Microsoft's New Office 2007 File Format Is More Than an Upgrade
March 30, 2009
In March 2008, Microsoft received approval on its new OpenXML file format from the ISO, a step Microsoft says is "proof it is willing to make once-proprietary technology work openly with competing programs." Good riddance! The old binary format was a mess and didn't play well with other applications.
Centralizing Stores of Information to Make Retention Policies Possible
March 30, 2009
Most law firms understand the need to plan for the implementation of records retention policies, but there has been little agreement on how to achieve this goal. Firms are acutely aware of the rising costs associated with storing physical data and the burden surrounding backup, maintenance and migration of electronic content. When faced with the need to produce information, be it at a client request or when compelled by a court, the more control a firm has over its data, the more efficient and cost effective this process will be.
Record Number of Cybersquatting Cases in '08
March 30, 2009
The World Intellectual Property Organization ("WIPO") reported that a record number of cybersquatting cases were filed in 2008: 2,329 complaints were filed under the Uniform Domain Name Resolution Policy ("UDRP"), an 8% increase over 2007.
Democratizing the Social Networks
March 30, 2009
Social networking Web sites are hubs of information. Information about our daily activities, the people we know and the people they know. But as these hubs become more than just a virtual place for the global community to link to friends and post "what you are doing right now," we are confronted with fascinating new questions about how we define personal space, disclosures, and express preferences about our own content.
ABA Social Network Fails to Connect
March 30, 2009
The American Bar Association has jumped on the social networking bandwagon with a site of its own, LegallyMinded. The ABA hopes to separate its site from the professional networking pack by combining the best features of the top social networking sites with substantive legal information from the ABA's library. Ambitious as it is, the site falls short on execution.
The Struggle over Net Neutrality
March 30, 2009
In impassioned language more appropriate to international conflict, political debate or, at the very least, the cosmic struggles of comic-book superheroes and villains, a debate about "net neutrality" continues to rage in legal and business publications, on the Internet and in blogs throughout the world.
Vocational Evaluations in Maintenance Cases
March 30, 2009
The author posits that " ' the practice of allowing a vocational assessment to be conducted under the guise of Supreme Court Rule 215(a) simply because a person is seeking maintenance should be stopped.
The Plight of the Expatriate Spouse
March 30, 2009
International child relocation applications raise substantially different issues from those raised in domestic relocation cases, whether intrastate or interstate. Unfortunately, the fundamental differences are not often adequately appreciated by lawyers and judges.
Court Declares the Wisdom of the 'Plan Documents Rule'
March 30, 2009
An ex-spouse of a now-deceased plan participant is the named beneficiary of the decedent's savings and investment plan (SIP) benefit, but the ex-spouse divested herself of all rights to the decedent's SIP benefit in a divorce decree. Should the ex-spouse receive the benefit? A look at a recent Supreme Court decision.
UPCOMING EVENT
March 30, 2009
Entertainment Law in Review: Recent Cases, Trends & Impact, Los Angeles, April 29.
