Online Marketing Practices Continue to Pose Regulatory Threats for the Financial Services Industry
February 01, 2018
Last year, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) released a staff report on Cross-Device Tracking, which added to the FTC's efforts to regulate emerging issues in the ever-evolving area of online behavioral advertising. The advertising in question involves the collection of data from a particular computer or device regarding a user's Internet-viewing behavior over time and across non-affiliate websites. Ostensibly, this technology obtains user preferences or interests. Cross-device tracking is the logical next step for this technology.
The Recent Court and Regulatory Battles Behind the Net Neutrality Controversy
February 01, 2018
Though it has been a news focus recently, the legal issue of “net neutrality,” or an open Internet, has been a point of contention between Internet access providers and network users since the mid-1990s. Both sides have zealously but unsuccessfully lobbied Congress with multiple efforts to have desired legislation passed. This has left us instead with shifting regulatory actions taken by the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) attempting to address the issue.
Trademark Board's Precedential Ruling on Use in Commerce
February 01, 2018
In a nearly 50-page precedential opinion in a ruling of great significance to the entertainment industry, a TTAB panel of judges recently underscored the need to prove actual use in commerce in order to register a trademark, regardless of how low the standard for use under the Lanham Act has recently become.
Marketing Tech: SEO: Will It Actually Work for Your Firm?
February 01, 2018
Search engine optimization (SEO) is a great way to help drive traffic to your website, but is also a very misunderstood term. This article helps clarify what SEO really is, and if it will help with your business development activities.
An IP Protection Primer for Entertainment Tech Startups
February 01, 2018
The tech-heavy entertainment industry is an active field for tech startup companies developing potential patents and trade secrets. But many cash conscious startups are forced to initially neglect protection planning for these intellectual property assets, instead allocating scarce resources to set up and initial operation costs. This article suggests some practical and economical steps for startups, especially those with tight finances, to protect what may become valuable patents and trade secrets.
Video Marketing Will Soon Be Essential
February 01, 2018
As marketing executives, we know our firms ought to be doing video marketing. We understand that video allows us to connect with audiences in ways that the written word never will. If your firm has not yet joined the video marketing revolution, there is still plenty of room on the bandwagon. In fact, many of the country's largest firms still have no online video presence. It's time to take advantage of this increasingly essential marketing tool.
How Blockchain Technology Can Drive the Legal Industry Forward
January 01, 2018
A new legal structure that bestows and monitors trust must be employed. Is decentralization of traditional, gigantic central bank repositories of data the answer? Is blockchain technology the new path that the legal industry should take to sustain in the digital age? Let us consider the most significant implications of decentralized technologies to the legal industry.
Regulators are Catching Up to Cryptocurrency and Blockchain Technology within the Financial Services Industry
January 01, 2018
<b><i>Part Two of a Two-Part Article</b></i><p>The proliferation of cryptocurrency and blockchain is being driven by the efficiencies and protections afforded to early adopters. The operational efficiencies and resulting cost savings are readily apparent in the financial services industry and are equally coveted by the entities trying to implement them and by the customers who will benefit from the implementation. However, neither party can fully enjoy these benefits without first understanding and overcoming the various regulatory hurdles.
