<b><i>Commentary</b></i> Is Suing Your Customers A Good Idea?
October 01, 2004
Four thousand two hundred and eighty lawsuits and counting. <br>That's how many lawsuits have been brought by the major record labels against music fans for using peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing software (like KaZaA or Morpheus) to swap music over the Internet. The 1-year anniversary has just been reached in the recording industry's unprecedented litigation campaign against its own customers. The campaign appears to have hit its stride, with the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) announcing roughly 500 new suits each month.
RIAA Escalates Battle
October 01, 2004
The Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) recently announced that it has filed a new round of lawsuits against 762 people it suspects of distributing its songs for free over Internet peer-to-peer (P2P) networks like KaZaA and eDonkey. <br>As of press time, the RIAA has sued roughly 5400 people over the past year in an effort to discourage the online song copying that it believes has cut into CD sales. And it's also pressing Congress to help.
Legislative Update
October 01, 2004
House OKs Bill Imposing 'Spyware' Fines <br>Schwarzenegger Signs California Anti-Spyware Bill <br>Maryland Anti-Spam Law Toughens Penalties
Get Smart With Your Marketing Materials
October 01, 2004
For some time now, CRM has been all the rage, but marketers may soon start hearing another buzzword: "SMART." <br>SMART stands for Sales and Marketing Assembly Resource Tool, and when integrated with a company's content, it can make an enormous difference in the way companies prepare and send out their marketing pieces.
<b><i>Commentary</b></i> Perspective On Anniversary Of RIAA File-Sharing Suits
October 01, 2004
Four thousand two hundred and eighty lawsuits and counting. That's how many lawsuits have been brought by the major record labels against music fans for using peer-to-peer (P2P) file-sharing software (like KaZaA or Morpheus) to swap music over the Internet. The 1-year anniversary has just been reached in the recording industry's unprecedented litigation campaign against its own customers.
The Unauthorized Practice Of Law: A Bottomless Ethics Pothole
October 01, 2004
The unauthorized practice of law (UPL) issue is the modern law firm's ultimate bottomless ethics pothole. In today's world, common sense would seem to dictate that a Maryland lawyer could close a complex commercial transaction for a Maryland client in foreign jurisdictions like Florida or New York. The fact that more than a few states would disagree with this proposition is what makes the UPL issue the bottomless pothole that it is.
Improve Professional Development: Conduct A Formal Associate Program Evaluation
October 01, 2004
Gone are the days of the Internet chat rooms for disgruntled associates. Gone are the multitude of public surveys where law firms learned, only after survey publication, how poorly associates rated their firms in terms of professional satisfaction. <br>These days, associates are less vocal about their dissatisfaction with their firms and the opportunities afforded them for professional development. Nonetheless, associates are still on the move, and firms continue to struggle to find effective ways to retain them. <br>Firms have made significant investments in improving their associate programs, including hiring Professional Development Administrators. Now, rather than ignoring issues related to professional development and satisfaction, firms are evaluating all aspects of their associate programs. They no longer want to leave the surveying to someone else.
Law Firm Political Contributions: Why And How
September 29, 2004
A&FP got lucky this summer when I sought an expert to advise our readers on law firm political contributions. Not only did Kurt Salisbury help me recruit his Arent Fox colleague Craig Engle, but he agreed to perform the interview on my behalf. Our readers thus gain not only the perspective of a major firm's PAC Director but also the perspective of the same firm's CFO.
Controlling The Information Flood: Are You Ready To Wade In These Waters?
September 28, 2004
When talking about the Internet, we are usually confronted with a good news/bad news situation. The good news is that the volume of information readily accessible via the Internet continues to grow exponentially. The bad news is that the overwhelming volume of Internet sources and content makes finding relevant information inefficient and often frustrating. The challenge is to find the proverbial needles in this ever-expanding haystack, which some sources say is expanding by 20 million pages per day.
