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Full-Text Articles in Law
Admitting Computer Record Evidence After In Re Vinhnee: A Stricter Standard For Future?, Cooper Offenbecher
Admitting Computer Record Evidence After In Re Vinhnee: A Stricter Standard For Future?, Cooper Offenbecher
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
In re Vinhnee, a Ninth Circuit Bankruptcy Appellate Panel decision, employed Edward Imwinkelried’s eleven-step foundation process for authenticating computer records. In employing the eleven-step process, the Vinhnee court articulated a stricter standard than has previously been used by most courts for admitting computer records into evidence. This Article will first consider the various foundation standards that courts have applied to computer records. Next, the Article will analyze the Vinhnee standard, consider its elements, and compare it to the previous standards and commentary. Finally, the Article will conclude that the Vinhnee approach reflects common concerns by courts and commentators, and …
Frcp 19: A Preferable Alternative To Traditional Judicial Rules For Determining Patent Licensee Standing, Jeffrey Bashaw
Frcp 19: A Preferable Alternative To Traditional Judicial Rules For Determining Patent Licensee Standing, Jeffrey Bashaw
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
In Aspex Eyewear v. Miracle Optics, a patent infringement claim was initially dismissed because the court found that the parties bringing suit, a patentee and a patent sub-licensee, lacked standing because although the patentee had given all substantial rights to a licensee, the sub-licensee’s license did not convey “all substantial rights.” Thus, neither party had “all substantial rights,” the traditional threshold test for patent licensee standing. While the Federal Circuit ultimately reversed and allowed the suit to go forward, the case demonstrates how the current patent standing rule only magnifies the expense of litigating an infringement suit by requiring …
"Can I See Some Id?" Age Verification Requirements For The Online Liquor Store, Boris Reznikov
"Can I See Some Id?" Age Verification Requirements For The Online Liquor Store, Boris Reznikov
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
Teenagers are starting to use the Internet to circumvent the ordinarily stringent restrictions on the sale of alcohol to underage individuals. Since states have always punished vendors for furnishing alcohol to minors, companies that choose to sell alcohol online must recognize that they could be criminally and civilly liable if they do not take reasonable precautions to ensure that minors do not obtain their product. This Article examines the steps online alcohol vendors might take in order to protect themselves from liability so that they can continue to run their ventures in a profitable manner.
Reach Out And Text Someone: How Test Message Spam May Be A Call Under The Tcpa, Daniel L. Hadjinian
Reach Out And Text Someone: How Test Message Spam May Be A Call Under The Tcpa, Daniel L. Hadjinian
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
The Arizona Court of Appeals recently found a business liable for sending an unsolicited advertisement email to a recipient’s wireless phone in violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (“TCPA”). The court concluded that an email sent to a wireless phone constitutes a “call,” and noted that such a commercial call created the same concerns about consumer privacy that Congress intended to remedy with the TCPA. This finding is consistent with an earlier Federal Communications Commission ruling. Preliminary cases indicate that other courts may be willing to adopt a similar interpretation of the TCPA. In light of this …
Don't Bet On It: How Complying With Federal Internet Gambling Law Is Not Enough, Jennifer W. Chiang
Don't Bet On It: How Complying With Federal Internet Gambling Law Is Not Enough, Jennifer W. Chiang
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
It is disputed whether the United States has a blanket federal prohibition on Internet gambling. As a result of the lack of cohesive federal oversight, states have passed their own Internet gambling laws which, depending on the state’s approach, may regulate making bets online, taking bets online and transferring money between bettor and casino. Some even extend to regulating speech and Internet casino advertisements. For example, card rooms and Indian casinos are prevalent in Washington State, but the state legislature recently made placing a bet over the Internet a Class C felony. This Article will analyze the current framework for …
Employee Internet Misuse: How Failing To Investigate Pornography May Lead To Tort Liability, Jamila Johnson
Employee Internet Misuse: How Failing To Investigate Pornography May Lead To Tort Liability, Jamila Johnson
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
This Article addresses a New Jersey appellate court’s holding which suggests that employers have a common law duty to investigate online misconduct by their employees. In Doe v. XYC Corp., the Appellate Division of the Superior Court of New Jersey held that an employer has a duty to act when (1) it knows that an employee’s use of the Internet would endanger a third person; and (2) it has reason to believe that it may discipline the employee for online activities in the workplace. The court stated that, under this duty to act, an employer must investigate, discipline, and …
Patent Rights Under Foss Licensing Schemes, Shaobin Zhu
Patent Rights Under Foss Licensing Schemes, Shaobin Zhu
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
Free/Open Source Software (“FOSS”) licenses generally give developers and users the freedom to run software for any purpose, to study and modify software, and to redistribute copies of either the original or the modified software without paying royalties to previous developers. The FOSS community is facing increasing threats from software patents, especially from entities outside the FOSS community. This Article discusses patent rights under FOSS licenses, including the GNU General Public License (“GPL”) 2.0 and draft 3.0, the Apache License and the Mozilla Public License (“MPL”). It also addresses how current GPL draft 3.0 attempts to reconcile the conflict between …
Cases In Wake Of Dastar V. Twentieth Century Fox Continue To Narrow The Scope Of A "Reverse Passing Off" Claim, Jared Barrett
Cases In Wake Of Dastar V. Twentieth Century Fox Continue To Narrow The Scope Of A "Reverse Passing Off" Claim, Jared Barrett
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
In 2003, the United States Supreme Court decided Dastar Corp. v. Twentieth Century Fox Film Corp., narrowing the scope of protection under the federal Lanham Act for “reverse passing off.” “Reverse passing off” is derived from the statutory language in § 43(a) of the Lanham Act prohibiting a “false designation of origin” that is likely to cause consumer confusion and generally occurs where one company puts forth another company’s product as its own. A “reverse passing off” claim was also thought to be feasible against one who misrepresented the source of the creative or communicative work embodied in a …
Digitized Book Search Engines And Copyright Concerns, Ari Okano
Digitized Book Search Engines And Copyright Concerns, Ari Okano
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
Internet companies, libraries, and archives increasingly are digitizing literary information and providing access to digitized content through Internet search engines. This Article compares digital book search engines from Google, Yahoo!, Amazon.com, and MSN and highlights the different approaches to each of these models. In the fall of 2005, two copyright infringement lawsuits were filed against Google for their new search engine, Google Book Search. At issue in both lawsuits is a component of Google Book Search, Google’s Library Project, through which Google is digitizing the entire library content—including copyrighted material—of the University of Michigan library. This Article examines the limits …
When Is § 230 Immunity Lost?: The Transformation From Website Owner To Information Content Provider, Karen Alexander Horowitz
When Is § 230 Immunity Lost?: The Transformation From Website Owner To Information Content Provider, Karen Alexander Horowitz
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) offers broad protection for providers and users of interactive computer services against liability for defamation and other content-based claims when a third-party provides the information. Although providers and users of interactive computer services (ICSs) are permitted to exercise some editorial control while still avoiding legal liability, at some point, such editing may transform the provider or user of the ICS into an information content provider and deprive them of § 230 immunity. The key issue is where the threshold between permissible and impermissible editorial control lies. This Article delves into this issue …
Electronic Health Records: Interoperability Challenges Patients' Right To Privacy, Laura Dunlop
Electronic Health Records: Interoperability Challenges Patients' Right To Privacy, Laura Dunlop
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
President George W. Bush's administration has outlined initial necessary steps to transform the healthcare delivery system through adoption of interoperable electronic health records ("EHRs") by the year 2014. This Article examines the nation's shift toward the use of EHR technology, which largely facilitates patient care by providing clinicians with the ability to review a more complete medical record at the time of treatment. Current legislation calls for financial support and technical standards. However, lawmakers neglect to fully address the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act ("HIPAA") and the need to expand its application and enforcement. In addition, healthcare provider Anti-Kickback …
Suing Based On Spyware? Admissibility Of Evidence Obtained From Spyware In Violation Of Federal And State Wiretap Laws: O'Brien V. O'Brien As A Paradigmatic Case, Shan Sivalingam
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
Early in 2005, a Florida intermediate appellate court ruled that a trial court adjudicating a divorce proceeding had properly excluded evidence that the wife obtained by installing a spyware program on the husband’s computer. The court held that the evidence was an intercepted electronic communication that violated a Florida statute modeled after the Federal Wiretap Act. The Florida court ruled that exclusion fell properly within the discretion of the trial court, despite the fact that the relevant Florida statute did not contain an exclusionary rule for intercepted electronic communications. This Article provides a short overview of the federal and state …
Follow That Car! Legal Issues Arising From Installation Of Tracking Devices In Leased Consumer Goods And Equipment, Leah Altaras
Follow That Car! Legal Issues Arising From Installation Of Tracking Devices In Leased Consumer Goods And Equipment, Leah Altaras
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
Recent court cases in Connecticut and California have challenged the commercial use of Global Positioning Systems (GPS) for tracking and gathering data about consumers. Specifically, these cases focused on the terms and disclosures contained in automobile rental contracts relating to the use of GPS to monitor the driving patterns of rental car drivers. In response to concerns about consumer privacy, several states have also enacted legislation that addresses the use of tracking technology in the rental car market. This Article examines recent litigation concerning the use of GPS in rental cars and related legislative efforts. Although recent legislation and litigation …
Client Confidentiality, Professional Privilege And Online Communication: Potential Implications Of The Barton Decision, Kelcey Nichols
Client Confidentiality, Professional Privilege And Online Communication: Potential Implications Of The Barton Decision, Kelcey Nichols
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
In a recent case of first impression, Barton v. U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that an online communication involving an online intake form filled out by prospective clients gave rise to an attorney-client relationship governed by the duty of confidentiality and subject to attorney-client-privilege. The Ninth Circuit’s multi-factored analysis suggests a modified framework for evaluating when the duty of confidentiality and attorney-client relationship can be formed through online communications. This Article discusses Barton’s implications for attorneys and law firms that communicate with clients and …
Enforcement Of Contractual Terms In Clickwrap Agreements: Courts Refusing To Enforce Forum Selection And Binding Arbitration Clauses, Rachel Cormier Anderson
Enforcement Of Contractual Terms In Clickwrap Agreements: Courts Refusing To Enforce Forum Selection And Binding Arbitration Clauses, Rachel Cormier Anderson
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
In three recent cases, courts have invalidated portions of consumer clickwrap agreements containing either forum selection or binding arbitration clauses. In the first case, the Washington State Court of Appeals invalidated a forum selection clause found in a clickwrap agreement because the clause was contrary to state consumer protection policies. In the second case, the California Court of Appeals rejected a clickwrap agreement calling for binding arbitration in a specified forum when the plaintiff sought to bring a class action claim. Finally, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Fifth Circuit recently declared a binding arbitration clause because it was …
E-Contract Formation: U.S. And Eu Perspectives, Sylvia Mercado Kierkegaard
E-Contract Formation: U.S. And Eu Perspectives, Sylvia Mercado Kierkegaard
Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts
The United States (“U.S.”) and the European Union (“EU”) offer contrasting approaches to contract formation in Cyberspace. Two foci can be identified with EU law: (1) consumer protection and (2) market harmonisation. The American approach, however, is characterized by self-regulation and economic rationale. This Article examines and compares the EU and U.S. regulatory approaches to electronic contracting.