2018: Predictions From Socially Aware’s Editors and Contributors
- - Advertising, Blockchain, Internet of Things, Patent, European Union, Privacy, UK, Copyright, Section 230 Safe Harbor, IP, LitigationHappy 2018 to our readers! It has become a Socially Aware tradition to start the New Year with some predictions from our editors and contributors. With smart contracts on the horizon, the Internet of Things and cryptocurrencies in the spotlight, and a number of... ›
If Your Company’s Website Hosts User-Generated Content, Stop and Read This Post!
In the classic rock song “ Light My Fire ,” ‘60s icon and the Doors ’ lead singer Jim Morrison sang, “The time to hesitate is through.” If your company operates a website or blog that hosts user-generated content, and has yet to register... ›Zazzle Fizzles: Website Operator Denied Copyright Safe Harbor Protection for Its Sale of Physical Products Featuring User-Generated Images
We discussed last year the trend toward companies seeking to monetize user-generated content. A recent Central District of California decision in Greg Young Publishing, Inc. v. Zazzle, Inc. serves as an important reminder of the serious risks that can arise from seeking to commercially... ›Could the Use of Online Volunteers and Moderators Increase Your Company’s Copyright Liability Exposure?
With over one billion websites on the Internet, and 211 million items of online content created every minute , it should come as no surprise that content curation is one of the hottest trends in the Internet industry. We are overwhelmed with online content,... ›Social Links: SCOTUS strikes down law banning sex offenders from social media, denies cert in “dancing baby” case; Germany may require ID of status updates posted by “bots”
By: Aaron P. Rubin
The U.S. Supreme Court unanimously held that a North Carolina law that the state has used to prosecute more than 1,000 sex offenders for posting on social media is unconstitutional because it violates the First Amendment. The U.S. Supreme Court denied certiorari in what... ›Social Links: Court disallows firing over Facebook page rant; Ether threatens Bitcoin’s reign as top digital currency; NBA slam dunks social media marketing
By: Aaron P. Rubin
One year since agreeing with the European Commission to remove hate speech within 24 hours of receiving a complaint about it, Facebook, Microsoft, Twitter and YouTube are removing flagged content an average of 59% of the time , the EC reports. The U.S. Court... ›- - Advertising, Artificial Intelligence, Live streaming, Marketing, Copyright, Litigation, Wearable Computers
Social Links: Rules for researching jurors via social media; law enforcement and new technologies; Facebook tool allows copyright owners to claim ad earnings from unauthorized video uploads
By: Aaron P. Rubin
A nice overview of the rules on researching jurors’ social media accounts in various jurisdictions from Law.com. The importance of appearing at the top of Google search results, especially on mobile devices, is driving retailers to spend more and more on the search engine’s... › 5th Circuit: ISP Not Liable for Infringement Due to Lack of Volitional Conduct, Despite Ineligibility for DMCA Safe Harbor
By: Aaron P. Rubin
The Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals recently considered in BWP Media USA, Inc. v. T&S Software Associates, Inc. whether volitional conduct is required to establish a claim for direct copyright infringement against an Internet service provider (“ISP”). The defendant ISP, T&S Software Associates (“T&S”),... ›Limiting Statutory Damages in Internet Copyright Cases
By: Paul Goldstein and Joyce Liou
One of the most significant legal concerns for Internet service providers is the risk of exposure to liability for the copyright infringements of their users. The concern is not unreasonable. Because Internet service providers can be held secondarily liable for the infringements of their... ›Now Available: The April Issue of Our Socially Aware Newsletter
By: Aaron P. Rubin
The latest issue of our Socially Aware newsletter is now available here. In this edition, we explore the threat to U.S. jobs posed by rapid advances in emerging technologies; we examine a Federal Trade Commission report on how companies engaging in cross-device tracking can stay on... ›