Internet Law

Tax Prof Says Blog, ‘Saucy’ E-mails Would Nix Chances of White House Job

University of Cincinnati law professor Paul Caron says the disclosure requirements for Obama administration hopefuls are so onerous that bloggers and “saucy” e-mailers like himself would find it difficult to comply. Item 10 of the 63-item questionnaire requires Cabinet wannabes to provide a copy of all of their writings, including…

Nov 14, 2008 3:46 PM CST

Probation in Plea Deal for Blogger Who Leaked Guns N’ Roses Songs

The blogger who was originally charged with a felony for posting nine unreleased Guns N’ Roses songs on his website probably won’t go to prison. Blogger Kevin Cogill of Culver City, Calif., was charged under a 2005 federal anti-piracy law. He has reached a plea agreement that calls for probation…

Nov 14, 2008 2:57 PM CST

Cisco Turns Up Heat in ‘Patent Troll’ Case

The case involving the once-anonymous Patent Troll Tracker is in the news again now that Cisco Systems is reportedly turning up the heat on a Texas lawyer who sued the company. The Pattent Troll Tracker, who unmasked himself after a lawyer offered a $15,000 reward for anyone who would reveal…

Nov 4, 2008 12:10 AM CST

Bankruptcy and Divorce Websites See Big Uptick in Visits

A company that operates bankruptcy and divorce law websites is apparently profiting from the economic downturn. Infra-Strategy reports an uptick in visits to two of its websites that link clients to divorce and bankruptcy lawyers, the Wall Street Journal’s Business Technology blog reports. Infra-Strategy’s CEO Edmund Scanlan said October visits…

Oct 31, 2008 3:56 PM CDT

Ala. Lawyers’ Private Data Exposed in Court Documents, Researcher Says

Lawyers submitting briefs to federal courts in Alabama routinely sign the documents with their Social Security numbers, one of several ways that private data is exposed in court documents, according to a researcher whose organization analyzed publicly available documents in 32 districts. The researcher, Carl Malamud, has recounted his concerns…

Oct 29, 2008 6:47 PM CDT

Buyer’s Negative Feedback on eBay Sparks Threat of Seller Libel Lawsuit

A buyer’s complaint that a cell phone he purchased on eBay was damaged and not the advertised model has sparked a threatened libel lawsuit by the seller. Although Joel Jones gave Chris Read a refund, he says the negative feedback that Read publicly posted on the auction website has damaged…

Oct 27, 2008 4:14 PM CDT

Bloggers Get Libel Protection; Sonnenschein Staffs Hotline

Libel suits against individual bloggers are on the rise, prompting one group to offer up insurance for those who post inflammatory remarks and Monday-morning-quarterback opinions. The not-for-profit Media Bloggers Association is offering an insurance policy meant to protect bloggers who are threatened with litigation, copyright claims and invasion of privacy…

Oct 20, 2008 8:31 PM CDT

Judge Orders Shutdown of Huge Spam Ring Accused of Selling Viagra

A federal judge in Chicago has issued a temporary injunction barring operations of a huge spam network that is accused of selling the active ingredient in Viagra in a pill touted for male enhancement. The operation may have been responsible for sending billions of illegal spam messages, the Federal Trade…

Oct 15, 2008 2:00 PM CDT

Law Profs Question Felony Charge Against Accused Palin E-Mail Hacker

Two law professors are wondering why the University of Tennessee student charged with hacking into Sarah Palin’s e-mail account was charged with a felony. Law professors Orin Kerr of George Washington University and Paul Ohm of the University of Colorado questioned the felony charge against David Kernell, the son of…

Oct 14, 2008 12:50 PM CDT

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