Consumer-Generated Content Is Hot
April 27, 2007
Over the past year, a growing number of companies have begun to sponsor promotions involving consumer-generated content. For example, Frito-Lay and Unilever each ran contests in which consumers were invited to create commercials and the winning spots were aired on television. These types of promotions offer many advantages for marketers. If a promotion is executed well, it could generate publicity for a relatively small investment. Consumers are also likely to spend more time on a company's Web site watching videos and learning about the company's products than they would otherwise. Moreover, a company may end up with a great commercial at a fraction of the price they would have had to pay an agency to develop it.
Online Patent Swapping
April 27, 2007
The age of collaboration that the Internet has introduced is changing the rules of intellectual property protection, creating new copyright strategies and enabling a virtual online 'swap meet' for companies holding patents they no longer need and those searching for new technologies.
Lawyer Ads in Cyberspace
April 27, 2007
New York State's new ethical rules governing attorney advertising, which went into effect on Feb. 1, 2007, specifically address the use of Internet and electronic technology to advertise attorney services and serve as an example of how other states may revise their attorney advertising rules as well.
Cyber-insurance: An Added Layer of Security
April 27, 2007
Confidential client records and work product are the core of any law firm's work product. Most firms understand the necessity of archiving computer and paper files in a safe, off-site location. But what about the active files on a computer? If they are compromised by a hacker, or otherwise threatened by criminal activity, how would it affect a firm's operation?
Movers & Shakers
April 27, 2007
News about the people leading the e-commerce industry.
<b><i>Practice Tip:</b></i> Managing Your Metadata
April 27, 2007
New amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure ('FRCP') identify electronically stored information, tangible and intangible, as discoverable (relevant, non-privileged) information. This altered landscape, which took shape when the existing rules were amended and the amended rules took effect in December, is one that e-commerce enterprises must size up and become familiar with.
Shield Your Firm From Cybercrime
April 27, 2007
Everyone today is on high alert about the threats of Internet fraud, identity theft and white-collar crime ' or if not, they should be. Internet criminals are constantly cultivating new tactics, and law-enforcement agencies are doing everything they can to head them off.
State Regulation Of Prescriptions Online May Violate Commerce Clause
April 27, 2007
The New York State Narcotic Bureau of Enforcement is investigating companies in New Jersey, Mississippi and elsewhere for facilitating Internet prescription-medicine transactions. These facilitators include Web site owners, database providers and Internet service providers ' none of which has New York offices, assets or residents. But any indictments or convictions resulting from such New York investigations might be barred by the U.S. Constitution's Commerce Clause.
The Death of a Salesman ' Online
April 27, 2007
The situation is no better in today's competitive international and online economy than in 1949 when Arthur Miller penned his masterpiece 'Death of a Salesman' ' bleak and unforgiving. Whatever he or she might feel about a customer, the sales representative must follow the basic rule of sales: The customer is always right (even when the customer is wrong). With better and more readily accessible knowledge of competing sellers' pricing, customers can comparison shop for the lowest price almost without cost or delay. The lure of a slightly lower price online can make a customer forget the service and support that a good rep can provide. And all the goodwill established by the rep's prior work pales next to a slight price break, from the customer's perspective.
