Internet Law Commons^™

A Conceptual Framework For The Regulation Of Cryptocurrencies, Omri Y. Marian

UF Law Faculty Publications

This Essay proposes a conceptual framework for the regulation of transactions involving cryptocurrencies. Cryptocurrencies offer tremendous opportunities for innovation and development but are also uniquely suited to facilitate illicit behavior. The regulatory framework suggested herein is intended to support (or at least not impair) cryptocurrencies’ innovative potential. At the same time, it aims to disrupt cryptocurrencies’ criminal utility. To achieve these purposes, this Essay proposes a regulatory framework that imposes costs on the characteristics of cryptocurrencies that make them especially useful for criminal behavior (in particular, anonymity) but does not impose costs on characteristics that are at the core of …

Furtive Encryption: Power, Trusts, And The Constitutional Cost Of Collective Surveillance, Jeffrey L. Vagle

Indiana Law Journal

Recent revelations of heretofore secret U.S. government surveillance programs have sparked national conversations about their constitutionality and the delicate balance between security and civil liberties in a constitutional democracy. Among the revealed policies asserted by the National Security Agency (NSA) is a provision found in the “minimization procedures” required under section 702 of the Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Act of 1978. This provision allows the NSA to collect and keep indefinitely any encrypted information collected from domestic communications—including the communications of U.S. citizens. That is, according to the U.S. government, the mere fact that a U.S. citizen has encrypted her electronic …

On Designation Of North Korea As A State Sponsor Of Cyberterrorism, Justin L. Koplow

SMU Science and Technology Law Review

No abstract provided.

Dear Yahoo: A Comment On In Re Yahoo Mail Litigation, Nareen Melkonian

Loyola of Los Angeles Law Review

No abstract provided.

The Cycles Of Global Telecommunication Censorship And Surveillance, Jonathon Penney

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Internet censorship and surveillance is on the rise globally and cyber-warfare increasing in scope and intensity. To help understand these new threats commentators have grasped at historical analogies often with little regard for historical complexity or international perspective. Unfortunately, helpful new works on telecommunications history have focused primarily on U.S. history with little focus on international developments. There is thus a need for further internationally oriented investigation of telecommunications technologies, and their history. This essay attempts to help fill that void, drawing on case studies wherein global telecommunications technologies have been disrupted or censored — telegram censorship and surveillance, high …

The Cycles Of Global Telecommunication Censorship And Surveillance, Jonathon Penney

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

Internet censorship and surveillance is on the rise globally and cyber-warfare increasing in scope and intensity. To help understand these new threats commentators have grasped at historical analogies often with little regard for historical complexity or international perspective. Unfortunately, helpful new works on telecommunications history have focused primarily on U.S. history with little focus on international developments. There is thus a need for further internationally oriented investigation of telecommunications technologies, and their history. This essay attempts to help fill that void, drawing on case studies wherein global telecommunications technologies have been disrupted or censored — telegram censorship and surveillance, high …

Law As An Ally Or Enemy In The War On Cyberbullying: Exploring The Contested Terrain Of Privacy And Other Legal Concepts In The Age Of Technology And Social Media, A. Wayne Mackay

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

This article focuses on the role and limits of law as a response to cyberbullying. The problem of cyberbullying engages many of our most fundamental legal concepts and provides an interesting case study. Even when there is general agreement that the problem merits a legal response, there are significant debates about what that response should be. Which level and what branch of government can and should best respond? What is the most appropriate legal process for pursuing cyberbullies—traditional legal avenues or more creative restorative approaches? How should the rights and responsibilities of perpetrators, victims and even bystanders be balanced? Among …

Trust And Social Commerce, Julia Y. Lee

Faculty Scholarship

Internet commerce has transformed the marketing of goods and services. The separation between point of sale and seller, and the presence of geographically dispersed sellers who do not engage in repeated transactions with the same customers challenge traditional mechanisms for building the trust required for commercial exchanges. In this changing environment, legal rules and institutions play a diminished role in building trust. Instead, new systems and methods are emerging to foster trust in one-shot commercial transactions in cyberspace.

The Article focuses on the rise of “social commerce,” a socio-economic phenomenon centered on the use of social media and other modes …

Law As An Ally Or Enemy In The War On Cyberbullying: Exploring The Contested Terrain Of Privacy And Other Legal Concepts In The Age Of Technology And Social Media, A. Wayne Mackay

Articles, Book Chapters, & Popular Press

This article focuses on the role and limits of law as a response to cyberbullying. The problem of cyberbullying engages many of our most fundamental legal concepts and provides an interesting case study. Even when there is general agreement that the problem merits a legal response, there are significant debates about what that response should be. Which level and what branch of government can and should best respond? What is the most appropriate legal process for pursuing cyberbullies—traditional legal avenues or more creative restorative approaches? How should the rights and responsibilities of perpetrators, victims and even bystanders be balanced? Among …

An Uneasy Balance: Personal Information And Crowdfunding Under The Jobs Act, Brice Kindred

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

“Crowdfunding” is the raising of small amounts of money from many different sources for a particular purpose. Today, this usually takes place online.2 Crowdfunding has become a popular means of raising funds for a wide variety of projects, causes, and business ventures. Websites like Kickstarter, Indiegogo, and Crowdfunder allow people to create a profile for their project and solicit contributions from the general public in support.

Merger And Acquisition Due Diligence: A Proposed Framework To Incorporate Data Privacy, Information Security, E-Discovery, And Information Governance Into Due Diligence Practices, James A. Sherer, Taylor M. Hoffman, Eugenio E. Ortiz

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Merger and Acquisition or “M&A” deals are both figuratively and literally big business, where the stakes for the organization are often the highest. While casual observers might expect that the importance attached to these deals makes each new deal the vanguard for incorporating metrics and practices regarding every efficiency and contingency, existing research demonstrates that this is decidedly not the case.

The Internet Of Things And Wearable Technology: Addressing Privacy And Security Concerns Without Derailing Innovation, Adam D. Thierer

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The next great wave of Internet-enabled innovation has arrived, and it is poised to revolutionize the way humans interact with the world around them. This paper highlights some of the opportunities presented by the rise of the so-called Internet of Things (IoT) in general and wearable technology in particular and encourages policymakers to allow these technologies to develop in a relatively unabated fashion.

Cover Letter, Catherine Meade Gray

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present its third issue of the Twenty-First Volume, our Annual Survey. This issue is published in conjunction with JOLT’s Symposium, “Who’s Looking At Your Mobile Device? Data Security, Personal Privacy, and Information Governance in the Wireless World.” As one of the leading publications in the legal technology field, JOLT has the privilege of publishing articles that address topics at the forefront of the law. From the Journal’s inception in 1995, JOLT has strived to be a step ahead of these laws in an effort to help shape the …

Beyond Technophobia: Lawyers’ Ethical And Legal Obligations To Monitor Evolving Technology And Security Risks, Timothy J. Toohey

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

Lawyers and technology have an uneasy relationship. Although some lawyers are early adapters, others take pride in ignoring technology because they believe it is alien to the practice of law. As Jody R. Westby observed, lawyers confronted with technology and security issues tend to have their “eyes glaze over” and “want to call in their ‘IT guy’ and go back to work.” But this technophobic attitude may no longer just be harmless conservatism. In the world of growing security risks, ignorance of technology may lead to violations of lawyers’ fundamental ethical duties of competence and confidentiality.

The Supreme Court Performs The Right Notes For Dish In Aereo, Lee B. Burgunder

Vanderbilt Journal of Entertainment & Technology Law

In American Broadcasting Companies, Inc. v. Aereo, Inc., the Supreme Court addressed whether a company publicly performs copyrighted works when it allocates separate antennas on its property to customers who individually decide what shows they each want to watch. This case was hotly debated because it provided a new opportunity for the Court to identify the responsible actors when copyrighted materials are transmitted over the Internet. Unfortunately, the Court ruled against Aereo without clearly articulating governing standards that might inform future decisions, relying instead on what the dissent called a "looks-like-cable-TV" approach. The deficiency has already provided additional ammunition for …

Law And Ethics Of Experiments On Social Media Users, James Grimmelmann

Cornell Law Faculty Publications

If you were on Facebook in January 2012, there is a chance that it tried to make you sad. If you were on OkCupid, there is a chance that it tried to match you up with someone incompatible. These were social psychology experiments: Facebook and OkCupid systematically manipulated people's environments to test their reactions. Academics doing similar experiments in a university setting would typically need to obtain informed consent from participants and approval from an Institutional Review Board (IRB). But Facebook and OkCupid, and the academics working with Facebook, had neither. This, I believe, is a problem.

These experiments offer …

Cover Letter, Laura M. Bedson

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present its second issue of the Twenty-First Volume. As one of the leading publications in the legal technology field, JOLT has the privilege of publishing articles that address topics at the forefront of the law. From the Journal’s inception in 1995, JOLT has strived to be a step ahead of these laws in an effort to help shape the emerging legal landscape. Additionally, JOLT recognizes the practical benefit that many of its articles have on legal professionals and we publish articles with this goal in mind. The following articles …

The Code-Based Interpretation Of Authorization: An Incomplete Picture, Nicholas R. Ulrich

Washington Journal of Law, Technology & Arts

The definition of authorization under the Stored Communications Act raises questions about implied authorization in situations where someone fails to secure an email account properly. The few cases that have addressed this issue under the federal act or its state equivalents have not created a bright-line rule. Instead, the question of authorization has been highly fact-dependent. Two leading interpretive theories have emerged on the question of authorization: the code-based theory and the trespass theory. While the code-based interpretation of authorization seems pleasing because it appears to provide highly predictive outcomes, it fails in some circumstances. This failure is especially obvious …

Total Eclipse Of The Tweet: How Social Media Restrictions On Student And Professional Athletes Affect Free Speech, Tehrim Umar

Jeffrey S. Moorad Sports Law Journal (1994 - )

No abstract provided.

A New Taxonomy For Online Harms, Kate Klonick

Faculty Publications

(Excerpt)

Bullying is generally understood among academics and educators as having to meet three criteria: (1) it must be verbal or physical aggression; (2) it must be repeated over time; and (3) it must involve a power differential. When talking about cyber bullying, the aggression is mostly verbal, using “threats, blackmail. . . gossip and rumors” and online personas or messages can be more cruel, vindictive and mean. Though cyber bullying typically describes acts between children, the same acts by adults could also be considered cyber harassment. Unlike harassment, however, bullying does not have a history of criminal liability—though all …

Defining Domain: Higher Education's Battles For Cyberspace, Jacob H. Rooksby

Law Faculty Publications

Juliet famously mused, “What’s in a name? that which we call a rose / By any other word would smell as sweet.” The same cannot be said for Internet domain names. One’s inability to own a specific domain name has delayed product launches, caused companies to change names, and led to disputes with alleged cybersquatters. The utility of domain names has led to a robust secondary market of buyers and sellers, where domain names that encompass generic words, or are comprised of very few letters or numbers, often change hands for hundreds of thousands of dollars, or more. In short, …

Danger In The Dmca Safe Harbors: The Need To Narrow What Constitutes Red Flag Knowledge, Hank Fisher

Law Student Publications

This comment considers recent cases interpreting the Digital Millennium Copyright Act ("DMCA") and urges Congress to expand the protection of service providers through the DMCA safe harbors. The comment proceeds in six parts. Part I explains contributory and vicarious liability, the applicable sections of the DMCA to this comment, and the fair use doctrine. Part II provides a brief overview of video-sharing websites. It further observes the impact that video-sharing websites have had on digital media, focusing on the impact on the music industry. Part III looks at the recent cases interpreting the DMCA's red flag exception to safe harbor …

The Nonfinancial Returns Of Crowdfunding, Andrew A. Schwartz

Publications

Securities crowdfunding — the sale of unregistered securities to the public over the Internet — has come under attack before it has even begun. Legal scholars in particular have expressed concern that investors will lose any money they invest in crowdfunding companies. Even assuming that this may be true from a purely financial perspective, these critics are missing an important point: Crowdfund investors with negative returns will not simply have lost their money, but rather they will have spent it (at least in part) on nonpecuniary benefits, including entertainment, political expression and community building. These nonfinancial returns of crowdfunding are …

Cyberharassment And Workplace Law, Helen Norton

Publications

No abstract provided.

The New Esi Sanctions Framework Under The Proposed Rule 37(E) Amendments, Philip J. Favro

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The debate over the necessity, substance, and form of the proposed e-Discovery amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (Rules) has been ongoing for over four years. Since the Duke Conference convened in May 2010, the Judicial Conference Advisory Committee on the Civil Rules (Committee) has been working to address many of the perceived shortcomings in the current Rules regime.

Cover Letter, Laura M. Bedson

Richmond Journal of Law & Technology

The Richmond Journal of Law and Technology is proud to present its fourth and final issue of the Twenty-First Volume. At its inception in 1995 JOLT became the first law review to be published exclusively online. From this moment on, the Journal has continued to set trends in the legal scholarship world. As one of the leading publications in the legal technology field, JOLT has the privilege of publishing articles that address topics at the forefront of the law. The articles in this fourth issue are no exception. Each of the following articles present exciting discussions on cutting-edge areas of …

The Internet Grows Up?, Neil M. Richards

Scholarship@WashULaw

Danielle Citron’s Hate Crimes in Cyberspace is one of the most important publications to date in the emerging fields of privacy and cyberlaw. In her thoughtful and insightful book, Citron explains the uneven playing field and frequently shocking acts of abuse that women face online, and demonstrates practical steps that we can take to remedy the problem of online hate through law, education, and the development of better, more inclusive norms. Other contributors to this Symposium have examined these contributions in great detail, pointing out important nuances of Citron’s argument, urging her in at least one case to be even …

More Harm Than Good? Why Schools Who Take A Zero-Tolerance Stance On Cyberbullying Cause More Problems Than Solutions, Sydney L. Brunecz

Journal of Law, Technology, & the Internet

"Cyberbullying has become an epidemic in today’s society. Cyberbullying has escalated so much that some victims commit suicide in order to escape their tormentors. Increased media coverage of these suicides has led the public to demand legislative action. Although no federal law exists, state legislation has been enacted to prevent bullying and cyberbullying. Most states delegate this task to public schools that respond by implementing zero- tolerance policies. Zero-tolerance policies against bullying and cyberbullying can impinge on many student rights, including speech protected by the First Amendment. Well intentioned zero tolerance policies may infringe on Constitutionally protected free speech, and …

The Fda Guidance Document For Medical Mobile Apps And Its Impact On Innovation: Bringing The Promise Of A New Way To Look At Medicine Closer, Or Pushing It Further?, Ioana Ciopraga

Journal of Law, Technology, & the Internet

"This Note critiques the guidance document released by the Food and Drug Administration (“FDA”) in connection with the medical mobile apps it intends to regulate and the regulations that govern medical mobile apps. Specifically, the main argument of this Note is that, while the document is clearly a step in the right direction, significantly more guidance, focused on the characteristics of this new field, such as the rapid change of mobile technology, and on the transformational impact on healthcare of health IT in general and mHealth in particular, should follow soon. Part I provides an overview of the guidance document, …

Piecemeal State Legislation: The Wrong Way To Divide The Internet Poker Pie?, Peter T. Busch

Cardozo Arts & Entertainment Law Journal

No abstract provided.