Facebook Inc. received one of its biggest regulatory slaps late last month when European antitrust regulators fined it $122 million for providing misleading statements about its 2014 purchase of WhatsApp. The fine is relatively small compared to Facebook's annual profits, but it does signal a more aggressive regulatory environment in the region.
The Fourth Circuit Court of Appeals is gearing up to hear argument in BMG Rights Management v. Cox Communications, one of the first attempts by the music industry to hold an ISP liable for unauthorized peer-to-peer file sharing by its subscribers.
Hui Chen, the contracted compliance counsel at the Department of Justice, often talks about how the tone at the top is important to compliance officers. But Chen clearly is not happy with the tone at the top of the organization, because she has been openly posting anti-Trump messages on her Twitter account, @HuiChenEthics.
How will the courts deal with questions of interpretation raised by emojis?
In the digital age, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has been keeping tabs on the growing trend of brands hiring so-called "influencers" — athletes, celebrities and others with large followings — to promote their products on social media. In April, the FTC turned its attention downstream to the "influencers" themselves, sending 90 letters to influencers and marketers informing them of their responsibility to "clearly and conspicuously" disclose the business relationships behind social media posts.
In a bid to assert control over cyberspace, China passed a sweeping cybersecurity law that affects virtually every company doing business in that country. The law is set to go into effect June 1, 2017. Despite its broad reach and potential for disruption, it appears that very few legal professionals are aware of the law.
In a bid to assert control over cyberspace, China passed a sweeping cybersecurity law that affects virtually every company doing business in that country. The law is set to go into effect June 1, 2017. Despite its broad reach and potential for disruption, it appears that very few legal professionals are aware of the law.
An enlarged print of an Instagram post containing a copyrighted photo counts as a transformative use, an attorney for "appropriation artist" Richard Prince — whose use of other artists' material in his own works has made him no stranger to the courts — argued before a New York federal judge in April.
The consumer agency has taken the view that advertisement — without proper disclosures — can mislead consumers. The agency has previously put the burden of ensuring proper disclosure on the brands. On April 19, the FTC turned its attention downstream to the "influencers" themselves.
With the EU's General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) set to take effect in May of 2018, the serious implications for corporate legal counsel and e-discovery teams are difficult to deny.
