Company’s Social Media Accounts Transferred in Bankruptcy
This case addresses whether social media accounts used in connection with a business become property of the bankruptcy estate. The debtor, known as “Tactical Firearms,” was formed by Jeremy Alcede. Originally it was owned by Alcede and his then-wife, but…
Q4 2014 & Q1 2015 Quick Links Part 1 (Privacy/Security)
Sony * Fusion: The Sony Pictures Hack Included Many Employees’ Detailed Medical Information * WaPo: The cyberattack on Sony Pictures made employees collateral damage * Fusion: More from the Sony Pictures Hack: Budgets, Layoffs, HR Scripts and 3,800 Social Security Numbers…
In IMDb Privacy Case, 9th Circuit Rejects Hoang’s Appeal
Hoang alleged that IMDb improperly used her personal information to find out her real age and published her real age on its website. She argued that this harmed her employment prospects in the industry. The jury ruled for IMDb. Hoang…
‘Deactivated’ Facebook Account Is Discoverable In Litigation (Forbes Cross-Post)
Brannon Crowe injured his knee. He says it happened at work, so he sued his employer. Based on a Facebook message Crowe allegedly sent to a friend, his employer thinks Crowe suffered the injury on a personal fishing trip. The…
Hoang v. IMDb Argued in the Ninth Circuit
Hoang vs. IMDb, a case we’ve covered closely on the blog, had oral arguments before the Ninth Circuit panel last Friday. The appeal focused on several procedural issues, such as: whether the district court improperly placed the burden on Hoang to…
Blogiversary Celebration Part 4: How Internet Law and IP Law Have Evolved
This is the final part of my four-part series celebrating our 10th blogiversary. I asked the following question: What do you think is the most significant change in intellectual property law or Internet law over the past 10 years? This…
Are Facebook Photos More Discoverable In Litigation Than Other Social Media Content? (Forbes Cross-Post)
Social media posts often play an important part in litigation. Posts can provide more insight into the truth than a litigant’s “official” story in court. A 2009 case stands out: a woman was accused of illegally racing on a freeway…
Top 10 Internet Law Developments of 2014 (Forbes Cross-Post)
It’s time for my annual recap of the top Internet Law developments of the year. #10: Copyright Fair Use Tilts To Defense. Larry Lessig has famously said that “fair use in America simply means the right to hire a lawyer…
Lawsuit Fails Over Ridesharing Service’s Disclosures To Its Analytics Service–Garcia v. Zimride
Plaintiff sued Lyft (and others) over privacy violations based on the allegedly improper disclosure of user information by the Zimride service. He alleged that he used the Zimride service, once owned by Lyft and now owned by Enterprise Holdings, and his…
Court Rejects VPPA Claim Against Viacom and Google Based on Failure to Disclose Identity
I blogged before about the privacy lawsuit against Viacom and Google over the disclosure of the viewing habits of minors. The court previously rejected the claims on the basis that the disclosure of user attributes (such as demographic information, unique…