<b>BREAKING NEWS:</b> High Court Hears eBay Patent Case
March 30, 2006
Two veterans of the Supreme Court bar argued forcefully ' and inconclusively ' on March 29 in a high-stakes dispute over how easy it should be for a patent holder to win an injunction against an infringer.
Snapshot Look At Current Adult Entertainment Biz
March 29, 2006
For a few days recently, I 'researched' the adult-entertainment industry for this article. I became curious as to just how big the industry was, what kind of money was being made and what companies owned, operated, managed and provided adult entertainment. In fact, there are multiple segments and sectors within the industry, with companies involved in movies, books and magazines, Web sites and software, nightclubs, adult-cable networks, pay-per-view services, telephone and online services, retail stores and catalogs.
Music Industry Faces Tough Negotiations In Digital Music-Licensing Frontier
March 29, 2006
Howard Stern and Oprah Winfrey might have lent some serious star power to subscription-based satellite-radio networks XM and Sirius, but that doesn't mean the fledgling medium is ready for prime time. This year, XM Satellite Radio Holdings Inc. and Sirius Satellite Radio Inc. have to renegotiate their royalty agreements with record labels. Not only is the music industry intent on raising the licensing fees, it wants to stop the introduction of new satellite radio receivers that work more like an iPod than a radio.
Computer Forensics Docket Sheet
March 29, 2006
Court Weighs Defendant's Use Of Data-Wiping Software, Finds Proof Of Willful Destruction Alleging that the defendant infringed on its motion-picture copyright, the plaintiff sought a permanent injunction, attorneys' fees and costs, and money damages. After uncovering the defendant's alleged activities by tracing his Internet protocol address, the plaintiff was granted access to the defendant's computer and hired a Kroll Ontrack computer-forensics expert to conduct an examination. The expert determined that, after wiping all data off…
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.
