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Internet & Social Media Law Blog

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Can CGI Influencers Displace Their Human Counterparts?

Computer-generated imagery (CGI) is the application of 3D computer graphics to special effects. CGI is used in films, television programs and, most recently, on social media. These images are not limited to modeling and practicing yoga … they even attend red carpet premiers. Technological advances may make CGI influencers better…

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News of Note for the Internet-Minded (11/12/19) – AI Biases, Deepfake Policies and Millions of Medical Records

Apple gets around to AR, the NHL enters esports, the Internet of Things may bring new meaning to “workers unite,” so many medical records, and more … The road of AI learning has plenty of potholes in the form of existing biases. (Cade Metz, The New York Times) Twitter announces…

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Could New MTC Draft Guidance Mean the End of P.L. 86-272 Immunity?

The Interstate Income Act of 1959, a.k.a. Public Law 86-272, allows a business to enter a state (or send representatives to that state) to solicit orders for goods without being subject to a net income tax. As you might imagine, the advent of the internet created some interesting questions regarding…

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News of Note – 11/5/19 – Esports Edition

This latest news roundup is just another reminder that, as anchored in technology as esports may be, it ultimately involves many of the same issues faced by more established industries. Whether in regard to funding, corporate and franchising structures, employment contracts, real estate investment, cybersecurity concerns, or the challenge of…

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A Risk-Averse Industry Continues Its Slow Embrace of AI

It’s difficult finding an industry that doesn’t stand to be transformed in some way by artificial intelligence. Yet no matter how gleaming the potential, some industries are naturally more cautious than others. In her latest post, “Artificial Intelligence: A Boon for Insurance Underwriting?”, Ashley E. Cowgill touches on the insurance industry’s…

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Does the CFAA Apply to Website Scraping? The Ninth Circuit Says “Not So Fast”

Companies use a variety of causes of actions to protect their websites from competitors or others wanting to “scrape” data from their site using automated tools. Over the years, legal doctrines such as copyright infringement, misappropriation, unjust enrichment, breach of contract, and trespass to chattels have all been asserted, though…

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Patents, AI and the Challenge of Valuation

Be you a founder, would-be investor or acquirer, correctly valuing the intellectual property of a company is rarely a simple task, but it can be even more challenging when that IP involves artificial intelligence or machine learning. See what our colleague Josh Tucker has to say about the challenges and…

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Trolls and Consequences: A Racially Motivated Doxing and Social Media Assault Is Ruled a Compensable Offense

We’ve previously written about doxing and how it can be used by both vigilante social activists and malicious cyber bullies. Recently, in a first-of-its-kind ruling, the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia concluded that white supremacists using social media to target and harass American University’s first female African-American…

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A Pocketful of Quarters: Agencies and Lawmakers Grapple with Digital Asset Regulations

Pretty much from the introduction of Satoshi’s cleverly constructed currency, industry players and observers alike have waited to see how exactly the increasing population of digital assets would be categorized and regulated. Slotting “disruptive” technologies into existing regulatory regimes is hardly a swift process, but there has been some recent…

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Lawmakers (and Artists) Fight Those Facial Recognition Frown Lines

Ewa Nowak’s jewelry: “Incognito” by design A sponsored post popped up on my Instagram last week that captured my obsession with statement jewelry and my periodic check on developments in facial recognition technology: “Artist Designs Metal Jewelry to Block Facial Recognition Software from Tracking You”. Statement jewelry? Check. An indication…