Racy Pic Banker Won't Lose Job

Fake movies look better than 'The Social Network'

(NEWSER) - The debut of the melodramatic trailer for The Social Network—aka "the Facebook movie"—was basically guaranteed to be followed by parodies. Luckily, the spoofs are pretty darn hilarious. So far Twitter (sample line: "I need to create a way to blog that is as random and incoherent as writing on a bathroom wall") and YouTube (sample line: "Do you like being a joke, Keyboard Cat, do you want to go back to that? You were nothing before me. I made you!") have joined the party. Watch both, and the original, in the gallery. More»

'Of course I would sign' petition to save job, Miranda Kerr says

(NEWSER) - An Australian banker who faces firing for ogling semi-nude photos of supermodel Miranda Kerr in the background of a live TV interview is getting some big-name support: Kerr herself. “I am told there is a petition to save his job and of course I would sign it,” the Victoria’s Secret star (and Orlando Bloom galpal) tells Melbourne’s Herald Sun of trader David Kiely, who’s suspended as Macquarie Bank investigates. More»

Song gets millions of clicks on YouTube, spurs remixes

(NEWSER) - Not surprisingly, the award for first viral video hit of 2010 goes to American Idol audition song “Pants on the Ground.” After 62-year-old “General” Larry Platt introduced his masterpiece to the world last Wednesday, it took off, garnering 1 million Facebook fans and several million YouTube clicks in less than a week, CNN reports. Check out some of the remixes, including Jimmy Fallon’s apparent obsession with the song, in the gallery. More»

Olympics protected by stringent branding laws

(NEWSER) - The Olympics are headed to London this summer, but visitors and athletes alike better beware of what they post online, reports Mashable . London has passed legislation ahead of the games to penalize people who violate the games' official branding. Legally speaking, this would include:

• Athletes posting media of themselves with products that are not Olympics sponsors
• Fans uploading their own photos or video of the games
• Businesses attracting customers with official Olympics nomenclature, like "2012 Games"

Firms accused of failing to remove blasphemous content

(NEWSER) - Facebook and Google are on trial in India for failing to yank objectionable content from their websites quickly enough. A criminal complaint alleges that sites including Facebook and Google's YouTube didn't remove content mocking religious figures, despite Indian laws against "blasphemous" and "ethnically objectionable" material online. The trial begins today, and execs from the Internet firms could face jail time if convicted. More»