In a desperate bid to prevent the government from bringing in tough data laws, major advertising industry groups have announced stricter guidelines on how their members use and collect online data.

Usenet.com has been named the latest casualty in the RIAA's seemingly unending legal war against unauthorized file sharing. RIAA General Counsel Steven M. Marks explained that the verdict was yet another example of courts "recognizing the value of copyrighted music" and acting against individuals engaged in "wide scale infringement."

IDG World Expo has confirmed that Macworld 2010 will feature a show floor area dedicated exclusively to independent software developers. The new pavilion is expected to help developers raise their profile with "key audiences," including media, retailers, consumers and potential investors.

A young man who made threats against a Verizon security officer and tried to hack the US Attorney's voice mail system in Dallas was sentenced to 135 months in court last week.

File sharing firm The Pirate Bay has been bought for $7.7 million (60 million Swedish crowns) by Global Gaming Factory X AB.

The IT industry will continue to be hit by the recession in 2009 and things are worse than originally thought.

The Japanese government has injected $312 million (30 billion yen) into ailing DRAM company Elpida.

Apple CEO Steve Jobs has returned to Club Cupertino after a six-month medical leave of absence. Jobs - who was treated for a rare form of pancreatic cancer in 2004 - recently underwent a liver transplant in Tennesee. The popular CEO had initially blamed his extreme weight loss on a hormone imbalance, but later admitted that the condition was "more complex" than originally thought.