Facebook’s Lawsuit Against Competitive Email Harvesting Continues–Facebook v. ConnectU
By Eric Goldman Facebook, Inc. v. ConnectU LLC, 2007 WL 1514783 (N.D. Cal. May 21, 2007) A universal truth of the digital era: a website displaying user email addresses will be targeted by email harvesters sweeping up those email addresses…
At the Intersection of Copyright and Contract
By John Ottaviani A long simmering debate among museums and other visual archivists is whether (and how) one can charge for digital images of works in a collection that may or may not be covered by copyright any longer. The…
Click Fraud Resources
By Eric Goldman I’m a little surprised that click fraud remains such a hot topic. Last summer, I thought the Google and Yahoo class action lawsuit settlements resolved the bulk of the problems, and most people would move on to…
Summary of Perfect 10 Decision
By John Ottaviani Eric suggested that I post this brief summary of the Perfect 10 v. Amazon decision: The 9th Circuit issued a lengthy opinion today, largely favorable to search engines and ISP’s. In 2006, the district court made its…
Ninth Circuit Opinion in Perfect 10 v. Google and Amazon
By Eric Goldman Perfect 10, Inc. v. Amazon.com, Inc., CV-05-04753-AHM (9th Cir. May 16, 2007) In yet another lengthy and highly technical opinion from the Ninth Circuit (fast becoming their specialty), the Ninth Circuit has addressed the crucial case of…
Ninth Circuit Screws Up 47 USC 230–Fair Housing Council v. Roommates.com
By Eric Goldman Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley v. Roommates.com, LLC, CV-03-09386-PA (9th Cir. May 15, 2007) Just a couple months ago, in Perfect 10 v. CCBill, the Ninth Circuit issued an incredibly expansive 230 ruling. Today, in…
Social Networking Sites and the Law
By Eric Goldman On Monday, the High Tech Law Institute is co-sponsoring an event entitled “Friends, Lovers, Trust, Safety: The Present and Future of Social Networking.” The principal audience is undergraduate students, but everyone is welcome. One of the hot…
Another NY Court Says Keyword Triggering Isn’t TM Use in Commerce–Site Pro-1 v. Better Metal
By Eric Goldman Site Pro-1, Inc. v. Better Metal, LLC, 06-CV-6508 (ILG) (RER) (E.D.N.Y. May 9, 2007) The possible rift between the Second Circuit and other circuits on keyword triggering and trademark use in commerce may be widening. The latest…
Utah Trademark Protection Act Updates (from BNA)
By Eric Goldman As I previously reported, Utah legislators met with industry representatives to discuss the Utah Trademark Protection Act on April 25. BNA [BNA subscription required] provides a fresh update on developments since the April 25 meeting. According to…
Messing with Oscar — Academy Sues Oscarwatch.com
By John Ottaviani Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences v. Stone, No. CV07-02846 RGK CA (C.D. Cal.)(complaint filed May 1, 2007) Last week, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (“AMPAS”), the organization that organizes the Academy Awards,…