Net News
February 28, 2006
Report: Spyware Threats Tripled in 2005
Resolving Disputes in the Digital Age
February 28, 2006
When German banking behemoth WestLB needed its people to agree on a strategic plan for developing human resources, it turned to mediator Alex Yaroslavsky and his New York City-based Yaro Group for guidance. <br>Using an innovative system that combines "brainstorming" software from GroupSystems with traditional arbitration, Yaroslavsky facilitated a collaboration involving about 20 participants. The group, ranging from an analyst to a managing director, achieved in 2 hours what might've taken 2 weeks of discussion and review using only traditional arbitration techniques.
Lost In The Stacks Again?
February 28, 2006
Congressional funding has provided millions of Americans access to the Internet at public libraries. Reacting to complaints that library users were accessing pornographic and obscene materials, Congress enacted The Children's Internet Protection Act (CIPA) (codified at 20 U.S.C. 9134 (2001) and 47 U.S.C. 254(h) (2001)), which mandates that libraries receiving federal funding install Internet filters. <br>Due to technological limitations, these filters block more Internet access than necessary, keeping adult patrons from accessing constitutionally protected material. The Supreme Court upheld the law, finding it a valid exercise of Congress' spending power. <i>United States v. Am. Library Ass'n</i>. However, Tenth Amendment challenges in the federal courts could result in the Supreme Court being forced to take a second look at CIPA's validity.
Perfect 10 Racks Up Preliminary Injunction Against Google
February 28, 2006
Google's popular image search service might be in legal jeopardy. A Los Angeles federal judge ruled last month that the Internet search engine's image search feature, which displays thumbnail versions of images found on other Web sites, probably infringed a Web pornographer's copyrights. In a 48-page preliminary ruling, U.S. District Judge A. Howard Matz reluctantly sided with Perfect 10, a Beverly Hills, CA, adult entertainment publisher, in its copyright claim against the Internet search giant.
ISP Rats Out User
February 28, 2006
Internet users surrender any privacy rights they have to their subscriber information when they sign up for online service, a New Haven Superior Court judge has ruled in a matter of first impression in Connecticut.
12 Angry Surfers: Mock Trials Go Online
February 28, 2006
A growing group of lawyers are seeking quicker, cheaper ways to get feedback about their cases. With technology already providing much in the way of trial support, it seems only natural that virtual communication has begun filling the mock jury gap.
Online Gambling's Payoff
February 28, 2006
Although online gambling is illegal in the United States, you'd never know it by looking at the numbers. Last year alone 7.8 million Americans logged on to Internet gambling sites. <br>And with the online gambling industry banking almost $12 billion in revenue in 2005, some U.S. casinos think the time has come to legalize Internet gambling and cash in ' a position that was considered all but unthinkable until recently.
THE MLF Canadian 20
February 28, 2006
For the first time, <i>Marketing The Law Firm</i> will present the MLF Canadian 20 ' The Top 20 Canadian Law firms in the areas of Marketing and Communications. This listing will bring to bear all the achievements that our friends and colleagues to the North have been so diligently working on in terms of their marketing and communications programs.
Oh, Canada!
February 28, 2006
In some quarters, there is the misperception that Canadian law firms lag behind their American counterparts when it comes to marketing practices, but in fact Canadian firms are no less sophisticated at marketing. They simply operate in an environment that is vastly different. Based on conversations with various Managing Partners, Chief Operating Officers, Chief Marketing Officers and other legal industry insiders it is clear that the marketing of Canadian law firms suffers more from the structure of the Canadian sector than from any specific approach to marketing.
Sorting Through Your Marketing Options
February 28, 2006
With 2006 in gear, your firm should be well into its marketing budget. In all likelihood, you have made decisions to sponsor events, renew existing advertising and the like. As a primer to making those decisions a little less intimidating, I thought it might be useful for me to share a personal experience.
