TikTok’s ‘Blackout Challenge’ and Section 230 Immunity
January 01, 2025
In Anderson v. TikTok, Inc., the Third Circuit held that the liability of an Internet Service Provider such as TikTok depended on whether TikTok was sharing content via the platform’s algorithm or engaged in something more. The question of whether TikTok’s recommendation algorithm transformed content into TikTok’s own expressive activity was not immunized by Section 230 and has disrupted the protection previously enjoyed by Internet platforms like TikTok.
Fresh Filings
January 01, 2025
Notable recent court filings in entertainment law.
The 5 Most Influential Patent Law Cases of 2024
December 26, 2024
We’re counting down to the new year with a recap of the five most influential patent decisions from 2024. Spanning damages, design patents, infringement loopholes, issue preclusion, and prior art disqualification, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit had an active year issuing cases with a direct impact on innovation.
Secondary Liability for Copyright Infringement At the Supreme Court
December 01, 2024
In February 2024, the Fourth Circuit addressed a jury’s 2020 damages award of $1 billion finding Cox secondarily liable for its subscribers’ copyright infringement through illegal copying of copyrighted songs. Both Cox and Sony filed petitions for certiorari.
4 Steps to Safeguard Against Individual Liability for Data Security Failures
December 01, 2024
With cyberattacks on the rise and class actions arising from cyberattacks being filed at an increased rate, executives and board members increasingly face the risk of being individually targeted in lawsuits brought by class action plaintiffs and governmental bodies alleging individual liability for data security failures.
Hospitality Performance Tests In the Real World
December 01, 2024
Hotel management agreements often contain language permitting a hotel owner to terminate if the hotel’s performance fails to meet certain financial metrics. This provision, colloquially referred to as the “performance test,” is touted as a form of protection for owners by providing a right to terminate (or to receive a “cure payment”) if the hotel underperforms. But the reality is performance tests are generally structured to make them difficult, if not impossible, to fail, leaving hotel owners without the financial protection they thought they bargained for — or worse.
An NDA Is Not a ‘Magic Talisman’ for Trade Secret Protection
December 01, 2024
An NDA can cover information that would not qualify as a trade secret under state or federal law, and it can provide limited contractual protection to that information. But it is not a “magic talisman” for the protection of intellectual property, and it cannot create trade secret protection where it would not otherwise exist.
The Increase in Artificial Intelligence-Related Securities Class Actions
December 01, 2024
While the full scope of AI-related legal risks is still developing, both the SEC and FTC have revealed the kinds of AI-related corporate behaviors they consider problematic. The problematic corporate behavior the agencies emphasized the most is “AI Washing” — the practice of making unfounded claims about AI capabilities.
Compliance and Third-Party Risk Management
November 01, 2024
To gauge the level of risk and uncover potential gaps, compliance and privacy leaders should collaborate to consider how often they are monitoring third parties, what intelligence they are gathering with and about their partners and vendors, and whether their risk management practices have been diminished due to cost and resource constraints.
