NEWS AND EVENTS

• Winter Issue of Shidler eJournal Available Online
• William Covington Presents on Statewide Video Franchising
• Jane K. Winn Awarded Charles I. Stone Professorship

Shidler Journal of Law, Commerce & Technology

Volume 4, Issue 3 is now available online!  Our Winter Issue features three articles:

• Copyright Liability for Those Who Provide the Means of Infringement: In light of the RIAA lawsuits, who is at risk for the infringing acts of others?
  To date, the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) has become increasingly tough on the illegal downloading of copyrighted materials. In light of the increased prevalence of suits against minors or persons with little ability to pay, individuals or institutions that provide the means for the infringing activities, such as guardians or network owners (including, for example, the owner of an unsecured home network or the owner of an Internet café), need to be aware of the potential liability they might face. To place liability upon an individual or institution providing Internet access, a plaintiff could file suit for indirect copyright infringement under the doctrines of vicarious liability, contributory infringement, or inducement. Alternatively, to receive damages from the guardian of a minor child, the plaintiff could file suit against the minor child and attempt to satisfy any judgment from that claim through state parental liability statutes. This Article will discuss these approaches to liability and the risks facing these classes of actors.
• Data Privacy and Breach Reporting: Compliance with Varying State Laws
  This Article discusses state laws requiring notification of a party whose personal information is held by a business or government agency when the third party’s security is breached and an unauthorized person accesses the personal information. In the wake of the 2005 ChoicePoint data breach, over half of the states passed legislation requiring that companies notify the affected parties after breach of personal information. Most of the state statutes followed the model set forth by California’s Security Breach Notification Act of 2002. However, significant variations exist between the different statutes, which can create compliance problems. This Article specifically illustrates the relevant differences, analyzes the effect of the statutes, and discusses the policy implications of such legislation.

• Applying the Americans with Disabilities Act to Private Websites after National Federation of the Blind v. Target
  The Shidler Journal of Law, Commerce & Technology, is an online journal for practicing lawyers and business managers. This innovative electronic publication, which is written for practicing attorneys and business professionals, features timely, concise articles on important and emerging issues in the technology law arena. Visit the Shidler Journal of Law, Commerce & Technology at www.lctjournal.washington.edu.
  
  [February 2008]