Internet Law Commons^™

The Developing Legal Infrastructure And The Globalization Of Information: Constructing A Framework For Critical Choices In The New Millennium Internet -- Character, Content And Confusion, Tomas A. Lipinski

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

This paper reviews recent attempts to extend traditional property rights and other information controls and regulations into new media, such as cyberspace, primarily the World Wide Web. It reviews developments in copyright, trademark, trademark dilution, misappropriation, trespass, censorship, tort, privacy and other legal doctrines as they are reflected in recent United States case law and legislation, and to a lesser extent, in international agreements. Legal problems often arise because there is a conflict of viewpoints in how to best characterize space on the Internet, specifically the World Wide Web. Some argue that traditional ownership rights should apply, or perhaps a …

The Crime Of "Interruption Of Computer Services To Authorized Users" Have You Ever Heard Of It?, Jeff Nemerofsky

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The "interruption of computer services to authorized users," involves a violation of a series of federal and state computer-related crime laws which are designed to protect the authorized users of computer systems.Because most of these laws have only recently been legislated, and since few people have ever actually been charged with such violations, there is very little history or case law in this area. However, as computer-related crimes continue to escalate, these statutes could prove to be a positive force in efforts to catch the electronic criminals of the future. "Although there has never been accurate nationwide reporting of computer …

Opening Up To Open Source, Shawn W. Parker

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The latest "revolution" in the software industry has nothing to do with breakthrough technology; the revolution is a rethinking of how software technology is held, developed, and distributed. The revolution is called "open source," although it has also been called "freeware," and "copyleft." Each term generically describes the movement, yet implies wildly different ideas to the developers, distributors, and users inside the open source community. Open source is not a company, but rather, a community; projects are established and programmers communicate and contribute software building blocks to each other via the Internet. When a software program is completed by this …

Defamatory E-Mail And Employer Liability: Why Razing Zeran V. America Online Is A Good Thing, Michael H. Spencer

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Electronic mail ("e-mail") has taken its place as an integral part of communication in modern society. Unlike other forms of communication, e-mail can cheaply and efficiently be placed in a public domain for literally the world to see. These public areas, otherwise known as bulletin boards, have expanded society's ability to communicate over vast distances. Individuals or groups can also engage in mass communication, which involves a myriad of topics and concerns. Nevertheless, such electronic communications, as almost any other form of communication, can become volatile and create animosity among users. Hence, many of the remarks made in such exchanges …

The Development Of Arbitration In The Resolution Of Internet Domain Name Disputes, Christopher S. Lee

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Web surfers who use the AltaVista Internet search engine may not realize that in 1998, Compaq Computer Corporation paid $3.3 million for the rights to the domain name AltaVista.com. A year later, eCompanies paid $7.5 million for the domain name business.com. And in February of 2000, Bank of America paid $3 million for the domain name loans.com. These transactions demonstrate that the ownership, transfer, and control of Internet domain names is a multi-million dollar industry.

Internet Taxes: Congressional Efforts To Control States' Ability To Tax The World Wide Web, Kevin J. Smith

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Every year, increasingly more people use the Internet to purchase goods and services. Internet purchases are expected to exceed $20 billion per year in the near future. By the year 2003, industry experts predict Internet purchases by businesses alone will reach $1.3 trillion. Presently, the majority of Internet sales transactions flow through business to business sites. Internet purchases by consumers are expected to reach $144 billion by the year 2003.

Riaa V. Diamond Multimedia Systems: The Recording Industry Attempts To Slow The Mp3 Revolution, Taking Aim At The Jogger Friendly Diamond Rio, Stephen W. Webb

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The music industry may never be the same again. In recent years, the recording industry has faced an onslaught of advances resulting from digital technology. The record industry has battled the manufacturing and import industries over digital home recording since the 1980's. Digital technology initially manifested itself with the compact disc ("CD") and the digital audio tape ("DAT") in the early 1980's and generated greater tensions between the recording, electronics, and computer industries.

Update: Riaa V. Diamond Multimedia Systems - Napster And Mp3.Com, Jayne A. Pemberton A. Pemberton

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

After the Recording Industry Association of America's ("RIAA") attack on the Diamond Rio proved unsuccessful, the music industry turned its attention to the companies enabling reproduction of copyrighted music. Two important cases appeared after the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit held that Diamond Rio was not infringing on copyrights. These cases, A&M Records, Inc. et al. v. Napster, Inc. and UMG, Inc., et. al. v. MP3.com, Inc., will shape computer technology's effect on American copyright law. This update will discuss these two cases and give brief overviews of the courts' findings and conclusions. These findings will …

Symposium Presentation: Doing Internet Co-Branding Agreements, Eric Goldman

Faculty Publications

Co-brand agreements are what I do. I am the self-titled "King of CoBrands," as this is what I've been doing with my life.

So, let's talk a little about co-branding agreements and about why they might matter. First let's define our terms.

Now, where there used to be one site, the provider site, there will be two sites, the provider site and co-branded site, which contains the branding of the portal, but contains all the same functionality, or similar functionality, as is in the provider's site.

Then the portal will drive traffic to this co-branding site, for purposes that we'll …

Understanding Internet Co-Branding Deals, Eric Goldman, Candice Lee

Faculty Publications

The Internet has spawned new business practices regarding the ways users access and obtain information and services. Because linking can create a network of web pages that appear integrated and seamless to users, many Internet companies enter what are known as co-branding relationships. This article addresses a common type of co-branding relationship in which a "provider" maintains a set of pages ("the co-branded site") that looks and feels like the "brander's" web site. The co-branded site is promoted on the brander's web site through linking.

How To Can Spam, Gary Miller

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

Receiving unsolicited commercial email, also known as "Spam," is like receiving junk mail, postage due. Spam shifts the cost of advertising from the advertiser to the consumer. This imposes enormous costs on Internet Service Providers (ISPs) and their customers. The Spam problem cries out for a legislative solution, and that is why I introduced H.R. 2162, the "Can Spam Act." The source of the Spam moniker for unsolicited commercial e-mail is apparently attributed to an annoying song in a Monty Python skit. In the skit, actors dressed like Vikings sing the word "Spam" over and over again, becoming louder and …

The Internet And Public International Law, John M. Rogers

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

It is perhaps commonplace to observe that recent developments in information technology are revolutionizing most aspects of our lives. Anything that affects our lives so profoundly will, of necessity, have a significant effect on the law. We can expect that the information revolution will have a comparably significant impact on the international system of binding obligations often called public international law. Just what that will be is of course extremely difficult to predict. Compounding that difficulty is the lack of consensus on just what actually amounts to the public international legal system. Scholars and lawyers still debate fundamental questions regarding …

Computer Network Trespasses: Solving New Problems With Old Solutions, Susan M. Ballantine

Washington and Lee Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Marketplace Of Ideas In Cyberspace, Margaret Chon

Faculty Articles

In the Panel Discussion on The Marketplace Of Ideas In Cyberspace at the 1999-2000 Oliver Wendell Holmes Symposium And Lectureship At Mercer University, Professor Margaret Chon discusses censorship and hate speech on the internet. Professor Chon questions the exporting of our First Amendment jurisprudence in this particular area, since we are the only democratic country to speak of, that protects what we've been referring to as hate speech.

Internet Gambling: Is It Worth The Risk, James R. Hobbs

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Internet Gambling Policy: Prohibition Versus Regulation, Theresa E. Loscalzo

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Gambling And The Law: The Future Of Internet Gambling, I. Nelson Rose

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Web Word War (Www): A New Approach To Trademark Infringement And Unfair Competition Claims Under The Lanham Act In Brookfield Communications, Inc. V. West Coast Entertainment Corp., Melissa M. Mcgann

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

Parental Liability And The Criminal Misconduct Of Children In The Wake Of An Unregulated Internet: Who Should Pay?, Katherine R. Richardson

Cardozo Journal of Equal Rights & Social Justice

The note examines the legal and practical challenges of holding parents accountable for their children's criminal acts, particularly when influenced by internet content. It questions the effectiveness of parental liability laws and highlights the tension between child protection, parental rights, and internet regulation. While acknowledging the complexity of these issues, the note suggests that parental liability should only apply when a clear causal link exists between negligence and harm, though proving such a link is legally challenging. Ultimately, the analysis advocates for a nuanced approach to balancing these competing interests.

The Establishment Of A U.S. Federal Data Protection Agency To Define And Regulate Internet Privacy And Its Impact On U.S.-China Relations: Marco Polo Where Are You?, Omar Saleem

Journal Publications

Marco Polo's desire to explore new worlds and exchange both ideas and goods should be the impetus behind the Internet. The Internet is the global economic network of the new millennium. This Article first discusses the factors that have caused both the reevaluation of Western notions of privacy, and consideration of the establishment of a Federal Data Protections Agency. Next, the article discusses the EU's approach to regulating Internet privacy. This section is followed by a discussion of why the U.S. and EU approaches to Internet privacy regulation must be implemented from a global, or MarcoPolo-like perspective. The article then …

Y2k …Who Cares? We Have Bigger Problems: Choice Of Law In Electronic Contracts, Aristotle G. Mirzaian

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Every day it becomes more certain that the Internet will take its place alongside the other great transformational technologies that first challenged, and then fundamentally changed, the way things are done in the world.

You Can't Always Get What You Want: Government's Good Intentions V. The First Amendment's Prescribed Freedoms In Protecting Children From Sexually-Explicit Material On The Internet, Abbigale E. Bricker

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Once a small and diverse community of a handful of government computers, the Internet has expanded to an estimated 157 million users worldwide. According to current studies, the fastest growing user populations on the Internet are thirteen to eighteen year-olds and five to twelve year-olds. In addition, the latest "research . . . predicts that the number of children online [will increase] by 155% between 1998 and 2002."

Letter From The Editor, Lisa Taylor Hudson, Dharmesh S. Vashee

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Welcome to the fifth issue of The Richmond Journal of Law & Technology! This issue represents a watershed experience for JOLT, as this is the first time we have published more than three issues in a single year! The timing of this issue's publication is also significant because on April 5, 2000, we will celebrate the fifth birthday of our journal. As the oldest exclusively online law review in the U.S., we continue to enjoy our leadership role in the publication of academic pieces dedicated to the marriage of law and technology.

Metatags: Seeking To Evade User Detection And The Lanham Act, Terrell W. Mills

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

You hop on the World Wide Web ready to do some Internet surfing. You decide to check the scores from last night's football game. You head to your favorite search engine and then pause . . . "where will the scores be" you ask yourself. You decide upon ESPN, because you know they have it all when it comes to sports. So, you type in ESPN and click on the "SEARCH" button. You eagerly await the return of the results to head out to the ESPN homepage to find out if your alma mater beat the in-state rival in the …

Using The Digital Millennium Copyright Act To Limit Potential Copyright Liability Online, Jonathan A. Friedman, Francis M. Buono

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Any online service provider ("OSP"), including a website operator, that accepts user postings or includes content from other parties on its website or online service is at risk that it will be held liable if such third-party content infringes the copyright of another party. Liability for copyright infringement is an expensive proposition and can run into the millions of dollars. Thus, an OSP must be vigilant in limiting its potential liability in connection with such third-party content.

Opening Remarks At The Ninth Annual Austin Owen Symposium, John Plunkett

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Let me say it's a pleasure to be here. It's both a privilege and a pleasure to have the opportunity to speak with you on topics certainly near and dear to my heart having to do with technology. It is a pleasure for me to welcome you to the 9th Annual Austin Owen Lecture, and to welcome you to my alma mater. It's a pleasure for me to be back here on this campus almost weekly, participating in a variety of different activities.

E-Business, E-Commerce & The Law, John F. Rudin

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Advocates argue that UCITA (Uniform Computer Information Transactions Act) provides rules of the road for the technology highway much like the Uniform Commercial Code (UCC) has done with our commerce system for several decades. However, the UCC provides a level playing field where businesses and customers are aware of the rules prior to conducting business. Among its many shortcomings, UCITA lacks the notice and disclosure features of the UCC. A simple double click of a mouse with the cursor on an icon that reads "I accept" binds the customer to a contract that has not been reviewed prior to purchase. …

Silencing John Doe: Defamation And Discourse In Cyberspace, Lyrissa Lidsky

Faculty Publications

John Doe has become a popular defamation defendant as corporations and their officers bring defamation suits for statements made about them in Internet discussion fora. These new suits are not even arguably about recovering money damages but instead are brought for symbolic reasons — some worthy, some not so worthy. If the only consequence of these suits were that Internet users were held accountable for their speech, the suits would be an unalloyed good. However, these suits threaten to suppress legitimate criticism along with intentional and reckless falsehoods, and existing First Amendment law doctrines are not responsive to the threat …

Paradigm Changes In Telecommunications Regulation, Phil Weiser

Publications

No abstract provided.

The Wrong Tool For The Right Job: Are Commercial Websites Places Of Public Accommodation Under The Americans With Disabilities Act Of 1990?, Patrick Maroney

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

The text of the ADA does not support such an extension. The interpretative canons of "noscitur a sociis" and "ejusdem generis" dictate that "places of public accommodation" refer exclusively to physical facilities. The canons also sufficiently resolve any possible statutory ambiguities, thereby foreclosing the opportunity for contrary agency interpretations. Although the intentionally broad purpose and design of the ADA make the statute an attractive avenue for advocates of online expansion, that same purpose and design limit the ADA to physical facilities. This note addresses the issues in two parts. First, it presents the arguments just listed. Second, it recognizes the …