Another Keyword Advertising Lawsuit Unceremoniously Dismissed–Infostream v. Avid
Infostream Group Inc. v. Avid Life Media Inc., 2013 WL 6018030 (C.D. Cal. Nov. 12, 2013) There is an active, long-standing and wide-ranging litigation war being waged between two groups of websites in the “sugar daddy“/”sugar baby” hook-up category. I…
Video of the Patent Opera Is Now Online!
Last week, the High Tech Law Institute hosted a performance of “The Passionate Patent,” perhaps the only opera ever written that relates in any way, shape or form to patent law. The creators self-describe the opera as “Experience the challenge…
Think Hoarding Passwords Keeps You Safe From Firing? Think Again (Forbes Cross-Post)
Most employees think they are indispensable to their employers, but in fact, most employees are easily replaced. A recent legal ruling involved an IT manager who sought job security by holding “the keys to the kingdom”–the passwords to the company’s…
Section 230 Protects Another Newspaper From Liability For User Comments–Hupp v. Freedom Communications
Hupp v. Freedom Communications, Inc., 2013 WL 5947033 (Cal. App. Ct. Nov. 7, 2013) This is a minor case involving a pro se plaintiff and a straightforward application of the law, so normally I wouldn’t blog it. However, over the…
“Does the U.S. Patent System Stifle Innovation” Notes
Last night, I moderated an Oxford-style debate at Zero1, which describes itself as “where art meets technology to shape the future.” The debate motion was “Does the U.S. Patent System Stifle Innovation,” and the two “pro” speakers were UCLA professor…
No One Owns The Number ‘3.95%’ (We Think)–Banxcorp v. Costco (Forbes Cross-Post)
Banxcorp v. Costco Wholesale Corp., 09-CV-1783 (S.D.N.Y. Oct. 17, 2013). Who owns a single number, such as 3.95%? The question probably sounds crazy. Numbers are just facts, and the Supreme Court said in 1991 that facts aren’t copyrightable. So of…
Want To Avoid Defaming Someone Online? Link To Your Sources (Forbes Cross-Post)
Adelson v. Harris, 2013 WL 5420973 (S.D.N.Y. Sept. 30, 2013) When you are tweeting or Facebooking, you probably don’t think much about your risk of being sued for defamation. Fortunately, such lawsuits are rare. Unfortunately, even quickly written and seemingly…
Landlord May Be Liable When A Tenant’s Facebook Harassment Leads To A Rape (Forbes Cross-Post)
Lindsay P. v. Towne Property Asset Management, 2013-Ohio-4124 (Ohio Ct. App. Sept. 23, 2013). If you’re a landlord, what should you do if you learn that a resident is harassing another tenant on Facebook or other social media websites? If…
Check Out the New Blog Design!
By Eric Goldman Over the weekend, we converted the blog from Movable Type to WordPress. If you haven’t had a chance to check out the new page layout, I encourage you to do so. You can see the difference by…
Some Exciting Changes to the Blog–PLEASE READ
I don’t often make purely administrative posts, so let me start by thanking you for reading the blog. Whether you’re a long-time reader or a relative newcomer, it means a lot to me that you’re willing to share a portion…