The Ninth Circuit has now concluded that the ACPA does not apply to a domain name that is first registered prior to the time the trademark at issue becomes distinctive, even if the domain name is later re-registered by a new owner. However, the Ninth Circuit also held that the ACPA can apply to new domain names registered by the new owner after the mark acquires distinctiveness.
The aspect of the Internet euphemistically described as "the cloud" has created a seemingly bountiful opportunity for the unscrupulous to acquire the means to attack innocent and vulnerable victims remotely and anonymously. And unlike the fictional portrayal of the apocalyptical children's tale of Chicken Little and his "The sky is falling!" warning, the current digital version is hardly a flight of fantasy.
What happens when a U.S. company's trademark is misused on the Internet outside of the United States? Short of litigating in that country, is all hope lost in addressing the problem? With the Internet and its global reach, even minor abuses are easily found and can cause real problems for a brand owner. Given the obvious jurisdictional roadblocks that exist in litigating in the U.S. against a foreign person or entity, there are some practical tactics that could prove useful in addressing and preventing this type of problematic behavior.
e-Mail and privacy are cornerstones of online commerce that successful e-commerce firms spend significant capital to operate properly, efficiently and legally. e-Commerce counsel should bear in mind, however, that the e-mail-content protection that some parties may enjoy against government and private access does not extend to certain entities that process e-mail.
This article concentrates on the scope of Communications Decency Act(CDA) immunity advertisers that operate user-generated content (UGC) campaigns may enjoy, limitations of the CDA in protecting against these claims and ways to structure UGC campaigns to minimize the risk of liability arising from unauthorized use of individuals' name, likeness and other personal attributes possibly included in UGC submitted as part of a sponsored UGC campaign.
Illinois is now one of 22 jurisdictions in the United States that extend some form of state-level spousal rights to same-gender couples.
This article provides an overview of the Dodd-Frank Act's whistleblower and anti-retaliation provisions, as well as practical steps to help employers avoid retaliation claims.
Facebook has settled Federal Trade Commission charges that it deceived its users and failed to keep their information private, agreeing on Tuesday to establish a comprehensive privacy program that includes independent audits for the next 20 years.
This article sets out the typical med pay policy language, summarizes certain coverage issues that have arisen in recent years with respect to med pay claims, and discusses two cases addressing whether an insurer can be liable in bad faith to an injured person for failing to provide med pay benefits.
An Internet Service Provider (ISP) can legally search the e-mail that it processes. ISPs may lawfully search the content of users' e-mails for many purposes, including assisting law enforcement, ensuring compliance with the ISP's terms-of-use agreement and protecting the ISP from legal difficulties, to name a few. Such activities do not currently constitute an invasion of the e-mail user's privacy.
