With the advent of virtual currency, consumers can now conduct entire transactions online without the burden of having to seek a common currency. Bitcoin has spread across the world as a popular form of this currency. In turn, transactions can now take place without switching from one form of currency…
In recent years, there has been an increase in cyber-attacks directed towards usernames and passwords for online banking accounts. Through these attacks, outside parties have been able to misuse banking information for fraudulent wire transfers. Hackers have starting using foreign accounts because it is more difficult to recover funds when…
The expansion of social media networks has helped connect people and ideas all over the world. However, it has also raised substantial privacy concerns as more people store personal information on the web. Congress has enacted legislation in an effort to circumvent the dangers associated with online networks–for example, the…
In recent years, electronic spam has become a public nuisance. In response, several states, including, but not limited to, California, have enacted statutes to prevent electronic spam. As with most legislation that deals with the constantly-changing nature of the web, these statutes struggle to define the extent of their application…
In general, both copyright and patent laws provide different levels of protection for computer software. Additionally, depending on the aspects of software that an owner wants to protect, these two areas of law will apply differently. Furthermore, securing a patent is a more rigorous process. However, a patent does provide…
On September 23, 2013, Governor Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 568 (“SB 568”) into law, which requires social media sites to permit children to permanently erase online posts. These websites, including, but not limited to, Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr, will have to provide options for users under the age of…
In a recent case, Petronas v. Godaddy.com, the Ninth Circuit held that “contributory cybersquatting” was not a valid theory for relief. This case addressed the issue of whether the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (“ACPA”) allows for secondary liability. What Are the Facts? Plaintiff, Petroliam Nasional Berhad (aka “Petronas”) is a…
In 2013, Edward Snowden, a former CIA employee, and National Security Agency (“NSA”) contractor, leaked top secret documents to the public. These documents detailed the NSA’s controversial electronic surveillance practices and procedures, sparking a debate about wiretapping and privacy laws. Snowden revealed that the government employed questionable electronic surveillance programs.…
In general, the federal government enforces privacy rights at the federal level and state governments regulate privacy standards at the state level. Depending on the area of privacy laws at issue, different government agencies have enforcement authority. For example, Office of the Attorney General, Federal Trade Commission, and Department of…
Class action lawsuits are a staple in the American court system. The notion that there is strength in numbers is shown in the extraordinarily large settlements that come from these cases. In recent years, there has been a significant increase in class action suits involving internet-based companies (e.g., Facebook, Google,…