HOW TO GUESS RIGHT
Prognostication is a game for which the prize for getting it right is at least bragging rights, at best successful planning. Statistically, it seems, there are few winners ' but that seems to stop no one from doing it. Gambling is OK for sport, I guess, but ' except for calculated business risk ' not so hot as a planning or management tool.
Cybersecurity Legislation Near
On Nov. 15, the U.S. Senate declined to approve S. 3414, the Cybersecurity Act of 2012. The proposed legislation would have set voluntary cybersecurity standards for owners of the nation's critical infrastructure, such as gas pipelines, utilities and banks. In the absence of cybersecurity legislation, the Obama administration now is considering taking action through an executive order.
Obama Signs Safe Web Act Extension
On Dec. 4, 2012, President Obama signed into law H.R. 6131, a bill to reauthorize the U.S. Safe Web Act of 2006. The Safe Web Act authorizes the FTC authority to clamp down on Internet fraud and online scammers based abroad by expanding the FTC's powers so it can share information about cross-border online fraud with foreign law enforcement authorities.
Internet Memes and Intellectual Property Risks
Internet memes ' those attention-getting images, videos, and catchy phrases that whip across the Internet via e-mail and social media ' have long been a part of online culture. But while a corporate strategy of exploiting memes can be highly entertaining and can capture consumers' attention, using these online assets can be risky if intellectual property rights are infringed in their dissemination.
Social Media and the National Labor Relations Act
We offer below a set of frequently asked questions with answers distilling the key points that U.S. employers should understand about this new area of NLRA enforcement activity. These FAQs are accompanied by practical suggestions that technology counsel can use to help employers navigate these issues in drafting and updating their own social media policies.
Applying Patent Teachings in Product Liability Cases
In a product liability design defect action, evidence establishing the defectiveness of a product is paramount to a plaintiff's case. Conducting a patent search and an investigation of the state of the patent art may yield fruitful evidence regarding the defect or relative safety of the product at issue in a product liability action. But first some background to set the environment for how patents become patents.
International Cooperation in the Regulation of Nanotechnology
This article provides a broad overview of the general approach taken by major countries in the field of nanotechnology. It also describes steps taken in international cooperation in this area and suggests possible areas of international regulatory convergence.
Asbestos Payments Per Resolved Claim Increased 75% in the Past Year
An annual review of asbestos-related liabilities reported in companies' SEC filings, reveals that from 2010 to 2011, average payments per resolved claim increased 75%. Further review of the underlying data suggests that this increase in payments per claim is not due to a significant upward trend in asbestos liabilities. Instead, this increase can be explained by a change in the claim disease mix.
