Technology Law Blog
The FCCs new Internet Regulatory Plan06/03/2010
Early last month, the FCC made an announcement of its third way approach to classifying broadband services. This is believed to be in response to the recent legal battle the FCC had and lost with internet service provider Comcast.
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3 Google Executives convicted in Italy of privacy violations
03/18/2010
3 Google Executives convicted in Italy of privacy violations
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iPhone Applications for Attorneys
02/22/2010
Finally, the iPhone has come out with some great new features useful to lawyers.
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Tweeting From the Courtroom
01/07/2010
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.
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Personal devices banned from the cockpit
11/20/2009
New legislation in response to pilots being distracted in the cockpit.
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Tax for Adult Websites
09/30/2009
In late July, several House Democrats introduced a bill that would impose a 25% tax on the revenue of most adult-themed Web sites.
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Cyber Bullying
09/28/2009
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.
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Copyright Violations and Social Networking Sites
09/11/2009
Social networking sites have been hotbeds of copyright issues
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Texting behind the wheel
08/28/2009
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.
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New tool for Digital Forensics
07/20/2009
As technology continues to prove itself as an indispensable part of our lifestyle, digital forensics is becoming an incredibly important field.
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Dangers of File Sharing
06/01/2009
Something to consider in regards to file sharing. New legislation submitted as a result of leaked files.
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In 2008 there were 100 confirmed security breaches by cyber criminals.
05/21/2009
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.
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Internet Crime in the 21st Century
04/21/2009
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.
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France's Creation and Internet Law
04/02/2009
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.
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Utah and targeted keyword advertising
03/12/2009
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.
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Judge Orders Defendant to Decrypt Hard Drive
02/27/2009
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...
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The Internet Stopping Adults Facilitating the Exploitation of Today's Youth Act, in brief
02/26/2009
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.
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"Hot News" has proprietary value
02/26/2009
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.
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Italy may force ISPs to block access to some sites
02/19/2009
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.
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Restricting the Internet - In Italy
02/18/2009
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?
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