Posts Tagged ‘silicon valley software law firm’
The Prinz Law Office Announces New Alternative Billing Solution: Subscription Billing
I am pleased to announce that The Prinz Law Office and I are launching a new alternative legal billing solution: the subscription billing model. We have been following the recent popularity of the subscription model with California companies and believe that it could be a good fit with companies having ongoing firm needs, particularly in…
Read MoreSilicon Valley Software Lawyer Kristie Prinz to Speak on “Negotiating SaaS Agreements: Drafting Key Contract Provisions, Protecting Customer and Vendor Interests”
Silicon Valley Software Lawyer Kristie Prinz will be co-presenting a webinar on “Negotiating SaaS Agreements: Drafting Key Contract Provisions, Protecting Customer and Vendor Interests” with Kelley Miller of Reed Smith on August 8, 2017 at 10:00 a.m. PST/1:00 p.m. EDT. To register for this webinar, please sign up at: https://www.straffordpub.com/products/negotiating-saas-agreements-drafting-key-contract-provisions-protecting-customer-and-vendor-interests-2017-08-08.
Read MoreDepartment of Justice Investigating Uber’s Use of Greyball Software
I have discussed the latest legal developments regarding Uber’s “Greyball” software program at the following Silicon Valley Software Law Blog link: Investigation Reportedly Launched by Department of Justice into Uber’s Use of “Greyball” Software
Read MoreAddressing Common Software Agreement Fee Drafting Problems
Many software agreements contain a variety of disparities between the fee terms in the body of the contract and how the fees are described on the website, in marketing materials, and in other supplemental documents. What are the typical problems that might be found in a software agreement regarding fees and how can those problems…
Read MoreWhat Can Software Companies Do to Avoid Disputes Over Implementation?
I would argue that poorly drafted implementation terms constitute perhaps the single most common reason for a legal dispute in the software contracting area, particularly in the enterprise business space. So, what can software companies do to avoid this potential problem? I address this issue in the following Silicon Valley Software Law Blogpost: Does Your…
Read MoreApp Store Policy Changes to Go Into Effect
If you are in the software business, you will likely be interested in some App Store changes that go into effect as of today, May 1, 2017. I posted about these changes on the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog at the link set forth below: Apple Implements App Store Affiliate Commission and Pricing Changes
Read MoreCan you be Criminally Prosecuted for Developing Code Used in the Commission of a Crime?
As a developer, can you be criminally prosecuted for developing code that is subsequently used in the commission of a crime? The recent federal prosecution of an Arkansas developer suggests that this is in fact possible and that developers need to be wary of all the possible applications of the code they are seeking to…
Read MoreWhat is a Service Level Agreement or “SLA” and When Do You Need One?
If you are in the software industry or a technical services industry, or alternatively, if you purchase software or technical services, do you know what a service level agreement is and when you might need one for a particular relationship? In my blogpost at the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog, I explain the concept of…
Read MoreRecent Software Cases Reflect Why SaaS Contracts Should be Drafted to Fit Company’s Business Model
Is your SaaS contract “borrowed” from a third party’s standard terms or copied off the Internet? Or have you just been signing whatever a larger third party sends you to sign? If so, you may want to consider recent class action litigation against an industry leader, in which it was alleged that the terms of…
Read MoreSoftware Companies Should Rethink Privacy Practices Following Recent FTC Enforcement Actions
If you are in software industry, you probably are cognizant of the financial significance of data monetization to the industry. But how informed are you of privacy protection practices in the industry? Software companies may want to take note in light of recent enforcement activity by the FTC and tighten their practices, including drafting of…
Read MoreVIZIO Settles with FTC and New Jersey over Data Tracking Practices
VIZIO has settled a case with the FTC and State of New Jersey for $2.2 million, which alleged that the data tracking of smart TVs, which occurred without viewer’s informed consent was “unfair and deceptive” in violation of the FTC Act and New Jersey consumer protection laws. VIZIO to Pay $2.2 Million to FTC
Read MoreFTC Announces Order Against San Francisco Software Company
The FTC has today announced its final order in its case against the San Francisco Software company Vulcan over its business practices in distributing its software product and advertising and promotional activities in connection with the product. The FTC clearly put software companies on notice again that the government is carefully monitoring their business practices…
Read MoreSoftware Companies Should Prioritize Making Their Products Accessible to the Disabled
If you run a software company, have you ever considered whether your software could be made more accessible to the disabled? If you have never given ADA compliance or compliance with similar state laws any consideration, now may be a good time to focus resources on the issue as I explain in my Silicon Valley…
Read MoreMicrosoft Launches New Constitutional Challenge Against Alleged Federal Government Searches of Customer Data in Cloud
Microsoft has launched a new constitutional challenge against the government over its use of indefinite gag orders when it subpoenas information from customer cloud accounts. Microsoft is claiming that the orders violate the First Amendment free speech rights and the Fourth Amendment rights regarding unreasonable government search and seizure of property. Clearly, this action by…
Read MoreFBI Unlocks Terrorist iPhone Without Apple’s Help, Ending Encryption Dispute
The U.S. Justice Department has announced that the third party who came forward and convinced the FBI that it could unlock the San Bernardino terrorist’s encrypted iPhone successfully unlocked the encrypted iPhone, ending the standoff between Apple and the FBI. The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog provided an update on the developments below: Third Party…
Read MoreFBI vs. Apple: Who Will Come out the Winner in this Dispute?
When the Justice Department decided to wage a legal battle against Apple over encryption on the iPhone of one of San Bernardino terrorists, the government moved the encryption debate into the public arena and triggered a public debate over the issue. Now, it is reported that the government is considering launching a second case over…
Read MoreBuilding a Successful Business based on the Commercialization of an Open Source Product
It’s not every day that I get a call from an entrepreneur or start-up looking for representation in conjunction with an open source-based business, but the question of how to develop a profitable company when your business is built around an open source product interests me as a software attorney, since if you know anything…
Read MoreLatest Data Breach Involving Taxpayer Data Stored in Tax Preparation Software Suggests Need for Greater Government Regulation
With all the recent calls for greater FTC regulation of consumer data generally, it’s interesting that there has been very little commentary about the need for greater regulation of taxpayer data. However, the disclosure of a second data breach since the first of the year affecting a major tax preparation software company suggests that consumers…
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 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 MoreSaaS Lawyer Kristie Prinz Speaks on “Negotiating Software as a Service Contracts”
SaaS attorney Kristie Prinz recently participated in a webinar on “Negotiating Software as a Service Contracts” with Reed Smith’s Kelley Miller. A recording of that presentation can be accessed through the link attached below: Negotiating Software as a Service Contracts
Read MoreImplications of Supreme Court Decision on Patent Invalidity Defense on Software Industry
How will the Supreme Court’s ruling yesterday in Commil v. Cisco Systems impact the Silicon Valley software industry? I looked at this issue today in this Silicon Valley Software Law Blog posting: Silicon Valley Software Industry Considers Impact of Supreme Court Decision on Patent Invalidity Defense to Claim of Induced Infringement
Read MoreImplications of FCC Net Neutrality Rules on Software Industry
The topic of net neutrality has been the subject of controversy for months, but the FCC has recently taken this debate to a new level by adopting new rules that will allow it greater regulatory authority over the Internet. What does this mean exactly for the public generally and for the business world? I’ve explained…
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