The US Constitution protects the disclosure of what reading and video materials citizens read and view, in spite of the North Carolina Department of Revenue’s best efforts. US District Judge Marsha Pechman granted Amazon’s summary judgment that precludes disclosure of Amazon’s “customers’ names, addresses or any other personal information.&rdquo…

Continue Reading Sales Tax Dispute – Amazon Relies on the First Amendment

Google will not be accused of copyright infringement by posting the Dead Sea Scrolls unlike the current litigation about Google’s Books Library Project where Google is scanning millions of books to be freely available. Although the litigation continues, settlement looms on the horizon but the date for claims to be…

Continue Reading Google to Post the Dead Sea Scrolls – Copyright Infringement Claims Unlikely

A recent report of a WikiProject Smithsonian Institution should add credence to Wikipedia, since there are more than 3.4 million articles in English of the +17 million total Wikipedia article. Of course there must be a reason to believe Wikipedia, after all the 16 US intelligence agencies rely on Wikipedia’s…

Continue Reading Wikipedia- Now Teaming with the Smithsonian Institution

Facebook now offers users the ability to download all of their content in a simple zip file format, but this doesn’t solve privacy concerns. Sure it’s nice to be able to download all the content, but in the meantime Facebook still stores lots of valuable information about users.

Let’s see a show…

Continue Reading Privacy Update – Frankly Most Social Media Users Don’t Care

Allowing Google to access your cell GPS will permit Google to make suggestions about things to do or restaurants to try wherever you happen to be. Although Google’s CEO Eric Schmidt recently said these autonomous search features were on the horizon, we’re pretty close to that point already with the…

Continue Reading Google Wants to Search Before You Even Ask

Proposed laws to ease wiretaps on the Internet are now being considered by the US Senate Judiciary Committee, but with widespread pushback from privacy groups. Federal officials have long relied on the wiretap laws to monitor criminals and terrorists, however as we all know fewer and fewer individuals are using…

Continue Reading Invasion of Privacy or Cyber Security?

No surprise that Facebook developed Credits using a team of former PayPal folks that shows a clear path to allow micropayments on Facebook and compete directly with PayPal. The New York Times recently reported that “Facebook began testing its virtual currency, called Credits, more than a year ago with some…

Continue Reading Facebook Plans to Compete with PayPal

My first lecture this fall was my “5 Big Bang Theory of the Internet” for Law of eCommerce class at the SMU Dedman School of Law which I have taught since 2000. You are welcome to see my WatchIT video about my “5 Big Bang Theory of…

Continue Reading VIDEO -5 Big Bang Theory of the Internet