August 2006 Quick Links (Volume 2)

By Eric Goldman Some more things that caught my eye in the past month (see Volume 1): * Wikipedia’s entry on trademarks that have become generic. “Google” isn’t listed…yet—instead, it’s listed as a trademark “often used generically”. HT: Marty. My…

Doe v. MySpace.com — Continued

By John Ottaviani I was finally able to read the complaint. It raises some very interesting issues concerning the obligations of website hosts and Internet service providers to institute and enforce appropriate security measures to decrease the likelihood of harm…

June 2006 Quick Links

By Eric Goldman I have had virtually no Internet access over the past 10 days due to my move and travels, so my Bloglines account was bulging with more than 1700 articles. Here’s a quick look at some of the…

Quick Links May 2006

By Eric Goldman My blogging queue has gotten too thick. Here’s some items that caught my attention that I’ve been meaning to blog and simply haven’t gotten to. * I previously blogged about Chris Wilson, the website operator who allowed…

NY Enforcement Actions for Reselling Emails in Breach of Privacy Policy

By Eric Goldman Gratis Internet runs several websites that promise free stuff (like free iPods) in exchange for consumers signing up for subscription trials. The trials are initially free but then convert to paid subscriptions. The idea is that many…

FTC Extends COPPA Without Changes…and New FTC RSS Feeds

By Eric Goldman The FTC has extended the COPPA rule unchanged. Most significantly, the rule continues to preclude non-authenticated email as a way of obtaining parental consent. I don’t spend a lot of time thinking about COPPA much any more….

Congress Is Lovin’ the Internet…to Death?

By Eric Goldman Congress has an unresolved love-hate attitude towards the Internet. Through the 1990s, Congress frequently said that the Internet should be left alone from a regulatory standpoint. Indeed, in some cases, Congress affirmatively deregulated the Internet; 47 USC…

NCSoft Sued in South Korea for ID Theft

By Eric Goldman NCSoft has been sued in South Korea for allowing users to improperly register Lineage/Lineage 2 accounts in other people’s official Korean ID number (I’m inferring this is similar to a social security number). More than 3,500 people…

Your License, Registration and DNA, Please?

Congress Passes, President Signs, Press ignores…

As broader nationwide DNA database becomes law, states rush to fill database with expanded collection laws of their own.

DOJ Fishes for Search Records, and Google Fights Back–Gonzales v. Google

By Eric Goldman Gonzales v. Google, Inc., No. 5:06-mc-80006-JW (N.D. Cal. motion to compel filed Jan. 18, 2006) This event is a collateral consequence of Congress’ obsessive and relentless campaign against Internet pornography. In Summer 2004, the US Supreme Court…