -- An English version of the Pirate Bay trial verdict is offering additional insights, including the range of charges involved (including drugs) and that Sweden footed most of the defense bills. Given that Sweden also prosecuted the case, there is an interesting symmetry in that news. [Source: Ars Technica]

RIAA gets a trifling -- In its 2006 suit over P2P filesharing, the RIAA is getting a grand total of $7,000 from two defendants. Given the expense of legal action, it makes you wonder how much the organization lost in the process. [Source: Ars Technica]

Gavel image via Flickr user Thomas Roche, CC 2.0.