Speed Traps and Potholes: Avoiding Communications Hazards
August 30, 2005
Whether a firm keeps the pedal to the metal or travels at a more steady pace, effective communications can build profits, promote growth and create demand. But it is important to remember that marketing and public relations materials must comply with the rules of the road, lest firms find themselves in trouble with the law.
A Different Kind Of Property Right
August 30, 2005
The law breaks property into two categories: real and personal. If the object of a transaction is found to be personal property, it is subsequently categorized as either tangible or intangible. Although broadly categorized as personal property, Internet property has characteristics of both tangible and intangible property. Consequently, attorneys must take the special nature of Internet property into consideration when attempting to resolve legal difficulties relating to an Internet transaction.
Net News
August 30, 2005
Google, Geico Both Claim Victory In the ongoing saga of Geico v. Google (E.D., Va., 1:04-cv-00507-LMB-TCB), U.S. District Judge Leonie Brinkema issued…
Solo Aims To Blog His Way To New Clients
August 30, 2005
The small town of Storrs, CT, may soon become the center of the law blog universe. Andrew Ewalt, a solo practicing in the shadows of the University of Connecticut, is a guinea pig for the wildly growing technology, which to date has largely been passed over by the legal profession as a marketing tool.
CAN-SPAM Act Passes Challenge At Fifth Circuit
August 30, 2005
In the first review of a federal law meant to regulate unsolicited fraudulent commercial e-mail, the Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled recently that the CAN-SPAM Act does not pre-empt a University of Texas policy that blocks unsolicited commercial e-mail.
Virtual Worlds And Digital Rights
August 30, 2005
Today's virtual worlds -- sometimes also called digital or synthetic -- evolved from text-based role-playing games such as Dungeons & Dragons. The predecessors of the "Massively Multiplayer Online Role-playing Games" (MMPORGs) of today began for the most part in the late 70s and early 80s when various individuals first engaged in the role-playing game behavior online. The online text-based commands and prompts allowed the players to act out various fantasies without the close proximity requirement that is inherent in the earlier written and oral gaming forms. As the online technology grew, so did the nature and complexity of the interactive games, including the addition of videogame graphics to the text-based game elements. In the '90s, the current state of online MMPORGs began offering a real-time socially interactive component that was not available on traditional offline console gaming. While the physical space and landscape is simulated in the virtual environment of today, the social interactions are real since virtual characters, or "avatars," in the digital world are controlled and operated by a real person and not just by strict computer code. While these games are currently used mostly as an avenue for play and social interaction, if the proliferation of online entrepreneurship continues, the games will likely be more focused on commerce, research and work or work-related activities.
Decision of Note
August 30, 2005
The U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit decided, in a ruling of first impression, that a federal court has subject-matter jurisdiction over a suit against a foreign defendant under the Lanham Act only if the protested activities have a substantial effect on U.S. commerce. <i>McBee v. Delica Co. Ltd.</i>, 04-2733.
The Benefits Of Macromedia Flash In The Courtroom
August 30, 2005
By now, virtually everyone is familiar with the Internet. What surprises many trial lawyers is the fact that the technology that powers the interactive Web sites on the Internet is increasingly being used to present evidence and illustrative material in the courtroom. Specifically, lawyers and their trial teams are successfully relying on Macromedia Flash to organize their cases, display trial graphics, create effective 2-D animations, educate judges, and persuade jurors.
VoIP: Insource Or Outsource?
August 30, 2005
Often, the most effective way to tackle the challenge of improving responsiveness as clients demand more immediate access to attorneys and legal advice, is by fortifying our communications systems in order to foster quicker and more efficient collaboration between attorneys, counselees, subject matter experts, and other legal professionals. As a multi-office legal organization, we achieved this by switching to a Voice over IP (VoIP) phone system that provides redundancy and reliability, streamlines the management of call flow, protects internal resources, and provides measurable cost-savings. In our experience, VoIP is a valuable technology for any productive legal organization.
Information Integrity Balancing Availability And Security
August 30, 2005
What happens when information is available but not trusted because it is not secure? What happens when end users have unfettered access to information ' but the information they're sharing is suspect? Or, what happens when quick business decisions are made based on data that is readily available but possibly compromised? The bottom line: Information is useless unless it is both secure and available.
