With Virtual Currency, Does Virtually Anything Go?
December 31, 2013
In late 2013, a Subway sandwich franchise in Pennsylvania was making the news for being one of the first small American businesses to accept bitcoin as payment for purchases. According to press reports, that franchise generated a lot of interest among hungry bitcoin enthusiasts, who went out of their way to visit the store. Should this be dismissed as a mere publicity stunt, or is the use of bitcoin something that deserves some thought?
With Virtual Currency, Does Virtually Anything Go?
December 31, 2013
In late 2013, a Subway sandwich franchise in Pennsylvania was making the news for being one of the first small American businesses to accept bitcoin as payment for purchases. According to press reports, that franchise generated a lot of interest among hungry bitcoin enthusiasts, who went out of their way to visit the store. Should this be dismissed as a mere publicity stunt, or is the use of bitcoin something that deserves some thought?
Are You Blawging, Or Flawging?
December 31, 2013
Lots of attorneys are being told that they need to start blogging (or "blawging", as many attorneys refer to it). From a marketing perspective, this advice makes a lot of sense. There's an old advertising adage, credited to David Ogilvy from the pre-"Mad Man" days of advertising, that when it comes to big-ticket purchases, "long copy sells."
FTC Update on Gathering Data; Disclosures To Consumers
December 31, 2013
In an area of major interest to the entertainment industry, the FTC continues its active enforcement of advertising practices in emerging areas such as social media and mobile marketing. At the same time, advertisers and marketers are attempting to piece together best practices as new consumer protection requirements come into effect and the first cases applying new regulatory standards are settled.
Data Security Fears Rise
December 31, 2013
e-Commerce professionals just aren't destined to get a good night's sleep. First there was the recession, slowing upgrades and new projects. Then lawyers using personal smartphones and tablets for work, raising confidentiality headaches. Now, a new challenge: Protecting against cyberattacks ' and convincing clients that the firm is doing this job well.
Aereo Makes Unusual Move in Networks' Bid for S. Ct. Review
December 31, 2013
In an unusual move that raised the stakes in the major copyright battle between broadcast television networks and the upstart Aereo TV service, Aereo Inc. is urging the U.S. Supreme Court to hear the dispute, even though it won in the court below.
How Metadata Changed the Outcome of a Complex Employment Case
December 31, 2013
By definition, metadata is data about data. For computer files, it includes metadata fields that are hidden to typical users. This information can be valuable for a court case, and it goes beyond standard electronic discovery data collection: it must be gathered and analyzed by a digital forensics specialist.
Another Look at Rule 10b5-1 Trading Plans
December 31, 2013
By establishing a prearranged plan to trade their companies' stock in compliance with SEC Rule 10b5-1, corporate executives avail themselves of the only formally codified affirmative defense against a charge of insider trading. However, statistical evidence demonstrating that executives in trading plans outperform their peers by 6% to 10% have twice brought trading plans under academic and journalistic scrutiny.
When Online Harassment of Tenant Turns Violent
December 31, 2013
Does a landlord have an obligation to act once it learns a resident is being harassed by another tenant on Facebook or similar social media site? According to a recent Ohio state appellate decision, not only is liability possible, but landlords who ignore warning signs may be doing so at their own peril.
