Law Commons^™

Revitalizing Environmental Federalism, Daniel C. Esty

Michigan Law Review

Politicians from Speaker Newt Gingrich to President Bill Clinton, cheered on by academics such as Richard Revesz, are eagerly seeking to return authority over environmental regulation to the states. In the European Union, localist opponents of environmental decisionmaking in Brussels rally under the banner of "subsidiarity." And in debates over international trade liberalization, demands abound for the protection of "national sovereignty" in environmental regulation. All of these efforts presume that a decentralized approach to environmental policy will yield better results than more centralized programs. This presumption is misguided. While the character of some environmental concerns warrants a preference for local …

Privileged Use: Has Judge Boudin Suggested A Viable Means Of Copyright Protection For The Nonliteral Aspects Of Computer Software In Lotus Development Corp.V. Borland International , David M. Maiorana

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Crimes In The Internet And How They Influence The Law, Rimal Kawtar Slaoui-Hamda

Graduate Student Dissertations, Theses, Capstones, and Portfolios

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Intellectual Property Issues In Genomics, Rebecca S. Eisenberg

Articles

Controversy over intellectual property rights in the results of large-scale cDNA sequencing raises intriguing questions about the roles of the public and private sectors in genomics research, and about who stands to benefit (and who stands to lose) from the private appropriation of genomic information. While the US Patent and Trademark Office has rejected patent applications on cDNA fragments of unknown function from the National Institutes of Health, private firms have pursued three distinct strategies for exploiting unpatented cDNA sequence information: exclusive licensing, non-exclusive licensing and dedication to the public domain.

Lmo's: Treasure Chest Or Pandora's Box, Michael S. Baram

Faculty Scholarship

Biotechnology is beginning to trans- A form agriculture across the globe. After thousands of years of traditional plant and animal breeding, and centuries of mechanization and chemical application, genetic research has opened a Pandora's box of living modified organisms (LMOs) designed to improve the productivity and efficiency of commercial agriculture. A multitude of transgenic crops and animals is now being introduced into commerce by biotechnology companies, and b nations are puzzling out how to appropriate the benefits and manage the risks.

American biotechnology companies and agencies are the leading proponents of using LMOs. They claim that two decades of costly …

The Quest For Enabling Metaphors For Law And Lawyering In The Information Agae, Pamela Samuelson

Michigan Law Review

A Review of James Boyle, Shamans, Software, and Spleens: Law and the Construction of the Information Society and M. Ethan Katsh, Law in a Digital World

Framing The Issues For Cameras In The Courtrooms: Redefining Judicial Dignity And Decorum, A Wayne Mackay

Dalhousie Law Journal

This article examines the role of s. 2(b) of the Charter of Rights in determining the role of cameras in Canadian courtrooms. The discussions reveal that arguments in opposition to cameras are largely unfounded and in contradiction to the freedom of expression guarantee. The denial of the right is in reality based on judges' and lawyers' fear of loss of control of the courtroom environment. Cameras should only be banned from courtrooms as part of a total publication ban, and then only after a careful s. 1 analysis

Dishonoring The Honorarium Ban: Exemption For Federal Scientists , Lissa Malloy Nardini

American University Law Review

No abstract provided.

Global Technological Integration, Intellectual Property Rights, And Competition Law: Some Introductory Comments, David J. Gerber

All Faculty Scholarship

No abstract provided.

Book Review, Lakshman D. Guruswamy

Publications

No abstract provided.

Rising Temperatures: Rising Tides, Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Prof. Elizabeth Burleson

Transboundary environmental problems do not distinguish between political boundaries. Global warming is expected to cause thermal expansion of water and melt glaciers. Both are predicted to lead to a rise in sea level. We must enlarge our paradigms to encompass a global reality and reliance upon global participation.

Allocating The Risk Of Loss For Bank Card Fraud On The Internet, 15 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 39 (1996), Randy Gainer

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The Internet presents many opportunities for the user to purchase merchandise using a credit card or bank card. However, until planned security measures for the Internet are proven to be effective, a question is raised: Who will pay for the loss if a criminal diverts the bank card data used by a consumer over the Internet? Two federal statutes generally prevent banks and credit card associations from charging consumers for losses incurred by fraudulent use of bank cards. The 1970 amendment to the Federal Consumer Protection Act (FCPA) and the Electronic Funds Transfer Act of 1978 (EFTA) contain provisions that …

Copying To Compete: The Tension Between Copyright Protection & Antitrust Policy In Recent Non-Literal Computer Program Copyright Infringement Cases, 15 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 171 (1996), Mark L. Gordon

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

A conflict exists between copyright law and antitrust policy. The conflict arises because pursuant to the Copyright Act, a copyright owner basically has a monopoly on the work's circulation throughout the market. Copyright protection benefits the owner and the public. Antitrust laws have the same goals. However, the antitrust laws balance these goals with competition in the market. Furthermore, computer programs complicate matters because the programs create a different problem than with other types of works. The Copyright Act states that "expression" is copyrightable and "ideas" are not. Computer programs, however, combine expression and ideas. Three types of copying are …

1996 Computers And Telecommunications Law Update New Developments: Asia-Pacific, 15 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 99 (1996), Fred Chilton, Simon Cant, Emma Moloney

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Global telecommunications are developing in the Asian and Pacific countries. These foreign companies in the telecommunications markets also encounter jurisdictional problems. First, telecommunication developments and the impact of competition on Asian and Pacific countries are examined. A change occurs as the market becomes global. Since governments are privatizing telecommunication monopolies, the governments are becoming regulators of telecommunications rather than providers. Liberalization is the process of opening telecommunication markets to competition. Also, developments in both the Asian countries of Singapore, Japan, Malaysia, India, Indonesia, Philippines, and Taiwan, and the Pacific countries of New Zealand and Australia are explored. As liberalization occurs, …

Electronic Contracting: Legal Issues, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 211 (1996), Raymond T. Nimmer

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In discussing the legal electronic contracting issues, the author gives an in-depth analysis of current UCC provisions in the context of electronic contracting. The author further gives recommendations to the UCC amendments so that the UCC would be adequate to meet the technological challenges of the future. The analysis first addresses the subject matter of electronic contracting before turning to the methods of initiating or responding to electronic messages. Then, there is the electronic data interchange which allows parties to exchange data for direct processing by parties information systems. The technology may have made exchange of data more efficient, but …

Foreword: Commercial Transactions On The Global Information Infrastructure, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 209 (1996), Brian G. Gilpin

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

The High Price Of A Cashless Society: Exchanging Privacy Rights For Digital Cash, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 303 (1996), Catherine M. Downey

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The Internet has lured both shoppers and business people to its online economy. When a user wants to purchase an item from a merchant, he simply sends the bank a special electronic message, encoded with a unique digital signature requesting the money. The bank debits the user’s account and sends “e-cash” to the users computer via the Internet. After receiving the e-cash, the user’s computer transmits it to the merchant’s computer, which verifies the authenticity of the “e-cash” with the bank and credits it to the merchant’s account. This move to a cashless society stretches the parameters of current legislation …

Don't Shoot The Messenger: Protecting Speech On Editorially Controlled Bulletin Board Services By Applying Sullivan Malice, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 347 (1996), Iris Ferosie

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Courts must determine the standard of liability for Internet Service Providers (ISPs) that proactively edit their Bulletin Board Systems (BBSs) for defamatory content. ISPs are computer services that provide data processing and communication services to customers - individual computer users who subscribe to the ISP's service. BBSs are computer programs that act like a traditional bulletin board. They are centrally located on the ISP's computers, and people who subscribe to the ISP can access that bulletin board to publish (or "post") messages on the board, and read and respond to other people's messages. Some ISPs allow people to post messages …

Commerce On The Net: Surfing Through Cyberspace Without Getting Wet, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 247 (1996), Diana J. P. Mckenzie

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

It's business as usual: parties transacting business with paper, pens, phone calls, faxes, etc. With the convenience of computers in the market places, however, the business landscape is no longer the same: no more paper or less face-to-face contacts. Cyberspace provides an environment that obliterate physical time and space, but it also brings along risk fertile to create liabilities. In this article, the author attempts to address areas such as advertising; selling of money or goods; direct distributing of digitized products; contracting; intellectual property rights; common law torts and right to privacy on the Internet. At the end, the author …

The Constitutionality Of Congressional Efforts To Ban Computer-Generated Child Pornography: A First Amendment Assessment Of S. 1237, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 483 (1996), Ronald W. Adelman

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article addressed the constitutionality of the Child Pornography Prevention Act of 1995 (Hatch Bill) in regard to computer-generated child pornography. The Bill outlaws a visual depiction that is or appears to be of a minor engaging in sexually explicit conduct. The author claims the comments of David B. Johnson and John C. Scheller regarding the constitutionality of the Bill are analytically flawed because they focus on dicta from New York v. Ferber and Osborne v. Ohio. The author then engages in his own assessment of the Bill using a First Amendment approach and suggests what findings Congress should make …

State And Local Taxing Authorities Taking More Than Their Fair Share Of The Electronic Information Age, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 493 (1996), David C. Blum

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This comment discusses the trend of state and local departments of revenue taxing users and providers of computer and information services even though the tax is not included in the jurisdiction’s legislation. While services are normally exempt from tax unless specifically enumerated, the Departments of Revenue recharacterize the service of providing electronically transmitted information into a purchase or lease of tangible personal property so the transaction can be taxed. This comment argues that users and providers of electronic information services should not be liable for a sales or use tax in a jurisdiction that lacks clear and specific statutory authority …

Harmonisation Of European Union Privacy Law, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 411 (1996), Ulrich U. Wuermeling

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article presents a summary of the 1995 European Union Data Protection Directive, including a description of the provisions of the directive, general rules on lawfulness, rights of the individuals, remedies, and affect on the laws of the member states. The historical background and development of the Directive is also covered, including the first data protection laws and activities of the Council of Europe and United Nations.

Intellectual Property Protection Of Software: International Perspectives: Foreword, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 657 (1996), Donald P. Reynolds

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Software Protection Against Third Parties In Belgium, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 661 (1996), Philipe Péters, Florence Verhoestraete

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

On June 30, 1994, Belgium became the first nation in Europe that incorporated Directive 91/250/EEC into a specific law, the "Software Act." Unlike many other countries that deal with copyright issues involving software, Belgium enacted the Software Act to satisfy the practical and specific need to protect software. In this introductory article on Belgium’s protection of software, the author discusses the main provisions of the Software Act while making reference to the Copyright Act since computer programs are also protectable through patent, trademark or unfair competition laws. In furthering its commitment under the Berne Convention, Belgium enacted the Software Act …

Intellectual Property Protection Of Software In Ireland, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 717 (1996), Francis Hackett

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

There are over eight thousand people in Ireland employed in the software industry by several multinational corporations, including Microsoft, Novell, Lotus and Corel. Although there has not yet been much Irish case law addressing the protection of computer software, there are adequate statutory protections in place. The Directive on the Legal Protection of Computer Programs (“Regulations”) provides copyright protection for all original computer programs. Ideas and underlying principles are not protected by copyright under the Regulations but the English High Court has clarified this general rule by stating detailed ideas may be copyrighted. The Regulations provide some exclusive rights to …

1995 John Marshall National Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Brief For The Petitioner, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 595 (1996), Aaron Reber, Todd Schrader, Rachelle Zidar

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Intellectual Property Protection For Software In Spain, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 767 (1996), Hugo Ecija

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The author provides a brief overview of Spain’s intellectual property protection of software. The author discusses Act 22/87 which is the foundation of copyright law in Spain and regulates all kinds of works; literary, artistic, and scientific. In Spain, copyright laws protect computer programs as literary works. The broad definition of a "computer program" includes the object code as well as the source code, operating system programs, the microcode within the central processing unit, and the programming language and interface. As a member of the European Community (EC), Spain enacted "Directive 91/250" for legal protection of computer programs. The author …

Software Protection In The Commonwealth Of Puerto Rico, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 745 (1996), Diego A. Ramos

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article begins by examining the unique political circumstances of Puerto Rico, as a territory of the United States. It then explains the different federal and national systems that govern patent and copyright protection in Puerto Rico. The article details the conflict between the two systems and outlines the way the federal laws of the United States take precedent over the local laws of Puerto Rico in the areas of copyright and trademark. It analyzes the laws of Puerto Rico which provide protection for "moral rights" in the European tradition, which the United States does not recognize. The article also …

Computer Software Protection In The Netherlands, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 725 (1996), Jaap H. Spoor

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This article provides an overview of the laws currently in use for the protection of the intellectual property of software in the Netherlands. The analysis focuses primarily on all aspects of copyright law, which include sources of copyright law, protectable subject matter, ownership and transfer of copyright and licensing, economic rights and user's prerogatives, moral rights, copyright infringement in computer software and remedies for infringement. The article also briefly discusses other methods of protection for the intellectual property of computer software in the Netherlands, including patents, trade secrets, semiconductor chip protection and trademarks.

Learning To Love "The Ultimate Peripheral" - Virtual Vices Like "Cyberprostitution" Suggest A New Paradigm To Regulate Online Expression, 14 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 779 (1996), D. James Nahikian

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.