Showing 19 posts in Social Media.
YouTube Video Admitted as Character Evidence in Murder Case
Did you know that the YouTube video you just posted may be used in court to determine your character? In a Delaware case, Gallaway v. State, a video of a man using mouthwash as a decongestant may have been the difference for the jury, which found him guilty of murdering his daughter. The father claimed he was performing stretching exercises with his daughter when she slipped and fell on the floor. A few days after the fall, she died from suspected non-accidental trauma. Read More ›
Categories: Social Media
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Twitter Announces IPO
Twitter announced, via a tweet, that it is going public. This could be the biggest tech IPO since Facebook in May 2012.
Twitter is using a provision of the JOBS Act that allows a company that has revenue less than $1 billion to file an IPO in without having to disclose its financials to the public.
Here's a link to what we know so far about the Twitter IPO.
Subscribe to our technology blog and we will keep you updated as this news breaks. Please contact John W. Mashni by email at jmashni@fosterswift.com or by phone at 517.371.8257 with any questions.
Categories: Social Media
No Fury Like a Facebook Shareholder Scorned…
Technology IPOs used to be the norm in the IPO cycle, and when Facebook announced an IPO many investors could not contain the excitement. But less than expected stock results have caused investors to file suit against Facebook and the underwriters of the IPO.
Source: Chart image from Yahoo! Finance
Facebook, along with Morgan Stanley, JP Morgan Chase, and Goldman Sachs, are seeking the dismissal of claims made by investors in connection to the company's IPO. The claims allege misrepresentations by Facebook and its underwriting banks that violated the Securities Act of 1933 and the Exchange Act of 1934. Essentially, the investors claim that Facebook disclosed certain information to the underwriting banks that it did not disclose to investors. Read More ›
Categories: Social Media
Can the FTC Shut Down Your App?
Yes, the FTC can shut down your app. But you could also face stiff penalties for lack of compliance.
COPPA is the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act. The FTC has recently revised the rules regarding collecting personal information from children, and has set a date of July 1, 2013 as the deadline for compliance with the latest revised rule. The revision focuses on applications that collect personal information about children, such as photos, videos, and audio files containing the child's voice. Read More ›
Categories: Privacy, Social Media
Are Websites Subject to The Accessibility Requirements of The Americans With Disabilities Act?
It is undeniable that the internet is here to stay, playing an increasingly critical role in our ability to obtain and disseminate information. No matter the application – business, entertainment, politics, etc. – the internet has become a staple of everyday life. For many individuals with disabilities, however, navigating the internet can be a less than satisfying endeavor. Read More ›
Categories: E-Commerce, Social Media
Facebook Penalized on Privacy
Facebook has reached a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission regarding charges that it violated users' privacy rights.
Why Facebook was under investigation?
In December 2009, privacy advocates filed a complaint with the FTC following certain changes to Facebook privacy policies. Specifically, the FTC complaint alleged that Facebook made aspects of its users' profiles - such as name, picture, and friends list - public by default and without user consent. The FTC stated that such actions violated user expectations of privacy and threatened the "health and safety" of users by exposing "potentially sensitive affiliations" such as political views and sexual orientation.
The FTC complaint also alleged other situations where Facebook "made promises that it did not keep," such as promising that it would not share information with advertisers or retain data that it promised users was deleted. Read More ›
Categories: Privacy, Social Media
Juror's Undisclosed MySpace Friendship Secures New Trial for Convicted Felon
In West Virginia v. Dellinger, the West Virginia Supreme Court held that a juror's failure to disclose her MySpace "friendship" with the criminal defendant violated the defendant's constitutional right to a fair and impartial jury. In Dellinger, the defendant, a sheriff, was convicted of multiple felonies relating to the fraudulent administration of a grant program. The juror in question was a MySpace "friend" of the defendant and posted a message on the defendant's MySpace page one week before trial. During voir dire, the juror was asked whether she had any social relationship with the defendant. However, the juror did not acknowledge her MySpace "friendship," and the defendant did not realize that the juror and his MySpace "friend" were one in the same until after the trial. Read More ›
Categories: Social Media
Video Sharing Site NOT Liable for Infringement - DMCA
If you own or are operating a video or file sharing website that utilizes another's content (read another's copyrights) the following case presents you with a valid defense. If you are the user whose copyright has been infringed, this law is worth knowing before proceeding with costly litigation.
Veoh Networks - a video hosting website - sought protection under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act's safe harbor provision against a user's infringement claims. The user claimed Veoh (1) knew of and failed to remove infringing videos uploaded by other users; (2) had the ability to control infringing activity on its system; and (3) that its infringer policy was inadequate. Read More ›
Categories: Copyright, Intellectual Property, Social Media
"Private" Information on Social Networking Websites Deemed Discoverable
In what has become an increasing trend, a plaintiff in a personal injury suit has been ordered to produce otherwise "private" postings on her Facebook and MySpace social networking profiles. In Romano v. Steelcase, Inc., a New York Supreme Court case, the plaintiff alleged that she suffered serious and permanent injuries after falling off a defect desk chair manufactured by Steelcase. The plaintiff further claimed that, as a result of these injuries, she was almost entirely bed-ridden. Read More ›
Categories: Social Media
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