Should the Use of a Moderator on an Online Platform Subject the Platform to Liability for Infringing Content Posted by Users?

Should the use of a moderator on an online platform subject the platform to liability for infringing content posted by users? The Ninth Circuit just issued a controversial ruling on this issue, which is discussed at the Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law Blog: Controversial Ninth Circuit Ruling May Limit the Availability of the DMCA Safe…

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Choosing the Right Partner for an IP Purchase Transaction

If you are looking to buy or sell IP, have you ever taken the time to consider what qualities will make a prospective partner a good candidate for a deal?  I recently looked at this issue in a Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law Blog Posting: Taking Time to “Date” Before Pursuing an IP Acquisition “Marriage”.

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Should Silicon Valley Push for Copyright Reform?

The Songwriter Equity Act of 2015 was recently introduced in Congress, putting the issue of copyright reform on the table.  While the music industry gets little attention in Silicon Valley, should Silicon Valley take this opportunity to push for an expansion of the reforms? I explored this issue in The Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law…

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The Pitfalls of Exclusive Licensing Deals

If you are considering a licensing offer and are convinced that any such agreement will have to be an exclusive deal, but find yourself coming up with creative language in an attempt to limit the scope of the exclusivity offered, then you may want to step back and proceed with caution as I discuss in…

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Choose the Name of your Start-Up Wisely

When you decide to start a business, or get “pushed” into it as many people are when their salaried job suddenly disappears, it’s easy to overlook the importance of choosing a name among all the other decisions you are having to make.  In my recent blog post to Silicon Valley IP Law Blog, I addressed…

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