China's Great Leap In-House
July 31, 2006
These days China is full of Silicon Valley wannabes, but Alibaba.com, headquartered in Hangzhou, is way ahead of the pack. In a headline-grabbing deal last August, the company acquired Yahoo Inc.'s China business (it now operates the Yahoo brand in China), plus a $1 billion investment from the venerable Internet company. Now a $4 billion privately held concern, Alibaba.com is best known for its business auction site (www.alibaba.com, which the company claims is the leading Web site for business-to-business trade in the world) and Taobao.com (www.taobao.com), a consumer auction site that's giving eBay.com a run for its money in China. (Alibaba.com is in English, Taobao.com is in Chinese.)
<b>Technology In Marketing: </b> Time to Upgrade Your Firm's Web Site?
July 31, 2006
Despite their importance, many law firm Web sites are outdated ' having been designed, developed and launched several years ago when Web technologies were far less advanced than they are today. As a result, many law firms are not taking advantage of new technologies that could simplify site maintenance, improve the 'user experience' of site visitors, and more effectively promote the firm's expertise. <br>This article reviews some new technologies that firms should consider when evaluating whether their Web site is in need of a functional upgrade.
L..A. Practice Notes
July 27, 2006
Big Firms Move Into L.A.<br>Silicon Valley Firms Pursue Hollywood Clients
<b>Commentary: </b>Proposed Digital-Music Licensing Legislation Presents Problems for Songwriters, Publishers
July 27, 2006
The Section 115 Reform Act of 2006 (SIRA), H.R. 5553, proposes an entirely new structure for the way digital rights will be licensed and online royalties will be collected. The proposed federal legislation to revise Sec. 115 of the Copyright Act may in fact turn out to be the landmark Internet blanket-licensing legislation some claim that it will be. Major record labels, large on-demand streaming services such as AOL Music, Napster and MusicNet, and cellphone companies such as Verizon, believe that the centralized clearance system that SIRA would create streamlines their business model. <br>However, those who represent songwriters as well as large independent publishers and copyright administrators should be concerned that the bill currently pending in the House of Representatives is flawed in several significant ways, and requires substantial amendment in order to better protect the interests of music creators and rights owners.
Additional 2006 Tax Tips and Insights
July 27, 2006
following excerpts provide useful additional information on the Tax Increase Prevention and Reconciliation Act of 2005, signed into law on May 17, 2006.
First-Level Review: The Next Legal Service to Be Sent Offshore?
July 27, 2006
Discovery costs continue to spiral upward because of the vast amount of electronic data created daily, and the need for robust technology to reduce document sets for review, coupled with high-quality/low-cost review, is acute. <br>But the greatest success for clients, as measured by cases won and costs saved, will be realized by combining robust technology with lower-cost, offshore legal workers.
Blogging and the Workplace
July 27, 2006
You may not know about it, but it is happening: At least one, and probably more, of your business' employees has entered the 'blogosphere.' The world of blogs, or interactive diaries posted on the Internet, has expanded exponentially over the past 3 years, and 'bloggers' cannot seem to resist the urge to talk about their jobs. These sometimes quasi-journalistic postings raise a host of concerns for employers, such as protecting a hard-won public image, safeguarding confidential information, and preventing defamation of managers and co-workers. Such concerns arise because blogs can reach millions of readers long before the employer even learns about the posting.
