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Articles 91 - 118 of 118

Full-Text Articles in Computer Law

United States V. Keystone Sanitation Company: E-Mail And The Attorney-Client Privilege, Karen M. Coon Jan 2001

United States V. Keystone Sanitation Company: E-Mail And The Attorney-Client Privilege, Karen M. Coon

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The rapid growth and sophistication of technology have changed the way people communicate. E-mail and the Internet have begun to affect the way attorneys communicate with their clients. E-mail is fast and convenient, but it is not without risks. The risk of illegal interception and the risk of inadvertent disclosure are serious issues that attorneys need to be aware of and try to prevent so that the attorney-client privilege is protected as much as possible. Although communicating with a client by e-mail may be risky, the risks posed by e-mail are no different from those posed by communicating by postal …


Letter From The Editor, Dharmesh Vashee Jan 2001

Letter From The Editor, Dharmesh Vashee

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Welcome to the third issue of The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology's seventh publication term! The 2000-2001 academic year has proved to be one of the most productive and exciting in the Journal's decorated history. Our Editorial Board and staff have done a phenomenal job on the Journal's seventh volume and we are very proud of the issue we have worked to prepare for you today.


The Validation Of Shrink-Wrap And Click-Wrap Licenses By Virginia's Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act, Scott J. Spooner Jan 2001

The Validation Of Shrink-Wrap And Click-Wrap Licenses By Virginia's Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act, Scott J. Spooner

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Shrink-wrap and click-wrap licenses play a vital role in enabling businesses and consumers to gain access to and use a variety of computer hardware and software. Such licenses effectively transfer computer-related technology to customers, vendors, and consumers by defining the terms of use of the software without implicating the "first sale doctrine" of the Copyright Act. While shrink-wrap and click-wrap licenses have become essential to the software industry and the new economy as a whole, the law applicable to such licenses has been unclear and unsettled. Courts have struggled to develop a coherent framework governing the validity and enforceability of …


Will A Lawsuit A Day Keep The Cyberdocs Away? Modern Theories Of Medical Malpractice As Applied To Cybermedicine, Ruth Ellen Smalley Jan 2001

Will A Lawsuit A Day Keep The Cyberdocs Away? Modern Theories Of Medical Malpractice As Applied To Cybermedicine, Ruth Ellen Smalley

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Rivaled only by lawyers, those who earn their livelihood by practicing medicine are viewed by many as America's Public Enemy No. 1. This perception is due to the rising cost of medicine, the over-scheduling of patients, and the poor bedside manner that many people associate with a trip to the doctor's office. However, the advent of the Internet and its proliferation into schools, offices, and homes has placed medical opinions only a mouse click away. Websites, such as cyberdocs.com, allow patients to type in a description of their ailments and receive diagnoses and treatment advice from an on-line medical professional …


Remarks On The Background And Development Of Ucita, Carlyle Ring Jan 2001

Remarks On The Background And Development Of Ucita, Carlyle Ring

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

It's a real pleasure to be here. My formal name as introduced is Carlyle Ring, but as Barbara Beach who was assistant city attorney when I sat on the City Council for Alexandria, knows well, everybody calls me Connie. And so please address me by my nickname: Connie.


Ucita And The Virginia General Assembly, Joe T. May Jan 2001

Ucita And The Virginia General Assembly, Joe T. May

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The outline for Joe T. May's speech.


Letter From The Editor, Paul A. Fritzinger Jan 2001

Letter From The Editor, Paul A. Fritzinger

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Over the last few years, the problems attendant to software licensing regulation have occupied an important position in the minds of legislators at the federal, state and local levels. In the early nineties, the National Conference of Commissioners for Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) recognized the potential for licensing problems presented by the use of computer software in the national arena as well as on the Internet and saw a clear need for regulations that would transcend state boundaries. In 1999, as a result of years of planning and careful drafting, NCCUSL promulgated the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) in …


Remarks On The Background And Development Of Ucita, Joe T. May Jan 2001

Remarks On The Background And Development Of Ucita, Joe T. May

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

I'm Delegate Joe May, and I represent the 33rd House of Delegates District which is far Northern Virginia. I should tell you before we start I'm not an attorney by profession. I'm an electrical engineer with grease under the fingernails to prove it. In fact, I own an electronic manufacturing and engineering firm. And to paraphrase Polonius, I am neither a borrower nor lender of software. I do purchase some, we do sell some. So hopefully my perspective is a little more balanced than it might first appear. I'm going to talk today about the chronology of events that led …


Ucita: Still Crazy After All These Years, And Still Not Ready For Prime Time, James S. Heller Jan 2001

Ucita: Still Crazy After All These Years, And Still Not Ready For Prime Time, James S. Heller

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

In July, 1999, the General Counsels, Vice Presidents, and other senior officers of major information industry technology companies (including Adobe Systems, Intuit, SilverPlatter, Lotus, Novell, and Microsoft), wrote to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) urging adoption of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) at the then imminent NCCUSL meeting in Denver. The executives wrote that they supported UCITA because "it is true to three commercial principles: commerce should be free to flourish in the electronic age; rules should support use of new (in this case electronic) technologies; marketplace forces should determine the form of …


Remarks On Ucita In Practice: Attorney Views, Richard Grier Jan 2001

Remarks On Ucita In Practice: Attorney Views, Richard Grier

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

I agreed to talk about the default sections, which I'm going to talk about in just a minute. I learned this morning by listening to Mr. Ring, the default sections take up two-thirds of the Act. And I didn't realize that when I agreed to take up the default sections, but actually that's okay because the other thing I found during the day is that practically every other speaker you have heard has talked about default sections. Most of what I have to tell you, you've heard a little piece of already. What's different, though, is that I want to …


Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act: Bringing Commercial Law Into The 21st Century, Richard L. Grier, Nancyellen Keane, Peter A. Gilbert Jan 2001

Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act: Bringing Commercial Law Into The 21st Century, Richard L. Grier, Nancyellen Keane, Peter A. Gilbert

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The e-commerce revolution has redefined the way business is transacted everywhere. Meanwhile, the body of commercial law lags behind the fast pace of technological changes and has yet to effectively address the numerous issues presented by radical changes in the world of commerce such as electronic contracts, electronic signatures, shrinkwrap agreements, and click-wrap agreements. In an effort to establish the Commonwealth of Virginia as a national leader on this subject, in 2000 the Virginia General Assembly passed the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act ("UCITA"). UCITA legislation has been introduced in a handful of other states but the only other state …


Letter From The Editor, Dharmesh Vashee Jan 2001

Letter From The Editor, Dharmesh Vashee

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Welcome to the fourth and final issue of The Richmond Journal of Law & Technology's seventh volume! As we close the year, I am proud to report that, in 2000-01, The Journal has experienced unprecedented growth and increased recognition. Our articles are now read by over 33,000 people in 70 countries around the world. Over the past year, our articles have also been cited in a number of cases and used in university classrooms. Further, our CLE symposium, held on March 2, 2001, was a tremendous success, drawing 90 practitioners from across the state.


Letter From The Editor, Paul A. Fritzinger Jan 2001

Letter From The Editor, Paul A. Fritzinger

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Welcome to Volume 8, Issue 2 of the Journal. In this issue, the authors address three very diverse topics of national and international significance: the liability of internet service providers for copyright infringement, the taxation of e-commerce, and the applicability of the fair use doctrine to instant messaging software. Each of these topics deals with issues that can, and ultimately will, have widespread effects on the use and growth of the Internet.


Remarks On Ucita In Practice: Attorney Views, Carla Stone Witzel Jan 2001

Remarks On Ucita In Practice: Attorney Views, Carla Stone Witzel

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Well, UCITA has been in effect since October 1, 2000, and I am here today telling you about it in Maryland. Maryland adopted it after Virginia, but [Virginia] has a delayed effective date. The law has been effective, and in fact we are busy fixing it or changing it at this moment in the Maryland legislature. We had the privilege to work for a coalition of software companies lobbying this legislation through the Maryland legislature. We were assisted just a little bit by the Governor and the Speaker of the House. So we've been working with the law probably longer …


United States V. Hubbell: Encryption And The Discovery Of Documents, Greg Sergienko Jan 2001

United States V. Hubbell: Encryption And The Discovery Of Documents, Greg Sergienko

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Five years ago, in a contribution to these pages, I suggested that the Supreme Court's oldest precedents and the original intent of the framers of the Constitution precluded the use of evidence produced under a grant of immunity against the producer, even though the material produced included documents that the producer had not been compelled to write. This implied that information concealed with a cryptographic key could not be used in a criminal prosecution against someone from whom the key had been obtained under a grant of immunity.



The Y2k Problem: Proposed Statute To Guide Triers Of Fact In Determinations Of Negligence, William D. Horgan Jan 2000

The Y2k Problem: Proposed Statute To Guide Triers Of Fact In Determinations Of Negligence, William D. Horgan

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Following the coming new year, the Y2K Problem will create problems worldwide. While the exact extent of its harm is open to debate, there is no disagreement over its inevitability. In fact, some computer-related companies (including the makers of Norton Anti-Virus and Quicken for Windows have already been sued for damages arising from allegedly non-Y2K-compliant products. While various actors at all levels of business and government will be subject to legal liability for such malfunctions, this article will examine the legal liability of software producers and engineers under current remedial theories. Software manufacturers are a logical choice for this examination …


Ucita: The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act, Michael J. Lockerby Jan 2000

Ucita: The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act, Michael J. Lockerby

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

From the heated rhetoric of both proponents and opponents of UCITA, one would think that UCITA represented a radical change from current law. From the standpoint of this practitioner, however, UCITA represents more of an evolutionary than a revolutionary change in the law. In at least three critical areas, the enforceability of "paperless contracts," dispute resolution, and "self-help" remedies, UCITA is arguably consistent with current law or at least the trend of current law. Indeed, the main inconsistency between UCITA and current law is that current law is at times inconsistent. From the standpoint of most businesses, certainty is preferable …


From The Back Office To The Front Lines Oss: Potential Land Mines On The Front Lines, Mark A. Keffer Jan 2000

From The Back Office To The Front Lines Oss: Potential Land Mines On The Front Lines, Mark A. Keffer

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Telecommunications Act of 1996 struck a bargain that allowed Bell Atlantic and the other Regional Bell Operating Companies ("RBOCs") to gain entry into the long distance business by opening their monopoly local exchange markets to meaningful competition. A key aspect of the market-opening process is that the RBOCs, as well as generally all Incumbent Local Exchange Carriers ("ILECs") are required to provide new Competitive Local Exchange Carriers ("CLECs") access to the Operations Support Systems ("OSS"). The incumbents use OSS to serve their customers at quality levels equal to what the incumbent provides to itself.


The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (Ucita): Still Not Ready For Prime Time, James S. Heller Jan 2000

The Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (Ucita): Still Not Ready For Prime Time, James S. Heller

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

In July, 1999, the General Counsels, Vice Presidents, and other senior officers of major information industry technology companies (including Adobe Systems, Intuit, Silver Platter, Lotus, and Microsoft) wrote to the National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws (NCCUSL) urging adoption of the Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act (UCITA) at the then imminent NCCUSL meeting in Denver. The executives supported the adoption of UCITA because it is true to three commercial principles: commerce should be free to flourish in the electronic age, rules should support use of new (in this case electronic) technologies, and marketplace forces should determine the form …


Products Liability In The New Millennium: Products Liability And The Y2k Crisis, Philip J. Landau Jan 1999

Products Liability In The New Millennium: Products Liability And The Y2k Crisis, Philip J. Landau

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Imagine the following scenario. It's December 31, 1999 and two minutes until midnight. The champagne has just been poured and everyone is joyfully preparing to welcome in the new millennium. The clock ticks and the countdown begins. While millions of New Yorkers push and shove, millions more gather around television sets to catch a glimpse of the famous "ball" as it begins its descent in Times Square. Five . . . Four . . . Three . . . Two . . . One . . . "Happy New Year!!!" Little does the crowd know, that as they disperse and …


Database Protection In A Digital World, Mary Maureen Brown, Robert M. Bryan, John M. Conley Jan 1999

Database Protection In A Digital World, Mary Maureen Brown, Robert M. Bryan, John M. Conley

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Digital Property and the Digital Marketplace Expenditures in the information technology arena indicate that digital property - defined as digitized information and the tools to use it - is generating astonishing wealth. Globally, expenditures in the information and communication technology markets exceed $1.8 trillion annually and comprise six percent (6%) of aggregate global Gross Domestic Product ("GDP"). By 1997, such expenditures had escalated forty percent (40%) over 1992 levels. Current spending on information and communication technologies is growing twenty-seven percent (27%) faster than the overall worldwide GDP, averaging roughly 5.5 percent annually. Technological innovations have become the primary engine of …


Are We Ready For Mediation In Cyberspace?, Joel B. Eisen Jan 1998

Are We Ready For Mediation In Cyberspace?, Joel B. Eisen

Law Faculty Publications

In Part I, I provide a brief model of a hypothetical multiparty environmental mediation proceeding. I describe limits on environmental mediation common to both the online and offline settings, and provide a model for analysis of the hypothetical proceeding. In Parts II and III, I consider limits on online mediation's potential that derive from the electronic character of the proceeding. In Part II, I discuss challenges for online mediation and conclude that such mediation, particularly complex proceedings such as environmental disputes, should be deferred for the time being. In Part III, I discuss additional concerns about the flow of communication …


The De Minimis Exemption Of Stored Value Cards From Regulation E: An Invitation To Fraud., Sean M. O'Connor Jan 1998

The De Minimis Exemption Of Stored Value Cards From Regulation E: An Invitation To Fraud., Sean M. O'Connor

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

How valuable is $100? To a student? To a single unemployed parent? To a well-compensated professional? The Federal Reserve Board apparently believes that the potential loss of $100 is not a tremendous burden on anyone. In a recently proposed rule, the Board exempts stored value cards that contain less than $100 from the same regulations that protect consumers from most types of fraud associated with ATM, debit, and credit cards. Regulation E (Reg E) currently regulates the electronic funds transfers (EFTs) that are at the heart of ATM/debit/credit card transactions by requiring printed receipts, error resolution procedures, periodic statements, initial …


A Brave New World Of Free Speech: Should Interactive Computer Service Providers Be Held Liable For The Information They Disseminate?, Sarah Becket Boehm Jan 1998

A Brave New World Of Free Speech: Should Interactive Computer Service Providers Be Held Liable For The Information They Disseminate?, Sarah Becket Boehm

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Millions of people worldwide use online services to communicate via e-mail; to post and read messages on bulletin boards; to receive news, financial information and updated sports scores; and to gather information. Nearly anyone with access to the Internet can post information without having the facts verified or the content edited, so it is extremely likely that if they post defamatory material, it can find its way around the world in a matter of minutes. Due to the anonymous nature of the Internet, the author of the defamatory material may never be discovered. Assuming the author cannot be traced, the …


Obtaining And Enforcing Trade Dress For Computer Graphical User Interfaces - A Practitioner's Guide, John P. Musone Jan 1997

Obtaining And Enforcing Trade Dress For Computer Graphical User Interfaces - A Practitioner's Guide, John P. Musone

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

A computer program that successfully incorporates an intuitive graphical user interface possesses a tremendous competitive advantage over its competitors. Interface development accordingly has become a critical aspect of software development. Without legal protection, however, this advantage is illusory as competitors are otherwise free to copy unprotected interface features. Interface creators have predominately used copyright law to protect the overall "look and feel" of their interfaces. However, copyright protection for interfaces increasingly appears to be the exception rather than the rule.


Arizona V. Evans: Adapting The Exculsionary Rule To Advancing Computer Technology, C. Maureen Stinger Jan 1996

Arizona V. Evans: Adapting The Exculsionary Rule To Advancing Computer Technology, C. Maureen Stinger

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Fourth Amendment to the Constitution protects people from illegal search and seizure: The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized. The exclusion of evidence obtained from such an illegal search, known as the exclusionary rule, is purported to sanction unconstitutional police conduct by prohibiting illegally seized evidence from being admitted into court. The …


Accidents On The Information Superhighway: On-Line Liability And Regulation, Marc L. Caden, Stephanie E. Lucas Jan 1996

Accidents On The Information Superhighway: On-Line Liability And Regulation, Marc L. Caden, Stephanie E. Lucas

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

In one way or another, the Internet has affected or will affect our lives in a profound fashion. The Internet has fundamentally changed the way society works and plays by providing an inexpensive medium to obtain information and communicate with others. The current generation of children will be educated through computer communication, rather than from the confines of a dusty library with outdated books. However, the benefits of rapid Internet development have also opened a Pandora's box of legal issues and concerns which merit careful consideration. With roots in over 160 countries, and without a centralized authority, many now consider …


Virginia's Response To Computer Abuses: An Act In Five Crimes, Daniel R. Burk Jan 1984

Virginia's Response To Computer Abuses: An Act In Five Crimes, Daniel R. Burk

University of Richmond Law Review

The threat depicted in War Games has been both rebuked as impossible and highlighted as much closer to the realm of possibility than even the creators of the movie may have surmised. Regardless of the actual possibility of a creative mind breaking through the security of the North America Air Defense Command computer with an auto-dialing modem and the simple password "JOSHUA" the adventures of the curious "hackers" and the singularly-directed criminal have been widely publicized and have captured both the fear and respect of computer owners throughout the country.