Sometimes it’s important to figure out who or what company owns a particular domain. Antigone Peyton, Chair of the Intellectual Propherty and Technology Law Group at Protorae Law, describes web domains as the “primary digital method, outside of social media, for unauthorized parties to grab and use other companies or artists intellectual property while
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Internet of Things: Friend or Foe?
Have you ever wondered whether there’s a dark side to all of this data collection and sharing (besides the problems associated with the ever-increasing data breaches)? The answer is—there is a dark side—that data can be use against you or someone else you know in a court of law.
Here’s a little background on the Internet of…
Complying With the Incomplete: Does California’s Privacy Law Apply to Your Business?
Back in July 2018, we introduced you to some of the sights and smells of the new California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018 (the CCPA). Not long after, the California legislature issued some technical corrections to the legislation. But there are still a number of open questions and issues that require attention from the legislature…
FTC Focuses on Ensuring Businesses Keep Their Privacy Promises
2018 has been a big year for privacy issues for companies around the world. The new European privacy law – the General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) – came into force, the Facebook-Cambridge Analytica data breach came to light, the new but imperfect California Consumer Privacy Act (CaCPA) was created and passed…
A Hidden (and Legal) Method for Tech Companies to Fund Their Friends’ Shadow Campaigns Against Strong IP Protections
Until recently, I did not really pay attention to class action lawsuits or settlement requirements. After all, I’m an intellectual property and technology lawyer. Class action litigation isn’t my thing.
Now I am really paying attention, and I’m following the money—closely. Here’s why…
The U.S. Supreme Court recently agreed to investigate a class action settlement in a case filed by search engine users who accused Google of…
A New Whiff of Privacy, California Style
Apparently how you smell is personal information (in California).
With the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) of 2016 in force for about a month, California’s legislature was looking to up its game and “get tough” on its big, home-grown tech companies’ well-documented privacy faux pas. So on June 28, 2018, California enacted the U.S.’s…
EU Data Protection Laws: Why US Companies Should Care
After being introduced in April 2016, the European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) officially comes into enforcement effect today, replacing the existing EU Data Protection Directive. Although similar to the previous data protection law, the GDPR includes new and enhanced requirements aimed to protect the fundamental rights of natural persons with respect to their…
A Sad Day for Happy-Talk
In a highly anticipated ruling, the Supreme Court of the United States recently held that the disparagement clause of federal trademark law violates the First Amendment. This disparagement clause refused federal trademark registration for trademarks that are likely to disparage people, institutions, or beliefs.
All eight participating justices agreed that trademarks are private, not government,…
RealDonaldTrump, Don’t Block Your Twitter Followers
Sometimes a President can’t always do what he wants. But tell that to the owner of the Twitter handle @RealDonaldTrump, who happens to also be the current President of the United States and a new government actor. Mr. Trump has created more controversy by using his personal Twitter handle to send out information relating to…
Social Media Influencers Get Fyre’d
The ill-fated Fyre Festival drew delighted mockery from Internet denizens earlier this month and continues to draw lawsuits against the organizers. Social media “influencers” played a huge role in convincing people to buy tickets to the event that never happened and they are not escaping legal action. At least one case has been filed against…