Massive DDoS attack on .cn domain brings down Chinese websites

China found itself on the receiving end of a massive denial-of-service attack this weekend that reportedly disrupted and slowed access to millions of websites, including major properties like Amazon.cn, Sina’s social networking site Weibo and Bank of China. According to the China Internet Network Information Center (CNNIC), the attack specifically targeted the country’s .cn servers, starting at around 2 a.m. local time on Sunday and followed by a more intense attack at 4 a.m. Service has been gradually restored since then.

Apple pays $60 million for iPad brand name rights in China

country. According to an announcement by Chinese-based, Hong-Kong registered computer display maker Proview, the two parties reached a settlement during mediation.

This removes the last obstacle preventing the Cupertino firm from selling its popular tablet in the Chinese market.

"The iPad dispute resolution is ended," the Guangdong High People's Court said. "Apple has transferred $60m to the account of the Guangdong High Court as requested in the mediation letter." The amount was paid into the courts account so that Proview's creditors can receive the money they are owed, according to the Telegraph.

The dispute started in 2010, after Proview, a Chinese technology firm demanded Apple cease using the iPad brand name in the Chinese market, claiming they owned the rights. Apple ignored Proview's request and a legal battle ensued, which culminated in November last year when the Intermediate People's Court of Shenzhen ruled in favor of the Chinese firm.

In February, Proview then sued Apple $1.6 billion over copyright infringement, filed a temporary restraining order and demanded a formal apology. Now that settlement has been reached, Apple's latest iPad could be made available almost immediately to consumers, especially since the country's certification authorities already approved the device back in May.

"The settlement is great news for Apple. It just allows them to get on with business and stop being distracted. The new iPad has been so late to the China market that if they drag it any longer, Apple will stand to lose quite a bit more," said Teck-Zhung Wong, a Beijing-based analyst at IDC.

By Apple's standards it's a relatively small amount, which does suggest that Proview was influenced by the court or its creditors as its well known to be struggling financially. It also reflects Chinese Courts' preferences for encouraging disputing parties to reach a settlement rather than force a ruling, according to Stan Abrams, a US lawyer who teaches intellectual law to students at Beijing's Central University of Finance and Economics. 

Apple loses lawsuit over iPad name in China

The Intermediate People’s Court in Shenzhen has ruled against Apple in a complaint against a Chinese technology company over the use of the iPad name. Apple has confirmed the lawsuit but has declined further comment, according to a report from Reuters.

In the lawsuit, Proview Technology claims to have registered the iPad trademark as early as 2000 in multiple countries including China, potentially 10 years before Apple released their tablet with the same name. In October, Proview reportedly sued Apple for 10 billion yuan ($1.5 billion) for copyright infringement.

China is crucial to Apple’s continued growth overseas but the company has been fighting an uphill battle for quite some time. Nearly two dozen fake Apple stores were shut down in the region over the summer after authorities in Kunming saw photos of a phony store online. An American living in the city published a blog post about a visit to one of the stores which eventually prompted Chinese trade officials to take action.

Authorities in Shanghai arrested five people in September for manufacturing and selling counterfeit iPhones. The bust reportedly led police to an organized crime group that was responsible for buying components in Guandong and assembling them in Shanghai apartments.

It’s unclear at this point how Apple will deal with the unfavorable ruling over the iPad name in China. Cupertino could try to work out a licensing deal with Proview that would allow them to use the trademark for their tablet, or potentially even change the name of the device in that region.

China could be leveraging electronic exports to spy on the US

The United States is forcingtelecommunications companies like AT&T and Verizon to hand over sensitive data regarding their network infrastructure to sniff out potential Chinese spies. Officials are concerned that China may be leveraging their exports into the county to spy on the US.

The US Commerce Department sent out a survey in April asking for detailed records regarding foreign-made software and hardware that telecommunications companies, software makers and information-security companies are using. Specifically, the survey requested to know the manufacturer of equipment including optical-transmission components, base-station controllers and transceivers.

Results from the survey were to be shared with the Defense Department and added to a database to map who made which parts on various networks.

AT&T and Verizon were among the dozens of businesses that received the survey. To collect data from companies, the US is using a 1950 law called the Defense Production Act that was used sporadically during the Cold War. Failure to comply could result in unspecified criminal penalties.

According to Joshua Pennell, president of Seattle-based cyber security firm IOActive Inc., spyware embedded within hardware or hidden in millions of lines of code could intercept sensitive information while being extremely difficult to detect. Having access to such data would give China industrial and political advantages.

In 2008, an Insignia brand digital photo frame sold by Best Buy was discovered running malicious software that had been embedded during the manufacturing process. The retailer was able to trace the software to a single computer at the manufacturer’s plant in China but refused to comment on who specifically installed the code or why.

Data was to be submitted by June 10 according to the survey but that deadline was extended when several companies expressed concern about how the sensitive material would be handled.