Archive for January 2016
What Were the Most Significant Internet Developments in 2015?
Internet lawyers habitually follow trends and developments in Internet law. My colleague Santa Clara Law Professor Eric Goldman has just compiled his latest list of what the top Internet developments were in 2015. Among the items making his list are the well-publicized Ashley Madison database breach, stronger geographic borders on the Internet, and the FTC’s…
Read MoreDo entrepreneurs focus excessively on landing venture capital?
In my work with entrepreneurs and new business ventures, I am often surprised to find how many of them are convinced that they cannot build a business without venture capital financing and how few of them have even considered the idea that there might be very good reasons why they should not pursue venture capital…
Read MoreFTC Signals to Health Software Companies an Intention to Increase Scrutiny over Advertising Claims
The FTC has just reached a settlement with Lumos Labs over claims that the company was deceptively advertising the health benefits of its Luminosity software program. The FTC’s action over this issue should serve as a warning to the health software industry regarding how health software companies are advertising their products. I addressed this issue…
Read MoreAvailability of Contingency Fee Deals Could Generate Increased Patent Litigation from Tech Transfer Offices
Is an uptick of patent litigation initiated by university tech transfer offices on the horizon? The Tech Transfer eNews Blog is reporting that law firms are increasingly extending contingency fee deals to universities, and that this move is eliminating the barriers preventing universities from pursuing patent litigation. The article is linked here: Contingency Fee Deals…
Read MoreTurmoil within Developer Community and Not Legal Challenges Could Doom Bitcoin
Does Bitcoin have a future, and if so, what will that future look like? This is the fascinating question posed by The New York Times today in a profile story about one of the core developer’s loss of faith in the future of the currency as a split has emerged in the developer community over…
Read MoreShould FTC Regulation Increase Over Commercial Use of Data?
Should the Federal Trade Commission be doing more to regulate how businesses are using consumer data? The LA Times just ran a column by David Lazarus where he took that position and argued that U.S. privacy laws should be more like European privacy laws, where there is a “right to be forgotten.” He makes…
Read MoreTechnology is Not Eliminating Need for Lawyers But Making Lawyers Work Smarter
Is technology making lawyers obsolete? This was the question raised by John Markoff in a recent New York Times article. However, it has been a favorite topic of discussion by consultants to our profession for some time. While there is no question that the practice of law has changed tremendously since even I began practicing…
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