Use Escape Clauses For Tech Contracts
May 26, 2005
Lawyers and businesspeople are like most people who read things they must or are interested in: They read the exciting parts first ' and that includes contracts. Everyone is interested in the money, and what they will get from the deal. <br>But what about what might be considered the marginalia, the add-ons ' or what some people might think of as those categories ' the escape clauses of the contract? Well, you can bet that no one reads the term and termination sections first. These "quiet" clauses are usually hidden, well in the back of a contract, with the boilerplate and signatures.
Slain Soldier's e-Mail Spurs Legal Debate
May 26, 2005
The recent release of a dead soldier's e-mail account to his parents in Michigan has sparked a new debate over personal data: Who owns your e-mail when you die?
Internet Law and Charities
May 25, 2005
Historically, states, not the federal government, have been responsible for regulating charities. State regulation is designed to protect consumers from fraud and abuse. The federal government's role is generally limited to providing tax incentives that inure to the benefit of valid charities.
Net News
May 25, 2005
Recent developments of note in the Internet industry. This month:<br>MPAA Targets TV Download Sites <br>Yahoo Sued over Child Porn Site <br>Star Wars' Sith Victim of Internet Sieve<br>Microsoft, Massachusetts Target Spammers in Lawsuit <br>2004 Internet Ad Rev Surpasses Dot-com Boom Levels
Canada Strikes at Spam
May 25, 2005
Canada's national spam task force delivered its report on May 17 to Industry Minister David Emerson. <i>Internet Law & Strategy</i> Board of Editors member Michael Geist was a member of the task force and served as the co-chair of the law and regulatory working group. This article discusses the task force's report, recommendations and impact.
Spitzer Files Spyware Suit
May 25, 2005
New York Attorney General Eliot Spitzer sued a major Internet marketer last month, blaming it for secretly installing software that delivers nuisance pop-up advertisements and can slow and crash personal computers.
'Information Security 101'
May 25, 2005
Recent headlines have reported a startling number of security breaches and information thefts. A major university notified 120,000 of its alumni after a computer containing fundraising information including addresses and Social Security numbers was hacked by an unknown intruder; a subsidiary of the Lexis Nexis group announced that the records of 32,000 individuals may have fallen into the hands of thieves using the passwords of legitimate subscribers; Bank of America reported the loss of backup tapes containing the financial records of up to 1.2 million federal employees; payroll outsourcer PayMaxx faced allegations that it had exposed 25,000 customer records, including W-2 information, online; and cell phone provider T-Mobile released information about a hacker who was able to exploit a security weakness in a commercial software package to access customer records, sensitive government documents, private e-mail and candid celebrity photos.