Veoh Gets Another Nice 512(c) Win–UMG v. Veoh
By Eric Goldman UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Veoh Networks, Inc., 2008 WL 5423841 (C.D. Cal. Dec. 29, 2008) Last year, in Io v. Veoh, online video sharing site Veoh got a significant win under the DMCA online safe harbors (17…
Doe v. SexSearch Affirmed by 6th Circuit, But Not on 230 Grounds
By Eric Goldman Doe v. SexSearch.com, 2008 WL 5396830 (6th Cir. Dec. 30, 2008) I previously summarized this case as follows: Defendants operate a website that helps people hook up to have sex. Roe posted a profile saying that she…
MySpace Defeats Sherman Antitrust Claim for Blocking Links to Competitor–LiveUniverse v. MySpace
By Eric Goldman LiveUniverse, Inc. v. MySpace, Inc., 2008 WL 5341843 (9th Cir. Dec. 22, 2008). The June 2007 district court ruling in MySpace’s favor. LiveUniverse’s Nov. 2006 press release upon filing the lawsuit. LiveUniverse runs VidiLife.com, which it characterizes…
Stress-Relieving Company Gets Anti-SLAPPed Per 230
By Eric Goldman Higher Balance, LLC v. Quantum Future Group, Inc., 2008 WL 5281487 (D.Or. Dec. 18, 2008). The defendants’ (lengthy) celebratory blog post. If you’re a 47 USC 230 junkie like me, there are few better Christmas gifts than…
Lawsuit Over Google Ads for Mobile Services Dismissed Per 230–Goddard v. Google
By Eric Goldman Goddard v. Google, Inc., 2008 WL 5245490 (N.D. Cal. Dec. 17, 2008). My initial post when the complaint was filed. The Justia page. Goddard sued Google because Google displayed third party AdWords ads for allegedly fraudulent mobile…
Lori Drew Conviction Reflections, Part 2 of 3: Who is Bound by Clickthrough Agreements?
By Eric Goldman [Note: this is Part 2 of a special 3-part series on the Lori Drew conviction. Part 1 discussed why MySpace, the putative victim of Lori Drew’s crime, might end up regretting the conviction. Part 3 will discuss…
Lori Drew Conviction Reflections, Part 1 of 3: Why MySpace Might Regret the Conviction
By Eric Goldman [As I’ve mentioned before, I think Lori Drew’s conviction is a tragic denouement to an already tragic situation. After thinking more about the conviction, I initially planned to blog some brief additional commentary to my initial post….
November 2008 Quick Links
By Eric Goldman Trademark * NYT: “A handful of new Web sites with names like Typo Bay and Typo Buddy are out to help shoppers save money by searching eBay for misspelled brand names.” In 2005, I blogged that typographical…
Roommates.com Loses Summary Judgment on Remand, and Then Partially Settles
By Eric Goldman Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley v. Roommate.com, LLC, CV 03-9386 PA (RZx) (C.D. Cal. Nov. 7, 2008). Nov. 19 stipulation. The Ninth Circuit en banc ruling in the Roommates.com remains one of the most noteworthy…
Search Engines Aren’t Liable for Gambling Ads Per 230–Cisneros v. Yahoo
By Eric Goldman Cisneros v. Yahoo, CGC-04-433518 (Cal. Superior Ct. “Tentative Trial Decision” Nov. 6, 2008) I am frequently asked if 47 USC 230 protects websites for claims based on the ads they run. My answer is emphatically “yes” unless…