Gender Discrimination Claims After Ledbetter
July 30, 2007
Recent action taken by the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission ('EEOC') and the U.S. Supreme Court show that gender discrimination issues continue to influence employee relations.
EEOC Thinking Big
July 30, 2007
Part One of this article discussed the EEOC's plans to implement its new Systemic Discrimination Initiative, describing what the initiative is, why it is important and the first two steps in the implementation: identifying systemic cases early and often, and involving lawyers from the start. The conclusion discusses the next four steps in the EEOC's plans, and what employers can expect.
Wellness Programs
July 30, 2007
The term 'wellness program' applies to a wide variety of programs designed to improve employee health, including fitness classes, smoking cessation programs, weight loss programs, and medical exams with medical goals based upon the results. Although at first glance these programs seem to be a win-win for everyone ' improved health for employees and reduced costs ' they carry with them a number of inherent legal risks.
Case Briefs
July 30, 2007
Highlights of the latest insurance cases from around the country.
Anti-Piracy Program Offers $1M Bounty To Whistleblowers
July 30, 2007
The Business Software Alliance ('BSA') is escalating its software piracy program by offering $1 million for software piracy tips, up from its previous $200,000 reward. The Washington-based alliance, which launched its software piracy information rewards program in the fall of 2005, will offer $1 million for qualified reports of copyright infringement between July and October. The alliance said it has collected $22 million in settlements with hundreds of companies since starting the program. Many tips are from employees who report their company's use of unlicensed software on office computers.
Federal Court Cancels Arbitration Clause in 'Virtual World' Test Case
July 30, 2007
Not long ago, in a galaxy eerily close to this one, legal pundits predicted that the fanciful realm of online 'virtual world' gaming would come crashing into the harsh reality of earthly litigation. That day has finally arrived in the case of <i>Bragg v. Linden Research, Inc., et al.</i>, serving up a lesson in civil procedure to an attorney with an avatar attempting to avoid arbitration over virtual property rights.
<b><i>Commentary: </b></i>Reject Demands for Unbundling
July 30, 2007
If the 'unbundling' advocates have their way, the Federal Communications Commission ('FCC') might as well change its name to the Federal Unbundling Commission. These advocates are pushing the FCC to adopt new rules to require more intrusive supervision of cable operators' interactive digital products. Unless a majority of the five-member commission indicates clearly that it rejects the injurious notion that broadband service providers must engage in ongoing unbundling of their networks ' separating the provision of Internet access service from Internet content ' the agency should start printing new stationery.
Taxes and the Internet
July 30, 2007
Famous 18th-century technology geek Benjamin Franklin once complained that 'nothing in this world is certain but death and taxes.' These days, perhaps it's certain that this quote will appear in any tax article, but if taxes were a problem for inventors in Franklin's era (and he was an accomplished inventor himself), it shouldn't be surprising that they continue to confound experts on the Internet and e-commerce today.
