1. Top Ten Internet Legal Issues
For In-house Counsel
Brad Frazer
Hawley Troxell
208.388.4875
bfrazer@hawleytroxell.com

2. The Value Proposition
Why Should You Care?
• More and more company value is moving to the Internet
(information, e-commerce, sales).
• Internet assets are inherently “intellectual” in nature.
• “Brick and mortar” practices may not be adequate.
• Related benefit: Wealth Creation
B ad Fr azer
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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3. IP Overview
• Copyright – tangible content
• Trademarks – branding
– Domain names
• Patents – ideas
• Trade Secret – valuable confidential data
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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4. The Top Ten . . .
10. Internet Taxation
9. Internet Patents
8. Mobile Computing
7. SOPA and PROTECT IP Act
6. Legalities of the Cloud
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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5. The Top Ten . . . (cont’d)
5. Controlling Content on Web
4. Social Media and Privacy
3. Insurance
2. .xxx gTLDs and Cybersquatting
1. “Dotbrand” gTLDs
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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6. Internet Taxation
• Marketplace Fairness Act (S.1832 IS)
• Introduced November 10, 2011
• Authorizes member states under Streamlined Sales
and Use Tax Agreement (the multistate agreement for
the administration and collection of sales and use
taxes adopted on November 12, 2002) to require all
sellers not qualifying for a small-seller exception
(sellers with annual gross receipts in total U.S. remote
sales of less than $500,000) to collect and remit sales
and use taxes with respect to remote sales.
B ad Fr azer
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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7. Internet Patents
• America Invents Act
• America becomes first-to-file
• Loss of one-year grace period
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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8. Mobile Computing
• Security
• Warranty and contract modifications
• Defamation, etc.
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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9. SOPA and PROTECT IP Act
• SOPA: Stop Online Piracy Act (H.R.3261) introduced
in House the on October 26, 2011.
• PROTECT IP Act: Preventing Real Online Threats to
Economic Creativity and Theft of Intellectual Property
Act of 2011 (S.968) is a proposed law with the stated
goal of giving the US government and copyright
holders additional tools to curb access to "rogue
websites dedicated to infringing or counterfeit goods",
especially those registered outside the U.S. The bill
was introduced on May 12, 2011.
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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10. Legalities of the Cloud
• Data Security and Data Breach laws; Data Retention
• Privacy
• Liability Issues (who’s at fault in the cloud?)
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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11. Controlling Content on Web
• In-bound implications
– Click-wrap purgatory
– P2P liability
• Out-bound implications
– DMCA
– DRM
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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12. Social Media and Privacy
• “Facebook firings”
• How are you being viewed and by whom? (Remember
CDA)
• Hiring practices?
• SoMe Policy?
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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13. Insurance
• Cyberinsurance
• Versus “advertising injury”
• Typically, arises in IP context
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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14. .xxx gTLDs and Cybersquatting
• Proactive mandate
• International trademark implications
• Trademark registration implications
• “[mybrand]sucks.com”
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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15. “Dotbrand” gTLDs
• Global implications
• Race to register
• UDRP as a last resort?
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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16. Intersection of IP and the Internet:
Your Website
An Informal IP Audit:
Copyright – web content, text, pictures, music, html,
software downloads, video, written assignments
Trademark –“My company sells _______-brand goods
and services.”
Domain Names – Do you own
“[mycompany]sucks.com?”
Related Issues – Website policies? Spam? Cookies?
B ad Fr azer
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
l

17. Intersection of IP and the Internet:
Your Website
Moral:
“Your web presence introduces your company to the
world. You built that presence – you should
identify, protect and defend what you’ve built.”
B ad Fr azer
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bf r azer @haw eyt r oxel l .com
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18. Brad Frazer
bfrazer@hawleytroxell.com
208.388.4875
@bfrazjd
internetlawyer.blogspot.com
www.hawleytroxell.com