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Former Sun CEO Jonathan Schwartz has launched a social network for caregivers that places privacy front and center. For a modest fee, users can have all the advantages of sharing on their own terms, without worrying about the site using their personal data to lure advertisers. CareZone isn't a "niche" site, said Schwartz. Caregiving is "what the vast, vast majority of people on Earth do every day."

Former Sun Microsystems CEO Jonathan Schwartz is offering caregivers a social networking service designed to be free of confusing privacy policies and invasive advertising.

Social networking is far older than Facebook, MySpace or even Friendster, according to Schwartz, CareZone founder and CEO. Family is actually the world's oldest social network, and whether by birth or by choice everyone is pretty much part of it.

However, this original social network doesn't always make for a good fit with today's online social media, he maintained -- especially when it comes to privacy.

For many social media sites, the user isn't the customer but the rather the product. The goal of CareZone is to change this so that productivity and privacy don't have to be mutually exclusive.

"The network's goals are to serve the needs of those that care for their parents, their children or the loved ones we consider part of our family," Schwartz told TechNewsWorld.

"We believe with life expectancies extending nearly everywhere on Earth, and with the burdens falling increasingly on those already challenged with kids, our service is timely and high value," he added.

Entirely Private

The concept behind CareZone is to provide an online account that can be opened on behalf of a loved one, and which remains entirely private and available by default only to the person who opened it. The service, which launched this week, offers subscriptions ranging from US$5 a month to $48 a year per individual.

Accessible online, the CareZone could be used to provide a permanent reference for key information including names and addresses, blood type and allergies. It also provides a way to manage medications and therapies, including dosage, frequency and reactions.

General purpose social networks have played a huge role in encouraging people to share more, but as the online social world evolves, participants will look for networks that offer more value for their personal and professional interests. But will Schwartz's background bring the attention that CareZone might need to succeed?

"It may mean something in Silicon Valley VC circles, but consumers in virtually all markets don't know who he is," said Josh Crandall, cofounder of Netpop Research. "They won't take it into consideration when evaluating the service."

This service is thus a significant departure from the Facebook-type social networking sites that provide the usual "what you're doing right now" type of social commentary, but for this reason it could offer something unique as well.

"Launching a social network for a niche audience requires deep expertise and passion for the subject," Crandall told TechNewsWorld.

The challenge is to differentiate itself through specialization from general purpose social networks, he said. "By focusing on a particular niche, the product team must focus on building features that general purpose social networks don't have time and bandwidth to tackle."

Not a Niche

However, Schwartz doesn't even believe that there is such a selective market.

"We don't view taking care of an older parent or a child as niche: It's what the vast, vast majority of people on Earth do every day," he said.

Technology will not be a barrier, in his view. "We're focused on those that are responsible for care -- not necessarily the objects of their caring attention -- and those that are already connected via smartphones, tablets and PCs. That's 4 billion and counting. It doesn't matter to us whether your Mom has access to the network, it's whether you and your sisters do -- you're the ones whose challenges we can lighten with the smart application of basic technologies."

The fastest-growing segment on popular social networking sites such as Facebook is comprised of those 50 and older, noted Lynne A. Dunbrack, program director, connected health IT strategies, at IDC Health Insights.

"There are already plenty of people who want to share health issues, good or bad," she told TechNewsWorld, "and this could be a good extension of that."

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New Social Network for Caregivers Bucks 'User as Product' Model

ZURICH, Switzerland, Feb. 16, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Myriad Group AG (SIX: MYRN.SW - News), the company powering billions of rich mobile social and web experiences on any connected device, today announces Myriad Updates is being deployed with leading carriers Vodafone, Orange  and Mobinil.

Gaining significant commercial momentum, Myriad Updates has been selected by Orange to deliver Facebook to Africa. With only one in every 32 phones being a smartphone in the region, Myriad is opening up new markets and creating huge revenue opportunities for carriers. For instance, in the first week of launch one carrier signed over 50,000 paying subscribers to their social networking service. Being one of the few companies to successfully monetize social experiences on the mobile devices, Myriad has attracted very strong interest from carriers in both developed and emerging markets. With such a strong pipeline, Myriad is on track to deliver social networking services to over 1 billion mobile users by end of 2012.

See Myriad Updates at this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona, where it is shortlisted for "Best Consumer Mobile Service" at the GSMA Global Mobile Awards or view the demo before MWC on Myriad's YouTube Channel.

Available on nearly any mobile phone, subscribers who have limited or no access to data can connect to their favorite social networks, such as Facebook, Twitter and Flickr via Myriad Updates. Powered by Myriad's mobile social networking platform, Xumii, Myriad Updates presents a person's social network activity on the screen as text using the USSD bearer, thus enabling users to stay connected without having to install an app or requiring a data plan.

Myriad's deep heritage in embedded software and unique ability to deliver end-to-end solutions, including the integration of social networking into mass-market phones, enables carriers to rapidly deliver cutting edge services while creating new revenue opportunities, even in emerging markets where many consumers own lower-end mobile devices.

"Myriad Updates is bringing Facebook and Twitter to the millions of users in emerging markets without data plans, driving monetization of mobile social experiences and putting carriers back into the social networking game," said Simon Wilkinson, CEO of Myriad Group. "Myriad is opening up new markets and creating huge revenue opportunities. Signing up over 50,000 subscribers in just one week indicates the powerful demand for these services and clearly positions Myriad as the leading provider and innovator of social networking solutions for mobile carriers."

Myriad Updates has also been recently recognized as a Finalist in the 2012 GSMA Global Mobile Awards for the Best Consumer Mobile Service. "We are delighted to be recognized by one of the most coveted awards in the industry. We believe that Myriad Updates has the potential to be a major driver for social networking as growth in markets with low PC penetration quickly plateaus," added Wilkinson.

Myriad will be attending this year's Mobile World Congress in Barcelona and will be located at Hospitality Suite AV 102. Myriad will also be hosting workshops dedicated to Social Mobile on Wednesday, Feb. 29, from 10am to 12pm CET and Analytics Intelligence Hub from 2pm to 4pm CET in Hall Q Sala B. To register, please visit http://www.myriadgroup.com/mwc12workshop

About Myriad

Myriad is chosen by leading OEMs and network service providers to power rich mobile social and web experiences – from the most basic to the smartest connected device through a single, scalable platform.

Today, over 2.5 billion mobile users rely on Myriad software. Myriad apps often provide users with their first taste of the Internet, and with our proven technology embedded in every Android device we are on target to help our partners power the next billion users.

We operate worldwide, with offices in Switzerland, France, UK, USA, Mexico, India, UAE, China, South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and Australia. Headquartered in Zurich Switzerland, Myriad is listed on the SIX Swiss Exchange (SIX Symbol: MYRN).

For more information please visit our website: http://www.myriadgroup.com. You can also follow us on twitter@MyriadGroup and view our YouTube Channel - YouTube.com/myriadgroupmarketing

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Myriad Updates on Track to Deliver Mobile Social Networking to Over 1 Billion Mobile Users by End of 2012

Social networking websites cannot be forced to install filters preventing users from illegally sharing music and videos protected by copyright, the European Union's top court said on Thursday.

The EU Court of Justice ruled that such an obligation to monitor content would go against EU rules that ensure a "fair balance" between protecting copyright and defending personal data and the freedom to conduct business.

"The owner of an online social network cannot be obliged to install a general filtering system, covering all its users, in order to prevent the unlawful use of musical and audio-visual work," the court said in a statement.

The case stemmed from a complaint filed by SABAM, a Belgian management company responsible for authorising the use of music of authors, composers and editors, against Netlog NV, a website based in Flanders.

SABAM charged that Netlog enables users to post music and videos in SABAM's repertoire without the company's consent and without the website paying any fee.

The management company sought an injunction from a Belgian court to force Netlog to stop allowing users to post such material and pay a 1,000 euro ($1,300) penalty for each day it delays complying with the order.

Netlog countered that such an order would amount to imposing a general obligation to monitor content in violation of the EU's E-commerce directive. The Luxembourg-based top court sided with Netlog.

The EU Court of Justice issued a similar ruling in November, rejecting SABAM's bid to secure an injunction against Internet service provider Scarlet Extended SA.

The judges ruled that a national court cannot impose an injunction ordering an Internet provider to install a filtering system for all electronic communications, saying it is too expensive for the company and could infringe on people's fundamental rights.

The latest decision is another defeat for backers of web filters, including artists and the enterainment industry, who are fighting to protect their work from circulating freely on the Internet.

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Social networks can't be forced to impose filters: EU court

15-02-2012 03:48 As novel as it sounds, Mardan's 18-year-old Shahzad has developed a social networking portal that does not require an internet connection -- "Smile SMS". tribune.com.pk

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Social networking redefined: Mardan boy develops SMS-based portal - Video

BRUSSELS -- A European Union court ruled Thursday that social networking sites cannot be compelled to install general filters to prevent the illegal trading of music and other copyrighted material.

The decision is a victory for operators of social networking sites in the EU, but a setback for those who seek to protect copyrighted material from being distributed without payment or permission.

It also comes as protests are growing in Europe against ACTA, the proposed international Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement, which is meant to protect intellectual property rights.

In Thursday's decision, the EU Court of Justice, which is based in Luxembourg, ruled that requiring general filters that would cover all the site's users would not sufficiently protect personal data or the freedom to receive and impart information.

SABAM, a Belgian company that represents authors, composers and music publishers, filed the lawsuit leading to Thursday's ruling. In it, the company objected to the practices of Netlog NV, a social networking site, saying users' profiles allowed protected works to be shared illegally.

Michael Gardner, head of the intellectual property practice at London law firm Wedlake Bell, called the ruling a further blow to copyright owners because it appears to rule out forcing operators of social network sites and Internet service providers -- at their own expense -- to impose blanket monitoring and filtering aimed at stopping

infringements.

In November, SABAM lost a separate case in which it sought to require Internet service providers to install filters that would prevent the illegal downloading of files.

Gardner said the ruling would not stop copyright owners from seeking more limited injunctions against social networking sites or Internet service providers, but he said the injunctions would have to be more "proportionate" in scope and effect.

"Under EU law, there has to be a balance between the interests of copyright owners and the rights of privacy and freedom of expression," he said. "So far, the courts seem to have rejected the draconian solutions urged on them by the rights owners."

Mark Owen, head of the intellectual property practice at London law firm Harbottle & Lewis, said the new ruling shows how difficult it can be to protect intellectual property.

"As clouds continue to gather around Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement and other attempts to control online use of copyright works, today's ruling from the European Court provides a useful illustration of the practical challenges enforcement poses," Owen said.

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Satter reported from London. Follow Don Melvin at http://twitter.com/Don--Melvin

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EU court: Social networks shouldn't have to filter for copyright