4 Takeways from EU Copyright Directive Vote
October 01, 2018
In September, the European Parliament passed a new draft of the European Union (EU) Copyright Directive legislation championed by content creators and publishers, but decried by tech behemoths. The directive will have to go through more committee discussions and another parliamentary vote before it can become law, but this doesn't mean the polarizing legislation isn't already making in-house counsel nervous.
Issues in Using Bots to Send Takedown Notices
October 01, 2018
We asked University of Idaho College of Law Professor Annemarie Bridy, one of the forefront experts in both DMCA and automated notice sending, about out of control bots, DMCA takedowns' potential threat to freedom of speech and more.
The Blockchain Will Support GDPR, but Not How Most People Think
October 01, 2018
It's clear that the onset of GDPR regulations and a quickly changing consumer sentiment about the sensitivity and value of their personal data will reorient a company's interactions with their customers and their information. There will be some pain points in this transition, as Facebook investors recently demonstrated, but it doesn't have to be a unilateral downturn for the tech industry.
The High Bar for Challenging an Improperly Revived Patent
October 01, 2018
The recent <i>In Re Rembrandt Technologies</i> decision is a reminder of both the potential consequence of a patent holder's disingenuous assertion of unintentionality and the challenges that defendants face when raising the improper filing of a petition to revive a lapsed patent as a defense.
Cybersecurity for Government: Lessons from the Front Line
October 01, 2018
During the time it takes you to read this article, somewhere in the United States, a governmental entity will probably be the victim of a cyber-attack. This article highlights the areas that are most impactful, based on experience in dealing with both large and small cyber-attacks against governments and governmental entities.
Are Allegations of Lack of Medical Necessity in False Claims Act Cases a Basis for Settlement or Trial?
October 01, 2018
<b><i>Lessons Learned from Recent Settlements and Decisions</b></i><p>Health care fraud and False Claims Act cases continue to generate a significant source of funds for the Federal Government.Although, when announcing its focus, the government listed treatment options are not always clear. What these settlements often have in common is that the underlying complaints allege that the services that were rendered and reimbursed lacked medical necessity.
Rap Video That Named Officers Not Protected Free Speech
October 01, 2018
A rap video posted to Facebook crossed the line from artistic to threatening when its lyrics described violent acts, named two Pittsburgh police officers and suggested the rappers knew where those officers lived, the Pennsylvania Supreme Court said in holding it was not protected by the First Amendment.