Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Corporate CounselorKickerFeaturesTopicsTechnology Media and TelecomSectionsNewsLJN Newsletters

Social Media and Its Effects

By Michael C. Lynch and Lystra Batchoo
April 24, 2011

In any given moment of the day, millions of people all over the world are blogging, disseminating their activities or opinions to their followers on Twitter, sharing photos through Facebook, updating their MySpace account with recent news, or engaging in other online activity. In fact, two-thirds of the world's population that has access to the Internet visits social networking or blogging sites. In a March blog post, one of Twitter's co-founders claimed that one billion tweets are posted in the course of a week (with an average of 140 million tweets per day) and that almost 460,000 accounts on average were created per day in the previous month. LinkedIn boasts that it has over 90 million professionals covering hundreds of industries. Facebook claims that it has more than 500 million active users.

It is no overstatement then to say that social media has become a way for people to put their lives on display for all to see, attain semi-celebrity status, or generally participate in a growing cultural trend of over-sharing. Unless you have been completely oblivious to advancing technology, you probably have heard about these types of social media websites and tools or maybe even have used them in your personal life. But social media has infiltrated other aspects of life, going beyond merely a personal pastime to becoming a vital part of professional industries. Indeed, in the legal world, the role of social media has become more prevalent in the last five years. Attorneys and their clients are grappling with how this emerging technology will affect their cases. From reshaping the scope of discovery to potentially becoming evidence to support claims, one of the most significant implications of social media is how it can help shape litigation strategy by introducing new sources of information and serving as innovative tools in litigation.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

Law Firms are Reducing Redundant Real Estate by Bringing Support Services Back to the Office Image

A trend analysis of the benefits and challenges of bringing back administrative, word processing and billing services to law offices.

Bit Parts Image

Summary Judgment Denied Defendant in Declaratory Action by Producer of To Kill a Mockingbird Broadway Play Seeking Amateur Theatrical Rights

Risks of “Baseball Arbitration” in Resolving Real Estate Disputes Image

“Baseball arbitration” refers to the process used in Major League Baseball in which if an eligible player's representative and the club ownership cannot reach a compensation agreement through negotiation, each party enters a final submission and during a formal hearing each side — player and management — presents its case and then the designated panel of arbitrators chooses one of the salary bids with no other result being allowed. This method has become increasingly popular even beyond the sport of baseball.

Disconnect Between In-House and Outside Counsel Image

'Disconnect Between In-House and Outside Counsel is a continuation of the discussion of client expectations and the disconnect that often occurs. And although the outside attorneys should be pursuing how inside-counsel actually think, inside counsel should make an effort to impart this information without waiting to be asked.