What Lies Beneath: Technology That Supports Effective Compliance
January 01, 2004
Much has been written about the reporting requirements mandated by federal laws such as the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (the Act), the Health Insurance Portability & Accountability Act (HIPAA) and the Gramm-Leach-Bliley Act enacted in 1999 (GLBA), but less has been said about the technology that underlies successful efforts to comply. What is clear is that enterprise software and integrated records management are the only viable ways to meet these requirements. The software selected must take into account both changes in these requirements, and the prospect of future state and federal retention and reporting requirements. Since software doesn't exist in a vacuum, hardware and network considerations must be part of the overall system strategy. Law firms with corporate clients and corporate counsel need to be involved in the planning and implementation of such a system.
Bits & Bytes
January 01, 2004
Kroll Inc. has announced that it has acquired Oyez Legal Technologies Limited (OLT), the U.K. market leader in litigation support and legal information…
Peer-to-Peer Downloading Legalized in Canada
January 01, 2004
Before the Canadian Copyright Act was amended in 1998, copying any copyrighted sound recording for almost any purpose infringed copyright in Canada. The 1998 amendment legalized copying of sound recordings for the private use of the person who makes the copy. But it was unclear whether the amendment legalized Internet music downloading. In Dec. 2003, the Canadian Copyright Board determined that downloading music from peer-to-peer file-sharing services is legal as long as the downloaded file is used as a "personal copy." In its recent determination, however, the Board didn't declare uploading to be legal and stopped shy of completely legalizing peer-to-peer music trading.
Bit Parts
January 01, 2004
Recent developments in entertainment law.
Industry Bright Spot: Deals for Licensing Ring Tones For Use in Cell Phones
January 01, 2004
In an industry plagued by shrinking CD sales, the rapid growth in the consumer market for ring tones has been a music business bright spot. In fact, a number of companies have entered the market to provide musical compositions for use by consumers as ring tones for cell phones. The contracts for these companies to license songs from copyright owners vary, and this article touches on many of the issues involved.
News Briefs
January 01, 2004
Highlights of the lastest franchising news from around the country.
Keys to Good Presentations: 15 Rules for Getting Asked Back
January 01, 2004
One of the great keys to business development is the old adage, "Write, speak, sell." If you have figured out how to get into the media often enough to be perceived by your target audiences as an expert, then you will invariably be asked to speak at their conferences and meetings. This is your chance to develop personal relationships that lead to trust and, subsequently, new business. If audiences enjoy a speech, they are far more likely to want to create a relationship with you afterward. From such relationships flow the best business development opportunities. Unfortunately, most speakers, no matter how professionally qualified, focus on the substance and forget about the entertainment value of presentations.
Developments of Note
January 01, 2004
Recent developments in e-commerce law and in the e-commerce industry.
CAN SPAM Act: A Compliance Challenge A Detailed Look At What The New Act Means For e-Commerce; Marketers May Still Have A Say
January 01, 2004
In recent years, Congress has considered, but failed to adopt, dozens of proposals to control unsolicited commercial e-mail. Meanwhile, more than half the states passed laws banning specific forms of e-mail deception and requiring affirmative disclosures. California's much-discussed anti-spam law took the next step, prohibiting commercial e-mail sent without consumers' affirmative, opt-in, consent. This legislation, which was set to take effect Jan. 1, forced the e-mail marketing industry to lobby Congress for less restrictive, pre-emptive federal legislation. The result was the Controlling the Assault of Non-Solicited Pornography and Marketing Act of 2003, or CAN-SPAM Act of 2003 (the Act), which President Bush signed Dec. 16, and took effect Jan. 1. The Act pre-empts state laws, except to the extent that they prohibit any e-mail message or attachment falsity or deception. This article provides a detailed look at the new federal Act ' including the possibility for e-mail marketers to continue shaping the law in upcoming rulemaking proceedings.
