Daily Tech Snippet: Thursday, December 22

• Uber removes its self-driving cars from San Francisco roads: Uber has removed its self-driving cars from San Francisco streets after California regulators cracked down on the week-old program because the company had not obtained a permit to test the vehicles. The California Department of Motor Vehicles said on Wednesday it revoked the registration of 16 Uber self-driving cars after a battle with the ride-services company. The agency had demanded that Uber comply with regulations requiring a permit to test self-driving cars on public roads - just as 20 other auto and technology companies have done. Uber said it was not obligated to have a permit because its vehicles require monitoring by a person in the car. California defines autonomous vehicles as having the capability to drive "without the active physical control or monitoring of a natural person." Uber has argued that its cars are not able to drive without a person monitoring them - a driver and an engineer are in the front seats to take over frequently in situations such as a construction zone or pedestrian crossing - so the law does not apply.  Uber's defiance was met with threats of legal action from the DMV and the state attorney general. The DMV told Uber it can continue its self-driving pilot if it obtains the permit. Agency director Jean Shiomoto said in a letter sent to Uber on Wednesday that she would "personally help to ensure an expedited review and approval process," which she described as "simple and straightforward." It is not yet clear whether Uber will apply for the permit or simply bring the self-driving cars to another state.

• Alibaba Again Named ‘Notorious Market’ in Blow to Overseas Push: Alibaba has again been labeled a haven for knockoffs with an embarrassing return to a U.S. blacklist for fakes just four years after getting its name removed. The U.S. Office of the Trade Representative on Wednesday restored Alibaba’s Taobao to its lineup of “Notorious Markets,” citing an unacceptably high level of reported counterfeiting and piracy. The Hangzhou-based company said it was disappointed in the decision. While Alibaba has argued it’s doing all it can to combat fakes, Asia’s biggest Internet company now finds itself on the same list as torrent website Pirate Bay and flea markets in Brazil and Nigeria. The decision damages Alibaba’s credibility in the U.S., where its shares trade and it’s trying to cultivate relationships with retailers, brands and entertainment companies. Alibaba suggested its new designation could have been influenced by politics. “Our results speak for themselves,” Alibaba President Mike Evans said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the USTR’s decision leads us to question whether the USTR acted based on the actual facts or was influenced by the current political climate.”