37,000 Libraries Of Congress Created In One Year!
March 29, 2006
How much would it cost to house 37,000 Libraries of Congress? It's not so much a vapid philosophical question as one that opens the door to serious contemplation of economies of scale, because that's how much new electronic data is created in a single year, according to one study.<br>Fortunately, the data is stored in computers and not in a monumental building, but the place where it's being stored ' on hardware, with software ' doesn't mean the costs of creating, storing and managing data aren't significant and growing for all businesses.
New Rule on 'Internet Applicant'
March 29, 2006
The Department of Labor's Office of Federal Contract Compliance Programs (OFCCP) oversees compliance with the equal opportunity and affirmative action requirements applicable to all government contractors. The OFCCP is charged with enforcing Executive Order 11246, which prohibits federal contractors from discriminating against applicants on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, or national origin. The Order also requires contractors to use affirmative action so that equal opportunity is available for all phases of employment. As such, contractors must retain all applicant-related company records as well as other employment records. In particular, contractors are required to maintain records of 'applicant flow data' by soliciting gender, race and ethnicity information from all applicants. If a contractor fails to comply with the rules issued by the OFCCP, it will be subject to disciplinary action, ranging from citations and economic fines to debarment.
e-Commerce Changes Everything ' Again
March 29, 2006
e-Commerce Web sites' only constant is change. They must nimbly adjust prices and offerings on the fly to meet market conditions and customer profiles. And those aren't all of these sites' ongoing change requirements.<br>One thing that doesn't change, however, is their reliance on data ' customer preferences as well as transaction information. Although e-commerce Web sites are an inherently transient medium, that data is as worthy of preservation as a treasure map or share certificate of old, because, in many ways, it is worth more than money.<br>For these firms, a record-keeping and record-retention policy seem to be electronic oxymorons, as much as an 'inexpensive lawyer' or 'friendly litigation' may seem to many people The controlled destruction of records typically associated with such policies in the post-Enron and Arthur Andersen era appears to fly in the face of the needs and realities of e-commerce, as much as do traditional notions of photocopying and saving every paper business record.
Labor Department Regulates Federal Internet Job Applications
March 29, 2006
With the e-commerce activity of collecting 'people data' for employment comes regulations, a collection of which the evolution of the Internet requires periodic updating and the application of new rules.<br>On February 6, new U.S. Department of Labor rules that require federal contractors to collect information concerning Internet applicants went into effect. But compliance with another set of regulations doesn't necessarily mean that employers or contractors will find themselves in a bog meant to keep recruiting orderly, and compliant.
The Basics Of Hiring A Contract Attorney
March 29, 2006
Law firms use contract attorneys to aid in large-scale document reviews such as those often required in e-discovery, and for mergers, internal audits and other matters that require an influx of temporary help. Of course, the subject matter involved in these wide-ranging projects varies, which makes contractors an ideal solution for dynamic business. If a project requires that attorneys or other workers who are or may be involved have a specific background, then law firms, or the agencies they hire, may well be better positioned using temporary workers who also may be making a specialty of the work required. And often, projects require only a general legal background, which makes finding candidates far easier. But whatever the situation that demands looking for short-term or long-term employees ' for staff positions or contract work ' firms should consider the key factors when hiring contract attorneys.
Internet Disclosures Can Cost Your Company
March 29, 2006
As the Internet opens pathways to doing business that could scarcely be imagined a decade ago, it also presents increasing dangers to public companies in the form of new liability risks. The instantaneous nature of the Internet can be both boon and bane to companies seeking to harness it to provide information to, and create goodwill with, shareholders. Not only can information be disseminated over the Net in a fraction of a second for worldwide viewing, but it has become a predominant source of investment news. Financial updates, product developments, information tidbits, even rumors ' all are now posted 24/7 on the Web for consumption by anyone, including investors who are poised to take advantage of the latest intelligence.
The Company's Right To Know v. The Anonymous Critic's Right To Remain Unknown
March 28, 2006
This question is becoming increasingly important with the proliferation of blogs and Web postings for corporate criticism ' from wakeupwal mart.com to www.googlereallysucks.blogspot.com. And whether companies and their in-house counsel pursue actions against bloggers in these cases involves more than the usual assessment of opportunity costs and the pure business interests of the company. There are limits to the rights of companies to compel an Internet Service Provider (ISP) to reveal the name of its customer, particularly when the ISP customer wishes to remain anonymous. This article explores what the courts are requiring companies to show before they will call for an ISP to divulge a blogger's identity and provides some guidelines in evaluating whether to pursue such a strategy.
Lawmakers Propose to Put Cell Phone Records Off-Limits
March 21, 2006
Selling or obtaining another person's cell phone records would become a crime in Georgia under a proposal that is moving through the Georgia Legislature. Cell phone records are being sold over the Internet, with attorneys among the top customers, according to some reports.
The Expanding Scope of Corporate Information Security Obligations
March 21, 2006
Protecting the security of corporate information and computer systems is becoming a major legal requirement for businesses. Driven by several recent highly publicized security breaches involving personal information, strong pressures are building for enhanced corporate obligations to implement appropriate information security measures to protect personal data and the people it describes.
