A good marketing department knows how to generate product “buzz” by leveraging external influencers and promotions. The challenge for the company is to avoid being stung by the FTC’s recently published Endorsement Guides (the...more
7/16/2015
/ Celebrity Endorsements ,
Conflicts of Interest ,
Contests & Promotions ,
Disclosure ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Likes ,
Marketing ,
Online Endorsements ,
Social Media ,
Social Networks ,
Terms and Conditions ,
Truth in Advertising ,
Twitter
Most Kickstarter projects never reach the funding threshold, so funders never pay anything into the venture. However, as shown by recent enforcement action, agencies such as the FTC (Federal Trade Commission) have become...more
You may think there is no value in chasing domain name squatters because customers find your website through search engines, but consider squatters as internal and external security risks. A constantly evolving threat, there...more
6/24/2015
/ Cybersecurity ,
Cybersquatting ,
Domain Names ,
Email ,
Hackers ,
Phishing Scams ,
Scams ,
Trademarks ,
UDRP ,
Uniform Rapid Suspension ,
Websites
The Massachusetts Earned Sick Time Law (the “ESTL”) becomes effective next month, imposing significant obligations on all employers to provide up to 40 hours of earned sick time to Massachusetts employees. By July 1, 2015,...more
6/17/2015
/ Anti-Retaliation Provisions ,
Compliance ,
Earned Sick Time ,
Employee Benefits ,
Employee Rights ,
New Legislation ,
Notice Requirements ,
Paid Time Off (PTO) ,
Record Retention ,
Recordkeeping Requirements ,
Safe Harbors ,
Sick Pay
A federal appeals court has ruled that “features and functions” of software programs are not trade secrets, particularly when those with access are not required to sign confidentiality agreements. This ruling reinforces the...more
Effective July 1, 2015, many websites will be required to comply with Florida’s new True Origin of Digital Goods Act. This Act adds Florida to the growing list of states with laws aimed at achieving transparency in online...more
5/28/2015
/ Anti-Piracy ,
Audio Recording ,
Digital Downloads ,
Digital Goods ,
E-Commerce ,
Internet Service Providers (ISPs) ,
Mobile Apps ,
Popular ,
Radio Stations ,
Terms of Service ,
Transparency ,
Websites
In a recent case that will raise the stakes for companies involved in contentious administrative trademark proceedings, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the administrative tribunal, the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board...more