Applying technology to an inefficient process will give you a net gain of zero. Throwing technology at a problem without first looking at the process will rarely fix it. In fact, it may exacerbate the problem by adding another layer of complexity to existing process challenges.
The Third Circuit has determined that, when a patent-holding drug manufacturer makes payments to potential generic competitors to keep them out of the marketplace, that fact alone serves as prima facie evidence of violation of U.S. antitrust laws.
Even as the e-discovery market matures, we continue to see change driven by shifting economic conditions, the proliferation of data sources such as social media and cloud computing, and evolving legal standards. In response to these challenges, e-discovery vendors are developing solutions that are poised to shape the direction of the market. As legal and IT professionals, it is our duty to keep up with the ever-changing landscape of e-discovery technologies.
Proctoring by experienced surgeons is a common and increasingly frequent method to credential surgeons for hospital privileges or those who are new to laproscopic or robotic procedures. But what are the legal pitfalls?
Twice in less than 12 months, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) has investigated Google Inc.'s personal data-handling practices to compare them with Google's representations made on its website privacy policy and other documents. And twice in less than 12 months, the FTC has determined that Google's practices constituted misrepresentation.
A case pitting adult entertainment companies against the gatekeepers of Internet domain names cleared a key hurdle when a federal judge in Los Angeles largely allowed antitrust claims over the controversial .xxx domain to go forward.
On June 24, 2011, in a dramatic 33-29 vote, the New York State Senate passed the Marriage Equality Act (MEA) legalizing same-sex marriage in the Empire State. Governor Andrew M. Cuomo signed the bill into law the same night, and the first same-sex marriages were performed under the Act on July 24, 2011. The next day, a lawsuit was filed seeking to invalidate the MEA and any marriages performed under it.
Within a matter of days in late spring, U.S. Courts of Appeals on opposite sides of the country rendered decisions that have set the stage for the same-sex marriage issue to reach the Supreme Court. Will the Court agree to review DOMA and Proposition 8 in its new term?
That some action is needed in the realm of cybersecurity is the one thing beyond debate. Over the last year, supporters of various versions of legislation have emphasized that the nation's critical infrastructure ' including electrical grids, water stations and telecommunications systems ' is a target for cyber-attacks.
Texas Bar 22d Annual Entertainment Law Institute
Austin, TX, October 25-26
