Showing 6 posts from November 2013.
Trade Secret Theft: Speed Date Sues Match.com for $6 million
Speed Date USA, Inc. is suing the online dating company Match.com for $5.65 million for allegedly breaching its contract and misappropriating trade secrets. In essence, the lawsuit claims that Match.com terminated the contract early and then breached its obligations to hold joint events. Match.com terminated the contract, according to the lawsuit, upon learning Speed Date's trade secrets. Match.com then allegedly began to run its own speed dating events without compensating Speed Date USA.
Trade secrets are commonly defined by state statues and generally consist of four elements for the information to constitute a trade secret. The elements of a trade secret are: (i) information; (ii) that has independent economic value; (iii) which is not generally known or readily available; and (iv) such information is subject to reasonable efforts to maintain its secrecy. Read More ›
Categories: E-Commerce, Intellectual Property, Trade Secrets
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The SEC Crowdfunding Proposed Regulations: Investor Maximum Investment Amount
As a reminder, under the JOBS Act, each investor is limited as to how much the investor can invest in an issuer (the company raising capital) using the crowdfunding exemption during a 12-month period of time. There were some ambiguities in the language of the Act. The SEC proposes to clarify the ambiguities such that the limitations are as follows:
- If the investor’s annual income and net worth are both less than $100,000, the investor may only invest the greater of $2,000 or 5% of the investor’s net worth during a 12-month period.
- If either the investor’s annual income or the investor’s net worth exceeds $100,000, the investor may only invest the greater of 10% of the investor’s net worth or 10% of investor’s annual income, but not to exceed $100,000 during a 12-month period.
Categories: Crowdfunding, Venture Capital/Funding
The SEC Crowdfunding Proposed Regulations: Use of Intermediary & Disqualified Issuers
Use of Intermediary. The proposed crowdfunding regulations require the issuer (the company raising capital) to make an offering through only a single intermediary. The SEC apparently believes that in order for an intermediary to perform the necessary monitoring functions, the intermediary needs to be the sole provider of intermediary services. Furthermore, the SEC sees value in having all public comments and discussions about an offering posted in one place. Read More ›
Categories: Crowdfunding, Venture Capital/Funding
The SEC Crowdfunding Proposed Regulations: Platform for Offering Issuer’s Maximum Offering Size
Platform for Offering. The SEC is proposing to limit the availability of the crowdfunding exemption to offerings that are made through a registered intermediary on an Internet website or similar electronic medium, referred to in the proposed regulations as a “platform.” Accessibility through mobile devices is permitted. What the SEC wants to assure is that the offering occurs in a technology environment that will be accessible to the public and allow members of the crowd to share information and opinions. The JOBS Act does not require this limitation. It appears that the SEC is placing considerable emphasis on the benefits of the role of online discussion forums. Read More ›
Categories: Crowdfunding, Venture Capital/Funding
The SEC Crowdfunding Proposed Regulations: Process Overview
In his recent blog posting, my colleague, John Mashni, noted that on October 23, 2013, the SEC issued a release containing the long awaited proposed crowdfunding regulations.
The SEC release is 568 pages long with an additional 17 page exhibit. Reviewing the release is not for the faint of heart!
We will share some of the highlights from the release and proposed regulations in bite sized pieces over a period of several weeks. We hope this will make the information easier for you to digest. Read More ›
Categories: Crowdfunding, Venture Capital/Funding
The Bitcoin: What It Is and Where It's Going
Bitcoin is an application of crypto-currency, which is based on the premise that money can be any object or record that is accepted as payment. Bitcoins use a peer-to-peer networking system and are not managed by any central authority. They can be transferred by a computer or a smartphone without a mediating financial institution. Bitcoins are rumored to have been originated by a computer programmer going by the name of Satoshi Nakamoto, whose real identity remains mysterious. Learn more about Bitcoins ›
Categories: E-Commerce
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