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Full-Text Articles in Internet Law

Machine Speech: Towards A Unified Doctrine Of Attribution And Control, Brian Sites May 2024

Machine Speech: Towards A Unified Doctrine Of Attribution And Control, Brian Sites

University of Miami Law Review

Like many courts across the country in 2023, courts in the Eleventh Circuit were met with novel claims challenging ChatGPT and other artificial intelligence tools. These cases raise common questions: How should courts treat the speech of machines? When a machine generates allegedly defamatory material, who is the speaker—mortal or machine? When a machine generates expressive creations, who is the artist, and does that shape copyright eligibility? When a machine makes assertions about reality through lab analyses and other forensic reports, who is the accuser, and how does the answer impact a defendant’s rights at trial? Should those answers stem …


Legal Uncertainty In Virtual Worlds And Digital Goods: Do The Same Laws Apply?, Alanna Sadler May 2024

Legal Uncertainty In Virtual Worlds And Digital Goods: Do The Same Laws Apply?, Alanna Sadler

University of Miami Business Law Review

The growth of virtual worlds and digital goods will force US courts to examine whether traditional laws are sufficient to protect consumers. To do so requires judges and legislative officials to possess a deep understanding of concepts that are everchanging. Many aspects of virtual worlds, such as the metaverse(s), are driven by web3 technology, the technology responsible for the NFT and cryptocurrency craze of recent years. It is impossible to ascertain the impact of virtual worlds on daily life, however, companies must nevertheless prepare for the shift toward virtual spaces and digital goods. There is greater skepticism regarding the utility …


Understanding Cyber Risk: Unpacking And Responding To Cyber Threats Facing The Public And Private Sectors, Lawrence J. Trautman, Scott Shackelford, Brian Elzweig, Peter Ormerod Apr 2024

Understanding Cyber Risk: Unpacking And Responding To Cyber Threats Facing The Public And Private Sectors, Lawrence J. Trautman, Scott Shackelford, Brian Elzweig, Peter Ormerod

University of Miami Law Review

Cyberattacks, data breaches, and ransomware continue to pose major threats to businesses, governments, and health and educational institutions worldwide. Ongoing successful instances of cybercrime involve sophisticated attacks from diverse sources such as organized crime syndicates, actors engaged in industrial espionage, nation-states, and even lone wolf actors having relatively few resources. Technological innovation continues to outpace the ability of U.S. law to keep pace, though other jurisdictions including the European Union have been more proactive. Nation-state and international criminal group ransomware attacks continue; Sony’s systems were hacked by a ransomware group; MGM Resorts disclosed that recovery from their September 2023 hack …


From Alpha To Omegle: A.M. V. Omegle And The Shift Towards Product Liability For Harm Incurred Online, Preston Buchanan Jan 2024

From Alpha To Omegle: A.M. V. Omegle And The Shift Towards Product Liability For Harm Incurred Online, Preston Buchanan

University of Miami Business Law Review

But for the Internet, many of our interactions with others would be impossible. From socializing to shopping, and, increasingly, working and attending class, the Internet greatly facilitates the ease of our daily lives. However, we frequently neglect to consider that our conduits to the Internet have the potential to lead to harm and injury. When the Internet was in its infancy, and primarily was a repository of information, Congress recognized the threat of continual lawsuits against online entities stemming from the content created by their users. The Communications Decency Act of 1996 arose to mitigate the seemingly Herculean task for …


Virtual Stardom: The Case For Protecting The Intellectual Property Rights Of Digital Celebrities As Software, Alexander Plansky Jan 2024

Virtual Stardom: The Case For Protecting The Intellectual Property Rights Of Digital Celebrities As Software, Alexander Plansky

University of Miami Business Law Review

For the past several decades, technology has allowed us to create digital human beings that both resemble actual celebrities (living or deceased) or entirely virtual personalities from scratch. In the near future, this technology is expected to become even more advanced and widespread to the point where there may be entirely virtual celebrities who are just as popular as their flesh-and-blood counterparts—if not more so. This raises intellectual property questions of how these near-future digital actors and musicians should be classified, and who will receive the proceeds from their performances and appearances. Since, in the near-term, these entities will probably …


Piercing The Shield Of U.C.C. Article 4a: Estate Of Levin V. Wells Fargo Bank’S, Implications For Terrorism Victims’ Attachment Of Blocked Electronic Wire Transfers Originating From State Sponsors Of Terrorism, Olivia Lu Jan 2024

Piercing The Shield Of U.C.C. Article 4a: Estate Of Levin V. Wells Fargo Bank’S, Implications For Terrorism Victims’ Attachment Of Blocked Electronic Wire Transfers Originating From State Sponsors Of Terrorism, Olivia Lu

University of Miami Business Law Review

This Piece examines how ambiguity in the property interests that would be subject to attachment under section 201 of the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (“TRIA”) and section 1610(g) of the Foreign Sovereign Immunities Act (“FSIA”) has affected efforts by victims of terrorism to fulfill their monetary judgments, especially in light of courts’ use of Article 4A of the Uniform Commercial Code to fill the definitional gap. This Piece focuses on a recent D.C. Circuit decision, Estate of Levin v. Wells Fargo Bank, N.A., analyzing its implications for terrorism victims holding monetary judgments to attach blocked electronic funds transfers (“EFTs”) originating …


Making Small Claims Work For Copyright Law: Why The Decisions Of An Unprecedented Judicial Authority Should Hold Precedential Weight, Emma C. Johnson Jun 2023

Making Small Claims Work For Copyright Law: Why The Decisions Of An Unprecedented Judicial Authority Should Hold Precedential Weight, Emma C. Johnson

University of Miami Business Law Review

Individual creators increasingly struggle to protect their copyrights, especially in the digital age. It is already often difficult for many creators to make a living, and more often than not, they cannot afford to pay thousands in court and legal fees to bring a copyright infringement claim. With the passing of the Copyright Alternative in Small-Claims Enforcement Act of 2019 (the “CASE Act”) in December of 2020, Congress and the United States Copyright Office formed a federal small claims court for creators in such positions to be able to enforce their copyrights.

The CASE Act seeks to give small copyright …


The Freedom Of Influencing, Hannibal Travis Feb 2023

The Freedom Of Influencing, Hannibal Travis

University of Miami Law Review

Social media stars and the Federal Trade Commission (“FTC”) Act are clashing. Influencer marketing is a preferred way for entertainers, pundits, and everyday people to monetize their audiences and popularity. Manufacturers, service providers, retailers, and advertising agencies leverage influencers to reach into millions or even billions of consumer devices, capturing minutes or seconds of the market’s fleeting attention. FTC enforcement actions and private lawsuits have targeted influencers for failing to disclose the nature of a sponsorship relationship with a manufacturer, marketer, or service provider. Such a failure to disclose payments prominently is very common in Hollywood films and on radio …


Tiktok, Cfius, And The Splinternet, Jake T. Seiler May 2022

Tiktok, Cfius, And The Splinternet, Jake T. Seiler

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

This note will discuss the role that the Committee on Foreign Investment in the United States (“CFIUS” or “the Committee”) has played in foreign relations and how it contributes to the balkanization of the internet today. The Committee is an interagency body that reviews foreign investments for potential national security threats. Recently, CFIUS has been in the spotlight for its role in the sale of TikTok, a cellphone app owned by a popular Chinese corporation, ByteDance. While much of CFIUS’ review in the past has been focused on Chinese-owned corporations, there is much debate about whether or not countries should …


The Increased Use And Permanency Of Technology: How Those Changes Impact Attorneys’ Professional Responsibility And Ethical Obligations To Clients And Recommendations For Improvement, Scott B. Piekarsky Mar 2022

The Increased Use And Permanency Of Technology: How Those Changes Impact Attorneys’ Professional Responsibility And Ethical Obligations To Clients And Recommendations For Improvement, Scott B. Piekarsky

University of Miami Business Law Review

No abstract provided.


Defend Forward & Sovereignty: How America’S Cyberwar Strategy Upholds International Law, Elya Taichman Dec 2021

Defend Forward & Sovereignty: How America’S Cyberwar Strategy Upholds International Law, Elya Taichman

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

To thwart a seemingly neve rending bombardment of cyberattacks, the U.S. Department of Defense recently implemented a new strategy – defending forward. This approach demands persistently engaging the enemy on a daily basis to disrupt cyber activity. Rather than waiting to be attacked, the United States is bringing the fight to the enemy. However, this strategy poses fascinating and complex questions of international law. In particular, because most defend forward operations fall within the gray zone of warfare, it remains unclear whether these operations violate the sovereignty of American adversaries or even third party nation states in whose cyberspace U.S. …


Analysis Of Section 230 Under A Theory Of Premises Liability: A Focus On Herrick V.Grindr And Daniel V. Armslist, Kassandra C. Cabrera Dec 2021

Analysis Of Section 230 Under A Theory Of Premises Liability: A Focus On Herrick V.Grindr And Daniel V. Armslist, Kassandra C. Cabrera

University of Miami Business Law Review

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (“CDA”) has been held to give online service providers acting as interactive computer services sweeping immunity for content posted on their platforms. The intention behind the creation of Section 230 was not to immunize online service providers from all liability. Rather, Section 230 was enacted to protect online intermediaries acting as “Good Samaritans” – those who made “good faith” efforts to restrict unlawful or harmful content, but due to the breadth of the internet and advancements in technology over or under-filtered content on their platforms. This note outlines an approach for courts to …


Family Secrets And Relational Privacy: Protecting Not-So-Personal, Sensitive Information From Public Disclosure, J. Lyn Entrikin Apr 2020

Family Secrets And Relational Privacy: Protecting Not-So-Personal, Sensitive Information From Public Disclosure, J. Lyn Entrikin

University of Miami Law Review

This Article seeks to map contemporary relational privacy issues in the context of the evolving “right of privacy” in the United States. Generally, the Article explains why the so-called “personal” right of informational privacy, whatever its legal foundations, cannot be realistically confined to an individual right given the dramatic scientific and technological developments in the twenty-first century. In particular, the Article proposes that both state and federal law must grapple with the inherently relational nature of privacy interests with respect to DNA profiles, which inherently implicate the privacy interests of one’s biological relatives, whether known or unknown.

Part I summarizes …


Smart Homes: The Next Fourth Amendment Frontier, Christina A. Robinson Apr 2020

Smart Homes: The Next Fourth Amendment Frontier, Christina A. Robinson

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

Under the third-party search doctrine, an individual does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy in information he or she voluntarily discloses to third parties. “Always on” in-home technology creates recordings of unsuspecting consumers in their most intimate spaces and sends them to third party companies and their affiliates, which makes this information subject to warrantless search by law enforcement under the third- search doctrine. The third-party search doctrine is ill-suited to the digital age, where consumers are routinely required to volunteer information to third parties in order to access digital content. This Note suggests that a warrant should be …


Facing The Future With Fosta: Examining The Allow States And Victims To Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act Of 2017, Caitlyn Burnitis Apr 2020

Facing The Future With Fosta: Examining The Allow States And Victims To Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act Of 2017, Caitlyn Burnitis

University of Miami Race & Social Justice Law Review

On April 11, 2018, President Trump signed the Stop Enabling Sex Trafficking Act (SESTA) and Allow States and Victims to Fight Online Sex Trafficking Act (FOSTA) package into effect. This law amends Section 230 of the Communications and Decency Act that provides safe harbors for website hosts. Under the amended law, these safe harbor laws that provide websites civil liability immunity for the actions of their users would now exclude enforcement of federal and state sex trafficking laws. While many praised the passage of this law, many others raised concerns about its effect on free speech, prosecution, and sex workers. …


Foreign Direct Investments Into Fintech And Blockchain Technology Startups In Latin America, Y. Tatiana Clavijo, Hernán Pantaleón Dec 2019

Foreign Direct Investments Into Fintech And Blockchain Technology Startups In Latin America, Y. Tatiana Clavijo, Hernán Pantaleón

University of Miami Inter-American Law Review

Technology is changing our everyday lives at a faster rate every minute from artificial intelligence and medical advances in robotics to the upcoming self-driving cars. Every sector of our lives is being impacted, disrupted, and constantly altered by innovations, including our finances. In the developed markets, fintech, or financial technology, is the new and exciting area of product innovation for financial services. The innovations rely on the internet, blockchain technology, and the new and highly controversial digital currencies. Consequently, new digital platforms and mobile applications create new possibilities while being accessible to more people at a lower cost across borders. …


The Struggle To Define Privacy Rights And Liabilities In A Digital World And The Unfortunate Role Of Constitutional Standing, Juan Olano Apr 2018

The Struggle To Define Privacy Rights And Liabilities In A Digital World And The Unfortunate Role Of Constitutional Standing, Juan Olano

University of Miami Law Review

Today’s world runs on data. The creation and improvement of technological products and services depend on the exchange of data between people and companies. As people’s lives become more digitized, companies can collect, store, and analyze more data, and in turn, create better technology. But, because consumer data can be very sensitive (think Social Security numbers, GPS location, fingerprint recognition, etc.) this cyclical exchange comes with serious privacy risks; especially in light of more frequent and sophisticated cyberattacks. This creates a face-off between technological growth and privacy rights. While it makes sense that people should be willing to subside some …


Industrial Cyber Vulnerabilities: Lessons From Stuxnet And The Internet Of Things, Lawrence J. Trautman, Peter C. Ormerod Apr 2018

Industrial Cyber Vulnerabilities: Lessons From Stuxnet And The Internet Of Things, Lawrence J. Trautman, Peter C. Ormerod

University of Miami Law Review

Cyber breaches continue at an alarming pace with new vulnerability warnings an almost daily occurrence. Discovery of the industrial virus Stuxnet during 2010 introduced a global threat of malware focused toward disruption of industrial control devices. By the year 2020, it is estimated that over 30 billion Internet of Things (IoT) devices will exist. The IoT global market spend is estimated to grow from $591.7 billion in 2014 to $1.3 trillion in 2019 with a compound annual growth rate of 17%. The installed base of IoT endpoints will grow from 9.7 billion in 2014 to more than 25.6 billion in …


Legislating Our Reasonable Expectations: Making The Case For A Statutory Framework To Protect Workplace Privacy In The Age Of Social Media, David Miller Jan 2014

Legislating Our Reasonable Expectations: Making The Case For A Statutory Framework To Protect Workplace Privacy In The Age Of Social Media, David Miller

University of Miami Business Law Review

No abstract provided.


Now Playing At A Youtube Near You: "Innocence Of [Internet Service Providers]", Brian A. Oliver Oct 2013

Now Playing At A Youtube Near You: "Innocence Of [Internet Service Providers]", Brian A. Oliver

University of Miami International and Comparative Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Google Police: How The Indictment Of The Pirate Bay Presents A New Solution To Internet Piracy, Bernard A. Mantel Jan 2012

The Google Police: How The Indictment Of The Pirate Bay Presents A New Solution To Internet Piracy, Bernard A. Mantel

University of Miami Business Law Review

No abstract provided.


The Cyberpiracy Prevention Act: Reconciling Real Space Sectoral And Geographical Distinctions In The Use Of Internet Domain Names Under The Lanham Act, Stuart A. Weinstein Jan 2001

The Cyberpiracy Prevention Act: Reconciling Real Space Sectoral And Geographical Distinctions In The Use Of Internet Domain Names Under The Lanham Act, Stuart A. Weinstein

University of Miami Business Law Review

No abstract provided.