Steinbuch v. Cutler Update–Cutler’s Motion to Dismiss
You may recall Steinbuch v. Cutler, where a Washington staffer blogged about her modestly-scandalous sexual experiences with a Senator’s counsel. For the voyeurs, I’ve uploaded Cutler’s motion to dismiss the lawsuit filed last month. The principal grounds for dismissal include…
Gripers 1, Initial Interest Confusion 0–Lamparello v. Falwell
Lamparello v. Falwell, No. 04-2011 (4th Cir. Aug. 24, 2005). Following on the Ninth Circuit Bosley opinion from earlier this year, gripe sites won another important victory yesterday in the Fourth Circuit. This ruling is significant not only because it…
Alaska Anti-Adware Law Finally Sent to Governor
BNA reports (BNA subscription required) that the anti-adware law passed by the Alaska legislature back in May was sent to the governor August 19. The article intimates that the hold-up was due to some behind-the-scenes lobbying by Google, Yahoo and…
What 50 Cent Really Said–Use the Term “50” and You’ll Hear From My Lawyer
Jackson v. Gary Barbera Enterprises, Inc. (E.D. Pa. complaint filed Aug. 2005). A car dealer in Philadelphia runs an advertisement for Dodge Magnums. Included is a picture of the popular rapper 50 Cent and the phrase “Just Like 50 Says.”…
Jill, Meet Best Buy’s Friendly Human Shopbot/Profiler
I’m a little surprised this article hasn’t generated more discussion. Last week, the Washington Post ran an article about Best Buy’s efforts to segment and target its customer base. They have developed a set of consumer profiles that they describe…
2004 Case on Advertiser Liability for Spam
Fenn v. Redmond Venture, Inc., 2004 UT App 355 (Utah Ct. App. Oct. 15, 2004). I was digging through my stack and stumbled across this case from last year. It seems apropos to a running theme on this blog about…
Wired on IP Infringement and Organized Crime
Wired runs a story about the connection between organized crime and IP infringement. The story questions how much these connections are real vs. industry hype/scare tactics to make the case for stronger enforcement tools. The article notes that a few…
Single Mom Preparing to Fight RIAA
Patricia Santangelo, a single mom of five kids from Wappingers Falls, NY, is fighting the RIAA over a file-sharing lawsuit. She rejected a $7,500 settlement offer and has filed a motion to dismiss the complaint. Her defense appears to be…
Interview at Astalavista.com
I was interviewed by Astalavista.com on copyright and adware/spyware issues for their newsletter. Check out some of my loosely-structured latest thoughts on those topics.
Fall 2005 Cyberlaw Syllabus
It’s hard to believe that this is going to be my 11th year teaching Cyberlaw. I’ve posted my newest syllabus for Fall 2005. The material I’ve assigned for the first time this year: Copyright * BMG v. Gonzalez (confirming direct…