Computer Law Commons^™

From State Street Bank To Cls Bank And Back: Reforming Software Patents To Promote Innovation, Parker Hancock

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

For the past several decades, the Supreme Court and Federal Circuit have struggled to determine if, and under what circumstances, software is patentable. Once again, the Federal Circuit had an opportunity to provide clarity when it granted en banc review in CLS Bank. The resulting opinion contained a cursory per curiam decision and numerous concurrences and dissents, showing that the question is far from answered. Ultimately, the struggle over software patentability is not itself the problem, but a symptom of other problems in the patent system. Specifically, other substantive requirements of patentability are not weeding out overly broad patents because …

Legislating Trust, John D. Gregory

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

As governments in Canada and elsewhere have considered statutes to ensure that electronic communications are legally effective, they have invariably had to face questions about the reliability of those communications. Can we trust electronic messages, documents, and signatures? Are they the same in law as if they were on paper? What conditions should be imposed in order to give us the right assurances that we can trust them? To answer these questions properly, we need to understand the nature of “trust” and the extent to which legislation can be a source of it, and what other sources should be enlisted …

Code Is Law, But Law Is Increasingly Determining The Ethics Of Code: A Comment, Jonathon Penney

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

“Code is Law”, the aphorism Larry Lessig popularized, spoke to the importance of computer code as a central regulating force in the Internet age. That remains true, but today, overreaching laws are also increasingly subjugating important social and ethics questions raised by code to the domain of law. Those laws — like the CFAA and DMCA — need to be curtailed or their zealous enforcement reigned; they deter not only legitimate research but also important related social and ethics questions. But researchers must act too: to re-assert control over the social, legal, and ethical direction of their fields. Otherwise, law …

More Than The Sum Of All Parts: Taking On Ip And It Theft Through A Global Partnership, Andrew F. Popper

Scholarly Articles in Law Reviews & Journals

The core of this Article describes some of the efforts, both within and outside the United States, to control the epidemic of intellectual property and information technology (IP and IT) theft. Those engaged in the battle include prosecutors and judges, individuals and trade associations, and politicians and policymakers from all points on the political spectrum. And yet, even with so many forces working to stem the tide, the losses are staggering.

An innovator with the potential to change his or her future as well as the prosperity of the surrounding economy, whether in Kentucky or Kinshasa, will be dissuaded from …

Fan Fiction And Canadian Copyright Law: Defending Fan Narratives In The Wake Of Canada's Copyright Reforms, Rebecca Katz

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Amateur, non-commercial writing based on contemporary copyrighted works — “fan fiction” — is a practice that is worth defending despite its unclear status vis a vis copyright law. In this article, I assess how Canadian fan authors may defend their works using Canadian copyright law. I argue that the recent copyright reforms are promising for fan and other second generation creators. The new fair dealing categories of parody and satire are positive steps, though the broad and technologically neutral non-commercial user-generated content provi-sion may be the most promising reform of all. I begin with an exploration of the benefits of …

Atteinte À La Vie Privée Et Publicité Comportementale, Virginie Blanchette-Séguin

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Le présent texte aura pour objet les questions relatives à la vie privée que soulève la publicité comportementale et le suivi des activités des individus qu’elle implique par définition. Pour ce faire, nous délimiterons d’abord le spectre du droit à la vie privée en droit québécois dans ce contexte (I.) et nous poursuivrons selon une approche plus critique en nous prononçant sur les différents arguments pouvant être soulevés quant à l’absence d’une perception humaine dans une violation potentielle du droit à la vie privée (II.)

Regulatory Issues Concerning New Media Alternatives To Television, Michael Rimock

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article will begin by discussing the significance of over-the-top (OTT) video services in Canada and briefly outline the CRTC’s recent efforts and findings in relation to new media trends. It will then describe the problems with the current regulatory framework and some of the proposed solutions. While some have argued that regulating OTT services like Netflix would level the playing field, I will argue that encouraging competition and decreasing some of the onerous regulations that are currently imposed on Canadian broadcasters would be the best solution since it would benefit both consumers and Canadian corporations.

Patent-Backed Securization For Innovation And Economic Growth In The Life Sciences: A Proposal For Incremental Securities Law Reform, Grace Sweeney

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

In this section, the historical balance struck by securities law between conservatism and innovation was considered in the context of a shifting economic landscape.

In Section II, the life sciences sector will be chosen to illustrate the current barriers impeding capital flow to high-value enterprise, resulting in decreased innovation and economic growth. These include the existence of “ever greening”, non-practicing entities, patent thickets, and onerous transaction costs on upstream patent holders with limited competency.

In Section III, the tool of intangible asset finance will be introduced as a means of harnessing the value of intellectual property assets, and leveraging them …

Proof And Progress: Coping With The Law Of Evidence In A Technological Age, David M. Paciocco

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

This article outlines those rules of evidence that are most likely to be called upon to fit new technologies. It identifies some of the challenges that are presented, and identifies modest techniques or suggestions for coping. Those suggestions include taking the kind of relaxed view as to when expert evidence is being offered illustrated by the Ontario Court of Appeal in R. v. Hamilton; taking a functional approach to judicial notice; ensuring that authentication and the “best evidence” rule for electronic records are not applied in a highly technical fashion; understanding the law of hearsay and remaining familiar with …

Social Media: The Law Simply Stated, Steve Coughlan, Robert J. Currie

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

It is a challenge to simply state the law about social media, because there is no such thing as “social media law.” Rather, the law bumps up against social media in many ways. In some cases, existing law can be seamlessly applied to new technologies and means of interaction. In other cases, entirely new paradigms will likely need to be adopted to handle new challenges. Many other cases will fall somewhere in between.

Our goal in this Law Simply Stated is to provide some background on the nature of social media themselves, and then to state the basic law in …

Implementing Technology In The Justice Sector: A Canadian Perspective, Jane Bailey, Jacquelyn Burkell

Canadian Journal of Law and Technology

Despite the many technological advances that could benefit the court system, the use of computers and network technology to facilitate court procedures is still in its infancy, and court procedures largely remain attached to paper documents and to the physical presence of the parties at all stages. More and more research is focusing on the use of technology to make the legal system more efficient and to reduce excessive legal costs and delays. The goal of this exploratory research project is to examine the experience of justice sector technology implementation from the perspective of individuals involved first-hand in the implementation …

When The Classroom Is Not In The Schoolhouse: Applying Tinker To Student Speech At Online Schools, Brett T. Macintyre

Seattle University Law Review

Despite the overwhelming increase in students’ Internet use and the growing popularity of online public schools, the United States Supreme Court has never addressed how, or if, schools can discipline students for disruptive online speech without violating the students’ First Amendment rights. What the Supreme Court has addressed is how school administrators can constitutionally discipline students within traditional schools. In a landmark decision, Tinker v. Des Moines Independent Community School District, the Supreme Court announced the now famous principle that students do not “shed their constitutional rights to freedom of speech or expression at the schoolhouse gate.” Still, the Court …

Broadband And Economic Development, University Of Washington Technology Law And Public Policy Clinic

Technology Law and Public Policy Clinic

Technology is essential for economic growth and job creation. Ensuring Washington has 21st century digital infrastructure, such as high-speed broadband Internet access, fourth-generation (4G) wireless networks, new healthcare information technology and a modernized electrical grid, is critical to the long-term prosperity and competitiveness of our state. The Internet is a global platform for communication, commerce and individual expression, and now promises to support breakthroughs in important national priorities such as healthcare, education and energy. Additionally, the Internet and information technology can be applied to make government more effective, transparent and accessible to all Americans.

For Washington, improvement of broadband access …

Protection Of Intellectual Property Rights In Computers And Computer Programs: Recent Developments , Alan C. Rose

Pepperdine Law Review

The following article examines the protection offered to computers and computer programs, under the various applicable patent, copyright and trade secret laws. Concerning patent protection; the author discusses the history and current status of the patent laws, and analyzes in detail the landmark case of Diamond v. Diehr. Discussed also is an analysis of copyright protection for computer programs, offered by the 1980 amendments to section 117 of the 1976 Copyright Act; which paved the way for the increased protection.

Beyond Notice And Choice: Privacy, Norms, And Consent, Richard Warner, Robert Sloan

All Faculty Scholarship

Informational privacy is the ability to determine for yourself when and how others may collect and use your information. Adequate informational privacy requires a sufficiently broad ability to give or withhold free and informed consent to proposed uses.

Notice and Choice (sometimes also called “notice and consent”) is the current paradigm for consent online. The Notice is a presentation of terms, typically in a privacy policy or terms of use agreement. The Choice is an action signifying acceptance of the terms, typically clicking on an “I agree” button, or simply using the website. Recent reports by the Federal Trade Commission …

Navigating Through The Fog Of Cloud Computing Contracts, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L.13 (2013), T. Noble Foster

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

This paper explores legal issues associated with cloud computing, provides analysis and commentary on typical clauses found in contracts offered by well-known cloud service providers, and identifies strategies to mitigate the risk of exposure to cloud-based legal claims in the critical areas of data security, privacy, and confidentiality. While current research offers numerous case studies, viewpoints, and technical descriptions of cloud processes, our research provides a close examination of the language used in cloud contract terms. Analysis of these contract terms supports the finding that most standard cloud computing contracts are unevenly balanced in favor of the cloud service provider. …

A Commission On A Cyber Mission, Adrian Wilairat

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

Dependence On Cyberscribes - Issues In E-Security, Thomas R. Mclean, Alexander B. Mclean

Journal of Business & Technology Law

No abstract provided.

My Iphone Is My Castle: One Aspect Of Protecting Privacy In A Digital Age, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 1 (2013), Joan Catherine Bohl

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Crisis On Impact: Responding To Cyber Attacks On Critical Information Infrastructures, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 31 (2013), Eugenia Georgiades, William Caelli, Sharon Christensen, W.D. Duncan

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

In the developing digital economy, the notion of traditional attack on enterprises of national significance or interest has transcended into different modes of electronic attack, surpassing accepted traditional forms of physical attack upon a target. The terrorist attacks that took place in the United States on September 11, 2001 demonstrated the physical devastation that could occur if any nation were the target of a large-scale terrorist attack. Therefore, there is a need to protect critical national infrastructure and critical information infrastructure. In particular, this protection is crucial for the proper functioning of a modern society and for a government to …

Why Arthur Goldberg Cared So Much About Privacy, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 67 (2013), David Stebenne

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

How Far Can The Government’S Hand Reach Inside Your Personal Inbox?: Problems With The Sca, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L.75 (2013), Dana T. Benedetti

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Tweet Tweet: A First Amendment Wake Up Call Regarding Social Media In The Sports Arena, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 117 (2013), Samantha Levin

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

No abstract provided.

Warrantless Government Drone Surveillance: A Challenge To The Fourth Amendment, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 155 (2013), Jennifer O'Brien

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

The Federal Aviation Administration Modernization and Reform Act of 2012 aims to integrate drones into the United States national airspace by 2015. While the thought of prevalent private and public daily drone use might seem implausible now, the combination of this new legislation and the increasing availability of inexpensive, technologically advanced small drones will make it a reality. From detectaphones to pen registers and most recently, the GPS, the Supreme Court has faced a plethora of unreasonable search challenges to the warrantless use of such sense augmentation devices by law enforcement to collect information. Acting as the privacy safeguard of …

Prism And The European Union’S Data Protection Directive, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 227 (2013), Liane Colonna

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

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The Lemons Problem In Crowdfunding, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 253 (2013), Gmeleen Faye Tomboc

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

Crowdfunding, an offshoot of crowdsourcing, is being touted as an alternative to traditional sources of financing for small businesses. Despite all its promise, crowdfunding is not without potential problems. To the extent feasible, these possible issues must be anticipated well in advance so that crowdfunding can fulfill its goal of democratizing access to capital.

This paper explores how asymmetrical information in the crowd-funding market can lead to a lemons problem, where high quality start-ups are driven out of the market by low quality projects. Understanding how the lemons problem can arise is critical in determining what reforms are needed to …

Sometimes I Feel Like Somebody’S Watching Me . . . Read?: A Comment On The Need For Heightened Privacy Rights For Consumers Of Ebooks, 30 J. Marshall J. Info. Tech. & Privacy L. 281 (2013), Meredith Mays Espino

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

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My Life Is Not My Own: Do Criminal Arrestees’ Privacy Interests In Mug Shots Outweigh Public’S Desire For Disclosure?, 30 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 307 (2013), Jocelyn Watkins

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

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The Thirty-Second Annual John Marshall Law School International Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Bench Memorandum, 30 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 339 (2013), Dana Benedetti, Daniel Johnson, Kalli Kling, Samantha Levin, Zayna Nubani, Pamela Szelung

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

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The Thirty-Second Annual John Marshall Law School International Moot Court Competition In Information Technology And Privacy Law: Brief For The Petitioner, 30 J. Marshall J. Computer & Info. L. 373 (2013), Eliana Albelbaisi, Robert Koehl, Todd Smith

UIC John Marshall Journal of Information Technology & Privacy Law

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