http://www.deanboland.com Dean Boland has been active in the practice and teaching of technology law issues for more than ten years. He now represents criminal defense clients facing technology issues in prosecutions in both federal and state courts throughout the country. He is licensed in Ohio and is currently counsel in state and federal cases in Missouri, Virginia, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania and Ohio. Finally, the iPhone has come out with some great new features useful to lawyers. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=133 dean@deanboland.com Mon, 22 Feb 2010 00:00:00 EST The recent popularity of Twitter and other live-blogging methods has introduced a new avenue in court room journalism. This has been met with both acceptance and reluctance from judges and lawyers. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=132 dean@deanboland.com Thu, 07 Jan 2010 00:00:00 EST New legislation in response to pilots being distracted in the cockpit. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=131 dean@deanboland.com Fri, 20 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST In late July, several House Democrats introduced a bill that would impose a 25% tax on the revenue of most adult-themed Web sites. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=130 dean@deanboland.com Wed, 30 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST According to the National Crime Prevention Council, cyber-bullying is defined as when the Internet, cell phones or other devices are used to send or post text or images intended to hurt or embarrass another person. Studies of cyber-bullying have mostly been interested in its occurrence among middle and high school students, but cyber-bullying also occurs in the workplace. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=129 dean@deanboland.com Mon, 28 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST Social networking sites have been hotbeds of copyright issues http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=128 dean@deanboland.com Fri, 11 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EST Last July, six girls who just graduated high school were killed in New York when their car crashed into a tractor trailer. Records show the driver was texting just seconds before the crash. Now, sixteen US states have banned texting while driving. Ohio may be next. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=127 dean@deanboland.com Fri, 28 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EST As technology continues to prove itself as an indispensable part of our lifestyle, digital forensics is becoming an incredibly important field. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=126 dean@deanboland.com Mon, 20 Jul 2009 00:00:00 EST Something to consider in regards to file sharing. New legislation submitted as a result of leaked files. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=124 dean@deanboland.com Mon, 01 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EST A recent article in the Washington Post reported that last year the 100 confirmed security breaches committed by cyber criminals included approximately 285 million consumer records, with more than nine out of ten of the compromised records associated with financial institutions. Those are some frightening numbers, considering the entire population of the United States including children is approximately 306 million. In today's world, where you can perform tasks of any nature online, such as buying groceries, ordering a pizza, and handle your finances, security is crucial to preventing the collapse of the Internet as a trusted vehicle for everyday tasks. However, the technology that we rely on rapidly changing, the face of Internet crime is also changing. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=123 dean@deanboland.com Thu, 21 May 2009 00:00:00 EST A recent article in the Washington Post reported that last year the 100 confirmed security breaches committed by cyber criminals included approximately 285 million consumer records, with more than nine out of ten of the compromised records associated with financial institutions. Those are some frightening numbers, considering the entire population of the United States including children is approximately 306 million. In today's world, where you can perform tasks of any nature online, such as buying groceries, ordering a pizza, and handle your finances, security is crucial to preventing the collapse of the Internet as a trusted vehicle for everyday tasks. However, the technology that we rely on rapidly changing, the face of Internet crime is also changing. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=122 dean@deanboland.com Tue, 21 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST Although the Internet has had an enormous impact on many aspects of our lives and culture, the music industry has suffered as a result. CD sales are reportedly half what they were five years ago. To combat the proliferation of illegal downloading of copyrighted material, France is considering a new law that would establish a "three strikes and you're out [of the Web]" policy, with an initial email warning after the first infraction, a second warning via the postal service, and no Internet for one year for people who continue to illegally download copyrighted content after the second warning. The law, called the Creation and Internet law (loi Création et Internet), would be enforced by Hadopi (Haute Autorité pour la diffusion des oeuvres et la protection des droits sur Internet), an administrative authority set up especially for this legislation to collect information about individuals who choose to download copyrighted material from their ISPs (at the request of the party holding the rights to the material). However, many users and webmasters are not so excited about the idea, and have instituted a blackout protest in response. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=121 dean@deanboland.com Thu, 02 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EST With a number of international occurrences of notable cases over the past few months on the Internet news front, it seems we tend to not even consider individual states' Internet law and the possible implications of such state laws. The Utah state legislature has tried in the past to regulate keyword advertising. Past attempts never found success. In 2004 Utah attempted to ban keyword advertising in adware, but that law was declared unconstitutional. Three years later, the state attempted again to regulate keyword advertising, with the passage of a new law, only to have it repealed the following year. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=120 dean@deanboland.com Thu, 12 Mar 2009 00:00:00 EST A federal judge has ordered a criminal defendant to decrypt his hard drive by typing in his PGP passphrase so prosecutors can view the unencrypted files, a ruling that raises serious concerns about self-incrimination in an electronic age. In an abrupt reversal, U.S. District Judge William Sessions in Vermont ruled that Sebastien Boucher, who a border guard claims had child porn on his Alienware laptop, does not have a Fifth Amendment right to keep the files encrypted. "Boucher is directed to provide... http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=119 dean@deanboland.com Fri, 27 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST Just when it seems like nearly hundred year-old legal doctrine doesn't apply to cases involving the Internet anymore, Associated Press surprises us. The news giant was in federal court on Tuesday, regarding a lawsuit against AHN Media Corp. and All Headline News Corp. for copyright infringement. The trial will continue after Tuesday's ruling that a legal doctrine from May 1918 applies to information on the Internet. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=117 dean@deanboland.com Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST Although a study was released last month by the Internet Safety Technical Task Force that reported a safer Internet than parents and others had imagined. Nevertheless, two politicians from Texas, Jon Cornyn and Lamar Smith, have each filed in the senate and house, respectively, their own versions of the Internet Safety Act, otherwise known as Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today's Youth Act. According to this bill, anyone providing Internet access would be required to keep records of who uses the service for two years. This includes ISPs like Comcast, you (as the wireless network in your own home, when used by several people, is provided to them by you), and the owners of hotels, coffee shops or other businesses where wireless Internet is offered. The implications of this are far-reaching, and bring up discussion of the availability and accessibility of all the various content and medias on the Internet, and who can access them. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=118 dean@deanboland.com Thu, 26 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST Italy was back in the news last week, this time over a bill being discussed in the Italian Senate and throughout the Internet. According to Bloomberg.com, if the bill is passed, it will "force Internet service providers to block access to Web sites including Facebook Inc... if they incite or justify criminal behavior..." What is the catalyst that has brought this bill about? The mafia. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=116 dean@deanboland.com Thu, 19 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST Italy is back in the news this week, this time over a bill being discussed in the Italian Senate and throughout the Internet. According to Bloomberg.com, if the bill is passed, it will force Internet service providers to block access to Web sites including Facebook Inc&. if they incite or justify criminal behavior& What is the catalyst that has brought this bill about? http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=115 dean@deanboland.com Wed, 18 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST The New York Times reports that critics of the federal law designed to track sexual offenders say the law is in danger of collapse due to constitutional and cost objections from states as well as legal challenges from sex offenders and civil rights groups. The Adam Walsh Child Protection and Safety Act, passed by Congress three years ago as one of the toughest child-protection initiatives in the nations history, compels serious offenders to remain on states registry for life, expands the number of crimes for which offenders must register, and requires states to make failure to register a federal felony. Legal challenges have mounted since the laws passage, including a lawsuit filed by an Ohio man convicted 15 years ago of gross sexual imposition who is challenging the laws requirement that he remain on the registry for life, rather than the 10 years required under Ohio law at the time of his conviction.... http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=114 dean@deanboland.com Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST Google is arguably the most powerful brand in the world. Last week in Milan, Italy, four of its executives went on trial over criminal charges of defamation because of a video that appeared on its site. This unprecedented case may begin to define global regulations of the Internet and its use, a landmark in the ongoing development of Internet law. This comes as unwelcome news to Google, whose spokesman told the press that Google should not be held responsible for how third parties choose to use the site. http://www.deanboland.com/blogDetail.cfm?blogID=113 dean@deanboland.com Mon, 09 Feb 2009 00:00:00 EST