Another Court Says It’s OK To Link To Defamatory Content–Slozer v. Slattery
Another court has ruled that linking to defamatory content isn’t a defamatory republication of the content. I just blogged on a similar result in Life Designs Ranch, Inc. v. Sommer. The only twist here is that the person posted the…
42 Law Professors Oppose The Defend Trade Secrets Act
I have frequently called the Defend Trade Secrets Act, a bill to create a new federal civil trade secret cause of action, the most important IP development that you’re not paying attention to. I hope that will change. Today, 41…
“2015 Internet Law Updates” Talk Slides
Last week, I spoke at the 40th Annual IP Institute organized by the California State Bar’s IP Section. I presented an Internet Law year-in-review, but that topic basically means I talk about whatever I feel like talking about. Unfortunately, the…
No Liability for Linking to Defamatory Content–Life Designs Ranch v. Sommer
The plaintiffs run Life Designs Ranch, a substance abuse aftercare program that the defendant’s son participated in. Unhappy about billing issues, the defendant Sommers threatened Life Designs that “I am willing to get legal with this. Are you? I would…
How Congress Can Protect Online Consumer Reviews (An Assessment of the Consumer Review Freedom Act) (Forbes Cross-Post)
[Note: last Wednesday, I testified on the Consumer Review Freedom Act before the Senate Commerce Committee. My testimony. My complete written submission.] For many Americans, the First Amendment is the alpha and omega of free speech protection. However, the First…
Amazon AppStore and Google Play Defeat Lawsuit Over Infringing App Name–Free Kick Master v. Apple (Forbes Cross-Post)
Plaintiffs often target app stores for issues with third party apps. A recent court ruling in favor of Amazon’s AppStore and Google Play highlights the legal risks faced by app stores, as well as the benefits to consumers and society…
Call for Projects/Papers/Participation for Sixth Annual Internet Law Works-in-Progress, March 5, 2016
[Eric’s note: I’m passing along this invitation from Ari Ezra Waldman, who is running the 2016 edition of the Internet Law Works-in-Progress conference. Some background about the conference series. Due to my family situation, I still have placed a hold…
Another Censorial Copyright Case Results In a Big Fee Shift–Inglewood v. Teixeira
I recently wrote about Katz v. Chevaldina, where a real estate tycoon didn’t like a candid photo taken of him, so he bought the copyrights to the photo and sued a blogger to suppress the photo. The courts had no…
Why Attorneys Dislike Consumer Reviews (Reviewing an Article by Cassandra Burke Robertson)
I recently read an article by Prof. Cassandra Burke Robertson (Case Law) entitled “Online Reputation Management in Attorney Regulation.” This article discusses two of my favorite topics: (1) why do professional service providers struggle with online reviews more than other…
The Perkins v. LinkedIn Class Action Settlement Notification Was Badly Bungled (Forbes Cross-Post)
Recently, millions of LinkedIn users received an email titled “LEGAL NOTICE OF SETTLEMENT OF CLASS ACTION.” The email told recipients about a proposed class action settlement in Perkins v. LinkedIn, involving “LinkedIn’s alleged improper use of a service called ‘Add…