Google goes Trek with a look to the lapel; Facebook continues its push into the workplace; Slack goes down for a few hours; a cyberlocker operator goes down for a few years; and more. Volvo and Microsoft partner to bring consumers virtual car shopping via HoloLens. (Jacob Demmitt, GeekWire) A…
Internet & Social Media Law Blog
Stay Transparent: FDA Compliance and Consumer-Generated Content
Colleague Caitlin Bloom Stulberg has recently released a thorough examination on FDA compliance in the realm of consumer-generated content. It’s an issue we discuss often and is becoming more prevalent as increased social media use blurs the line between manufacturer-promoted advertising and independent consumer opinions. The discussion investigates when consumer-generated…
As Reliance on “Digital Influencers” Grows, So Does FTC Enforcement
As we saw in a prior post regarding Kim Kardashian and Instagram, the FDA pays attention to how brand companies use paid celebrities to endorse their products. Likewise, the FTC closely scrutinizes how brand companies use paid or sponsored endorsers. Be it digital influencers or bloggers, brand companies must be…
News of Note for the Internet-Minded – 11/12/15
Stories of interest this week include an open-sourced AI from Google, the near-future of self-driving cars, two apps that might make the world a better place, and more. Take a look at Tensorflow—Google makes its AI engine open source. (Cade Metz, Wired) In last week’s News, it was canine recognition…
Cybersecurity Information Sharing Gains Senate Approval
In their recent Alert on the Senate’s passage of the Cybersecurity Information Sharing bill, colleagues Brian E. Finch, Elizabeth Vella Moeller and Craig J. Saperstein explore and evaluate the U.S. Senate’s approval of legislation (long sought by industry) that would facilitate information sharing (including threat indicators) across government and industry lines in real…
The SEC Gives Crowdfunding New Rules to Play By
In their recent Client Alert, colleagues David S. Baxter, Robert B. Robbins, Jonathan J. Russo, and Matthew J. Kane examine the SEC’s adoption of “Regulation Crowdfunding,” the long-awaited final rules regulating what has become the investment vehicle of choice for many creators, entrepreneurs and consumers alike in the Internet Age. Regulation Crowdfunding…
New DMCA Exemption Keeps Enthusiasts in the Game
Due to efforts by the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF), the Library of Congress adopted in its recent guidelines a limited exemption to the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA), allowing gamers and preservationists to modify a video game to restore access to the video game for “local gameplay.” Specifically, a video…
News of Note for the Internet-Minded – 11/05/15
Stories of interest this week include the doggy IDing skills of the Facebook AI, Apple looking to apply Force Touch to its keyboards, the WWE’s experiment with virtual reality, Intel’s plans for the Internet of Things, and more… Google applies “deep learning” to present an email app that can respond…
Establishing the Boundaries of the OCILLA Safe Harbor
As user-generated content explodes over the Internet, intellectual property disputes over posting or uploading such content without the owner’s consent continue to escalate. As we touched on in a recent post, social media platforms, hosting websites or other online service providers (OSPs) may be entrapped in these disputes based on…
Road Work Ahead: Automobiles and Augmented Reality
With still about a week left to go, Hudway’s Kickstarter campaign, which began last Wednesday for its augmented reality vehicle accessory, already has over 6,500 backers pledging more than $450,000—several times its initial $100,000 goal. According to its Kickstarter page, Hudway made the vehicle accessory, which turns your smartphone into…