In today’s world, most businesses use hashtags to boost their brand awareness and promote their products and services on social media platforms such as Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn. As the saying goes, “a picture is worth a thousand words”—posting a great photo of a product with the right #hashtag,…
Internet & Social Media Law Blog
The USPTO Looks to Nail Down the “Abstract Idea,” Among Other Things
On January 7, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office released new guidance for how patent examiners should evaluate patent-eligible subject matter under 35 U.S.C. § 101. In “Evaluating the Evaluation: Breaking Down New USPTO Guidance for Patent-Eligible Subject Matter,” colleagues Jack S. Barufka, Ngai Zhang, and Matthew W. Hindman examine…
Blockchain Goes Wall Street – New Issued Patent Covers Cryptocurrency Trading Platform
With bitcoin prices rising from the dead over the last few weeks (up nearly 25% from a December 14 low), there’s a degree of renewed excitement regarding blockchain and cryptocurrency. But as general public interest rises and falls, the steady process of creating useful applications and systems for distributed ledger…
News of Note for the Internet-Minded – 1/9/19 – Mostly Tales of Human Bias and Misbehavior
Thieves loot some Ethereum; chat apps and the IoT attract unwanted attention; AI detects viruses … and password sharing; and more … Not surprisingly, chat apps are effective tools for terror groups. (Rita Katz, Wired) If you like to worry—or if it’s your job—here are five emerging cyberthreats for the…
Artificial Intelligence and Money Laundering: Would AI Catch Marty Byrde?
In the popular Netflix series Ozark, money launderer Marty Byrde expends a lot of time and energy mitigating the risks that relate to his work, including his drug cartel client, a pair of farmers, the local pastor, and his own employee and her relatives—but financial regulators never appear to be…
The Dangers of Tweeting at the Intersection of Social Media and Securities Laws
In a time when information is increasingly shared through social media, companies—particularly publicly traded ones—must recognize and consider the potential legal ramifications that could arise from statements made by executives, board members, and/or other employees about the company on social media. Though the actions of a certain well-known technology entrepreneur…
Twibel Warfare: To Retweet or Not to Retweet Is Still the Question
Earlier this month, we discussed the ways in which companies should navigate negative critiques and reputation management in the Age of Social Media. One option includes the pursuit of litigation, often demonstrated through claims for defamation. This course of action can typically be found in the context of a negative…
News of Note for the Internet-Minded – 9/13/18 – Alexa the Witness, Copyright’s Taste Test and ToSDR
Algorithms behave pretty much as they are programmed to (for good and ill); augmented reality continues to seep into the auto industry; humans strive for immortality; and more … New website ToSDR summarizes and rates the terms from various service agreements. (Arielle Pardes, Wired) “Algorithmic bias” and the human factor…
Critics, Trolls and the Disgruntled Few: Reputation Management in the Age of Social Media
Managing reputation is tough when every person with a social media account is a potential critic with global reach. Organizations must contend with the concern that one negative social media posting could destroy hard-earned goodwill built up through years of thoughtful investments and interactions. While social media platforms allow for…
Model Behavior: Harnessing the Benefit of a Vendor’s AI Technology
“AI will most likely lead to the end of the world, but in the meantime, there’ll be great companies.” –Sam Altman Artificial intelligence (AI) is a controversial topic. It is easy to imagine a near future where AI solves some of our greatest problems and a relatively more distant…