Teacher Who Blogged Pseudonymously About Students Being “Rat-Like” or “Dunderheads” Loses Appeal
This case involved a teacher who maintained a pseudonymous blog that, along with her personal observations and musings, chronicled some of her frustrations with students. One post in particular talked about her challenges with providing tailored feedback for her students,…
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…
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…
Catching Up on Section 230 Cases From the Past 18 Months
I try to blog every Section 230 case I see. However, over the past year and a half, I’ve collected a few Section 230 cases that I had hoped to blog but that fell through the cracks for one reason…
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…
LinkedIn Can’t Shake Publicity Rights Claims Based on Reminder Emails
This is a lawsuit against LinkedIn alleging that LinkedIn wrongly sent out repeated invites to users’ contacts. In an initial ruling, Judge Koh denied LinkedIn’s request to dismiss on the grounds of standing but dismissed the federal claims for alleged violations of…
Are Parents Liable For Their Children’s Online Pranks?–Boston v. Athearn
Dustin Athearn, who was 13, decided to “have some fun” at a “friend’s” expense. He did what any modern teenager does to poke fun at someone: he created a fake Facebook page in their name. Along with a friend Melissa,…
Manuel Noriega Loses Right of Publicity Suit Against Activision (Guest Blog Post)
By guest blogger Tyler Ochoa What does former Panamanian dictator Manuel Noriega have in common with former NFL running back Jim Brown and a host of former college athletes? All of them are suing videogame companies for using their likenesses…
Another Messy Employee-Employer Dispute Over Facebook Page Ownership
Courtney Austin managed the Preston County Animal Shelter. She was initially hired on an hourly basis but converted at her request to salary. Shortly after she was hired, she created a Facebook page for the shelter, and she sought and…
Q3 2014 Quick Links, Part 1 (RTBF, Reviews, IP & More)
Right to Be Forgotten * U.S. Attitudes Toward the ‘Right to Be Forgotten’: 1. Sixty-one percent of Americans believe some version of the right to be forgotten is necessary. 2. Thirty-nine percent want a European-style blanket right to be forgotten,…