Developments of Note
December 27, 2004
Recent developments in e-commerce law and in the e-commerce industry.
It's 2 a.m. ' Do You Know Where Your Web Site Is?
December 27, 2004
From highly complex e-commerce sites to small "mom and pop" companies, nearly everyone is using the Web to do business. But all of this technology can produce problems ranging from inaccessible and slow-loading Web sites to critical Web applications not functioning when they're needed most.
Supreme Court May Be Ready To Uncork Interstate Wine Sales
December 27, 2004
The Supreme Court last month appeared hostile toward state barriers that impede interstate wine sales, likely foreshadowing a win for small wineries in their long battle against the system that controls sales of alcoholic beverages nationwide.
Papering The Electronic Deal
December 27, 2004
Deals get done today online much more quickly than on paper. Lawyers, clients and investment bankers routinely swap blacklines several times a day by e-mail as negotiations proceed without the loss of a single tree. <br>But once the deal is done, is everyone always really sure of the terms to which he or she "agreed"?
Midsize Firms: Key Trends Affecting Competitiveness And Profitability
December 27, 2004
In conducting strategic planning studies and facilitating numerous strategic planning retreats, I regularly discuss long-term trends affecting law firms with dozens of members of executive committees and managing partners. These trends of interest differ somewhat, of course, for firms of different sizes. More importantly, sometimes the same trend has very different implications for firms of different sizes.
Five Reasons to Do a Trademark Audit
November 30, 2004
While a company's brands are among its most critical and valuable business assets, too little attention is usually devoted to identifying, developing, protecting and exploiting those assets. Gaps in trademark asset protection are often not discovered until a company seeks to enforce or is forced to defend its brands and encounters obstacles that could have been avoided.
Client Internet Services Expose Firms To New Liability
November 29, 2004
More and more attorneys are offering ' and their clients requesting- client services that include offering clients secure access to their personal case information by means of the Internet. Some law firms find such Internet Web site-based offerings to be a rapid, efficient and cost-effective method of communicating with clients, as well as other lawyers. Nevertheless, offering these services is not without an increase in legal liability for the law firm. Using the Internet to disperse confidential information raises potential ethical and legal issues that lawyers must face, with as of now, little guidance from the courts or bar associations.
The Law Must Catch Up With VoIP
November 29, 2004
After years of promise and hype, Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), the ability to make telephone calls over the Internet, has emerged as a mainstream service for businesses and, increasingly, for consumers. Lower cost, competitive quality and ease of use are responsible for VoIP's accelerated adoption. However, the very features driving VoIP's rollout have brought to the fore the stresses that the Internet and modern telecommunications technology have put on the 70-year-old regulatory framework that governs them.
