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Internet & Social Media Law Blog

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“Solicitation” In the Era of Social Media Remains Unsettled

Last month, in KNF&T v. Muller (October 2013), the Massachusetts Superior Court found that a LinkedIn update regarding an employee’s new job was not a solicitation of business in violation of her non-competition agreement, which also prohibited solicitation.  In that case, the court denied the former employer’s request for a…

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Blurry Lines: Legal and Business Uncertainty in Social Media – Event #2: Gamblification

The intersection of social games and gambling is moving forward at a torrid pace. Yet, there are many blurred lines with respect to the legal boundaries for permissible game mechanics used in social games and online gambling offerings. The use of virtual goods and virtual currency further complicates the analysis.…

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Some Firings Based on Social Media Use May Be Okay

In early November, an administrative law judge of the National Labor Relations Board dismissed a complaint filed against an employer, finding that the employer did not violate the National Labor Relations Act by withdrawing rehire offers from two employees’ based on their Facebook conversation. The two employees worked for a…

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Copyright Protection for User Generated Content in Virtual World Confirmed

While a legal battle will continue between a Second Life content “consultant” and a school teacher using the online virtual-world creating program as an educational tool, the Southern District of New York made one thing clear last week – user-generated Second Life content is copyrightable. In FireSabre Consulting LLC v.…

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Around the Virtual World: October 21-25, 2013

A weekly wrap up of interesting news about virtual worlds, virtual goods and other social media.         A Senator Raises Privacy Questions About Cross-Device Tracking Senator Edward J. Markey, Democrat of Massachusetts, said that tracking technologies such as cookies are giving way to more sophisticated methods for monitoring…

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Money Transmitter Licensing Laws Strike Exemption for Certain Agents

Connecticut is another state to join in a recent trend to amend the state’s money transmitter law to remove an explicit exemption from licensure previously afforded to agents of entities exempt from license under the state’s money transmitter laws. In Connecticut, under the amended law, “money transmission” means “engaging in…

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Blurry Lines: Legal and Business Uncertainty in Social Media

Join Pillsbury for a three-event series addressing legal, regulatory and business issues confronting the universe of social media, games and mobile applications. The first event in the series is Mobile Applications and Games on Wednesday, October 16 from 6:00 – 9:00 pm. The mobile applications and games market is exploding.…

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California Internet Privacy Bill Effective January 1

Last Friday, California’s Governor Brown signed into law Assembly Bill 370. AB 370 amends California’s Business & Professions Code § 22575 to require an operator of a commercial Internet website or online service that collects personally identifiable information about consumers residing in California who use or visit its website or…

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Free Speech Protection for Facebook “Likes” by Public Employees

Last week, in Bland v. Roberts, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit handed a constitutional victory to Facebook and two plaintiffs who lost their jobs after displaying online support for the incumbent’s opponent in a sheriff’s election. Reversing the district court decision, which said that “liking” a…