LJN Newsletters

The legal framework of data privacy, though certainly in flux, has come a long way over the past few decades. Given a recent New York court decision, perhaps we should consider another right one might reasonably associate with privacy: the right of standing.

Aereo Inc.'s pitch is this: With one of its tiny antennas, no bigger than a dime, viewers can watch television through the Internet. But this is erupting into a litigation nightmare for broadcasters. The fight boils down to whether the broadcasters' copyrights for their shows give them control over how the shows are distributed.

This article discusses the NLRB's views on social media policies, through two recent NLRB decisions, and the eyes of the NLRB's General Counsel and its Administrative Law Judges.

In SOFA Entertainment, Inc. v. Dodger Productions, Inc., the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit considered whether it was "fair use" under the Copyright Act for the award-winning musical "Jersey Boys" to use a seven-second clip of Ed Sullivan's introduction of the Four Seasons rock band on "The Ed Sullivan Show" that aired in 1966.

A settlement was announced in charges against Google Inc. for collecting data from people's homes. Under the agreement, Google will pay $7 million to 38 states. The terms of the settlement were announced by Connecticut Attorney General George Jepsen, whose office led a privacy task force investigating Google for unauthorized collection of data using its 'Street View' vehicles. The company agreed to change its corporate practices regarding privacy.

In In re Hubbell, the Federal Circuit held that obviousness-type double patenting applies when conflicting patent applications share common inventors, even if they lack common ownership. That is, complete identity of inventors or common ownership is not required for the Patent Office to impose an obviousness-type double patenting rejection.

In a sign of the role new technology is playing in existing business models, two federal regulators recently released guidance covering two rapidly expanding technology markets: social media and mobile technology.

This article focuses on some of the challenges presented by the rise of technology and social media, and describes some measures for avoiding the most prevalent forms of juror misconduct.