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A Primer on What 'Big Data' Is All About Image

A Primer on What 'Big Data' Is All About

Jonathan Bick

In May 2015, the streaming music service Pandora acquired the music industry data collection company Next Big Sound, which extensively tracks sales, social and streaming data. In the Internet era, the entertainment and other industries are awash with data, all of it with varying degrees of copyright protection. The Pandora/Next Big Sound deal presents a good moment for a primer on this copyright protection.

Features

What ERP Can Teach About ELM Adoption Image

What ERP Can Teach About ELM Adoption

Jim Tallman

Following in the footsteps of Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP), Enterprise Legal Management (ELM) holds out the potential to link risk and legal data to enable the global enterprise to proactively mitigate legal risk, streamline the legal process, and make insightful decisions in response to market or regulatory changes.

Features

Using a Service Mark In Commerce Image

Using a Service Mark In Commerce

Judith L. Grubner

The Federal Circuit has now ruled that advertising a service that the applicant intends to provide in the future, but is not actually providing on the date of the application, is not "use in commerce." Thus, advertising submitted to the USPTO with a use-based application as a specimen of use of the mark in commerce, must relate to existing services already being provided to customers.

Features

Tip for Investors: Don't Lock Out Unionized Targets Image

Tip for Investors: Don't Lock Out Unionized Targets

Thomas G. Spencer & Philip E. Garber

Both financial and strategic investors often instinctively reject the idea of acquiring unionized companies. This can be a mistake. Healthy, unionized enterprises can turn out to be excellent investments. The key is analyzing them correctly.

Features

Third Circuit Decides Adult Film Industry Challenge to Federal Recordkeeping Laws Image

Third Circuit Decides Adult Film Industry Challenge to Federal Recordkeeping Laws

Saranac Hale Spencer

Federal regulations requiring producers of pornographic material to keep records of their models' ages don't violate the First Amendment, but the warrantless searches they authorize violate the Fourth Amendment, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit ruled.

Features

Get a (Law) Firm Grip on Data Breaches Image

Get a (Law) Firm Grip on Data Breaches

David Ray & Reggie Pool

Law firms are as much at risk for cyber attacks as any other industry. Because of the lack of reporting requirements in the industry, it is unclear how many breaches have actually occurred. This article describes some of the reasons law firms are cyber-attack targets, steps they can take to reduce their risk, and what clients are doing to encourage law firms in those efforts.

Features

Avoid Drowning in Data Image

Avoid Drowning in Data

Alan Friel

Data is a rich source for evidence in litigation and, for many companies, a valuable asset. What is less apparent, however, is exactly how to properly manage information and its privacy and security. However, over the past several decades, best practices have been developed for establishing and managing a comprehensive privacy, data protection and information governance program. This article summarizes those learnings to suggest an approach for how to design and run a program that is right for your company.

Features

<b><i>Online Extra:</b></i> Battle Over .SUCKS Domain Gets Testy Image

<b><i>Online Extra:</b></i> Battle Over .SUCKS Domain Gets Testy

Lisa Shuchman

The registry that owns the controversial domain name ".sucks" has put the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) on notice that its criticisms and actions against the company could lead to legal action.

Features

Crackdown on Offshore Tax Evasion Not Slowing Down Image

Crackdown on Offshore Tax Evasion Not Slowing Down

Robert J. Alter

The DOJ Tax Division and the IRS have been ramping up an intense crackdown on offshore tax evasion, and the IRS's reduced resources due to new budget cuts is having no effect on IRS enforcement initiatives in this area.

Features

Tips for Investors: Don't Lock Out Unionized Targets Image

Tips for Investors: Don't Lock Out Unionized Targets

Thomas G. Spencer & Philip E. Garber

There's something about the idea of dealing with unions that just plain intimidates investors. Both financial and strategic investors often instinctively reject the idea of acquiring unionized companies. This can be a mistake.

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