Aggressive Copyright Positions by Lady Gaga, Burning Man Festival
May 27, 2011
What's at issue is control, obviously, and the great lengths to which some will go to maintain it, even as they benefit from the wide-open, free-flowing viral information torrent of the Internet.
Federal Courts in CA, VA Consider Int'l Copyright Laws
May 27, 2011
To what extent does a foreign country's copyright law affect infringement litigation in the United States? Federal district courts in California and Virginia recently considered different aspects of this issue.
Social Media and Negotiating Celebrity Endorser Morals Clauses
May 27, 2011
One thing to do when hiring a celebrity endorser is to be certain the contract includes a "morals clause" that permits termination of a contract if the endorser decides to use Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, etc., to tweet, post or upload offensive comments and materials. Know, however, that celebrity agents are very careful not to let contracts be terminated for bad behavior.
When Assets Are 'Sold' to Special Purpose Entities
May 27, 2011
The Seventh Circuit's decision in <i>Paloian v. LaSalle Bank, N.A. (In re Doctors Hospital of Hyde Park Inc.)</i> sheds some new and perhaps disturbing light on the use of special purpose entity structures in corporate finance and also has implications for attorneys who deliver opinions to support transactions involving SPEs.
Attorneys in the Cloud May Get ABA Wake-Up Call With Proposed Rules
May 27, 2011
For lawyers struggling to cut costs and boost efficiency, Internet-based data storage and client service has been a popular alternative. But those who have their heads in the clouds when it comes to client confidentiality concerns may get a wake-up call by the American Bar Association.
Software Developer's Suit Against ConnectU May Go Forward
May 27, 2011
A Massachusetts state court judge has ruled that a Boston software developer's case against defunct social media site ConnectU Inc. and its founders and key shareholders, including the Winklevoss twins, can move forward. Also, the Winklevosses' have taken their bid to undo their Facebook settlement to the Supreme Court.
Prosecuting Internet Bad Acts Using Nuisance Law
May 27, 2011
Myriad Internet-related violations of both criminal and civil statutes are not prosecuted because their novelty requires excessive effort by the moving party. When cases of Internet bad acts are brought to court, the prosecution tends to be unsuccessful. Rather than pursuing traditional criminal or civil actions that are based on a specific act, the use of nuisance-law injunctions that are based on generally objectionable behavior may be a better alternative.
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