The Internet Bar Association and the Center for Information Technology and Dispute Resolution have joined together to sponsor the 2nd Annual Cyberweek. Be sure to check out the programs, discussions, podcasts, and other content available there.
Judge rules NSA’s Internet Wiretapping Unconstitutional
Here’s a case destined to be a Supreme Court case within the year. Today, Judge Anna Diggs Taylor of the Eastern District of Michigan ruled that the NSA’s domestic wiretapping and Internet surveillance program violates the First and Fourth Amendments and the doctrine of separation of powers. An appeal has reportedly already been filed. Stay…
Odds & Ends: Search & Seizure
Today was my first day back at work after two weeks off. My excuse? Parental leave after the birth of my third son. Mother and baby are doing fine. So are his older brothers. I was pleased to see that Blawg Review #70 was posted on Monday by Dave! Gulbransen. I had the pleasure of…
Speaking at the IP Law and the Internet Seminar
I am one of a panel of speakers on July 27, 2006 at an afternoon seminar entitled “IP Law and the Internet” sponsored by the Intellectual Property Law Association of Chicago (“IPLAC”) Internet Law Committee, and Northwestern Law School. The event will be held at Nortwestern University, and will feature a keynote address by the USPTO’s…
Chicago blogger not required to turn over interview notes
Jamie Kalven is a Chicago-based journalist who covers the conditions in Chicago’s housing projects. He blogs at ViewFromTheGround.com. He covered the case of Diane Bond, a woman with a pending civil rights case in Federal Court against five Chicago police officers, some superintendents, an administrator, and the City of Chicago. The defense attorneys issued a…
Article on DMCA Proposed Amendments
Lee Hollaar, writing at IPI.org, has written an article discussing proposed legislation that would amend the copyright act and would effectively gut the anticircumvention section, 1201. Also interesting to read is this article on Techdirt that critiques Hollaar’s article. I was curious, so I researched the bill discussed in the article. According to GovTrack, this…
Curto v. Medical World Communications – Attorney client privilege on recovered documents
Curto v. Medical World Communications, Inc., et al. Decided May 15, 2006, E. District of New York, No. 03 CV 6327 (2006 WL 1318387) Plaintiff, Lara Curto, has an ongoing EEOC complaint against the Defendants. While still employed, she used company-issued laptops in her home office to correspond with her attorneys. She was careful to…
Net Neutrality Update
I’ve been following the debate over Net Neutrality rather closely. Since more and more of our economy depends on the Internet for basic functionality, like the reliable functioning of email, VOIP, and telecommuting applications, this debate concerns *everyone.* Higher costs for Internet traffic will be passed along to the economy and end users ultimately. Further,…
Spyware Installer ordered to pay $4,000,000 in Restitution
Sanford Wallace, former spammer and now spyware installer with his company Smartbot.Net, today was ordered by a New Hampshire district court to pay restitution to consumers in the amount of four million dollars. Co-defendants OptinTrade and Jared Lansky were required to pay $227,000 in restitution. The complaint alleges that the Defendants installed spyware on user’s…
Thoughts on ABA Techshow
I attended the ABA Techshow here in Chicago from Thursday through Saturday, and had a wonderful time. On Wednesday evening I was one of the 100 invited guests of the Lexthink! Lounge, presented by Dennis Kennedy, Matthew Homann and JoAnna Forshee. My bowling was a bit rusty, but the conversation and fellowship was great. Rob…