Internet Law

Does Kentucky Have Power to Regulate Internet Gambling?

A court order that requires domain names for 141 websites that offer online gambling to be turned over to government officials should be reversed, counsel for the defendants and trade associations argued yesterday in an unusual Kentucky case. The domain names have been treated by the court as though they’re…

Oct 8, 2008 11:20 PM CDT

Fired for On-the-Job Sex at Neiman’s, Ex-Workers Sue Over Videotape

Two former security employees at a Neiman Marcus department store near Chicago were fired after a video camera allegedly twice caught the “close friends” allegedly involved in “sexual activity” with each other last year in a loss prevention office. Now they are suing the store in Cook County Circuit Court,…

Oct 1, 2008 4:47 PM CDT

As Worlds Collide

ABA groups ponder “real” law rules and applications in virtual environments

Oct 1, 2008 1:05 PM CDT

Pennsylvania Law Firm Claims Websites Free-Ride on Its Name

A Pennsylvania law firm has sued a Canadian domain name registry, claiming that it helped create websites that free-ride on the Hourigan, Kluger & Quinn name. The Kingston personal injury firm, which is also known by its HKQ acronym, alleges in the federal suit that Domain Discreet registered website names…

Sep 26, 2008 3:35 PM CDT

RIAA Seeks Sanctions for N.Y. Lawyer’s ‘Vexatious’ Blog Posts of Case Filings

A lawyer who is known for defending individuals accused of peer-to-peer sharing of copyrighted works over the Internet is now on the hot seat himself. The Recording Industry Association of America is seeking sanctions against attorney Ray Beckerman in a federal court case in New York, claiming that he has…

Sep 25, 2008 3:47 PM CDT

Judge Grants New Trial in Music Piracy Case, Requires Proof of Copying

A federal judge in Minneapolis has granted a new trial for a woman ordered to pay $222,000 in damages for illegally sharing 24 copyrighted songs on Kazaa. U.S. District Judge Michael Davis ruled he made an error when his jury instructions failed to require proof that the music was actually…

Sep 25, 2008 2:47 PM CDT

Accused Monkey Thief Tracked Down through MySpace Page

Life as a fugitive from justice ended for an accused monkey thief after he posted his phone number and a partial new address to his MySpace page. Steven Labore had been charged in Pennsylvania with stealing two monkeys with a friend from the Wild World of Animals, the Washington Post…

Sep 24, 2008 1:18 PM CDT

Nonprofits Oppose Jones Day Trademark Suit Over Associate Home Purchase Posts

The Electronic Frontier Foundation and Public Citizen have filed an opposing amicus brief in federal trademark litigation brought by Jones Day over a website’s postings about home purchases by two of the law firm’s associate attorneys. The posts should be considered news reporting, as well as an allowable fair use…

Sep 19, 2008 9:46 PM CDT

Va. Supreme Court Holds Anti-Spam Law Violates First Amendment

The Virginia Supreme Court has reconsidered a 6-month-old ruling and struck down the state’s anti-spam law for violating the First Amendment. The law is unconstitutionally overbroad because it bars anonymous transmission of political, religious and other speech protected by the First Amendment, the court ruled in its decision (PDF) issued…

Sep 15, 2008 1:38 PM CDT

Companies Face Blogging Lawsuits

Many companies are facing lawsuits for comments posted on the growing number of corporate blogs or for actions taken against blogging employees. Several companies have been sued in the last five years on a variety of grounds, including defamation, retaliation and discrimination, the National Law Journal reports. The legal newspaper…

Sep 11, 2008 6:03 PM CDT

Jones Day Sues Over Website Posting Attorney Home Purchase Info

Jones Day has sued a website that highlights lawyers—even posting their photos and linking to firm biographies—and other professionals who buy and sell their homes in Chicago, Las Vegas, St. Louis and South Florida. After two Jones Day associates were featured on the BlockShopper site, the Cleveland-based BigLaw firm sued,…

Sep 11, 2008 5:08 PM CDT

Will Misdated Report About United Airlines Bring Legal Consequences?

Updated: A report yesterday that United Airlines had filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy sent the company’s stock plunging from over $12 to less than $3, in under an hour, before the erroneous news was corrected and the share price largely recovered. But it’s unclear whether there will be any legal…

Sep 9, 2008 4:25 PM CDT

DOJ Hires Well-Known Litigator in Google Antitrust Ad Probe

The Justice Department has hired Sanford Litvack, who is a former partner at Hogan & Hartson and a former antitrust chief under President Carter, to review evidence in an antitrust probe of Google’s advertising power. Litvack will help build the case if the department decides to proceed with a challenge…

Sep 9, 2008 11:28 AM CDT

Blogger Faces Felony Charge for Leaking Guns N’ Roses Songs

A California blogger has been arrested by the FBI and charged with a felony for posting nine Guns N’ Roses songs on an unreleased album. Kevin Cogill of Culver City kept the songs on his music blog for only a few hours until the band’s lawyers complained, the Los Angeles…

Aug 29, 2008 12:18 PM CDT

Judge Allows Privacy Advocate to Post Social Security Numbers

A federal judge has ruled the state of Virginia cannot force a woman to remove Social Security numbers of high-profile individuals from her website that she legally obtained from public records. The woman, Betty “BJ” Ostergren, is a privacy advocate who is posting public property records to show how easy…

Aug 28, 2008 1:54 PM CDT