February 2009
Section Links
• IT Section Website
• Council Information
• Meetings & Events
• Papers & Articles
• Newsletters
• Section Listserv
Bar Links
Letter from the Council
We are trying a new format for our still nascent e-newsletter by providing shorter, easier to read summaries to the links of interest. We hope you like it.
If you missed it in your e-mail inbox last month, the January 2009 edition of the Michigan IT Lawyer is available at the IT Law Section’s website, as are all the past issues.
We welcome your comments on how to improve this e-newsletter to better serve you and the rest of our membership. We also welcome contributions of substantive items, news, and events that you think would be of interest to IT lawyers. If you would like to contribute, please contact Ron Nixon at ron.nixon@kkue.com.
Upcoming Events
Council Meeting
Please join us on the campus of Ave Maria Law School (room 272) on Wednesday, February 25 in Ann Arbor. At 5 p.m., there will be a short presentation on the practice of IT law in Michigan for the law students at Ave Maria. Every law student has been invited to attend this event via an e-mail from the career services counselor. That presentation be followed up with an opportunity for law students to ask questions. Food will be provided, and there should be ample time for networking and socializing. At 6 p.m. we will hold a Council meeting, and all section members are invited to attend. Since food is being provided, please RSVP to Chris@FalkowskiPLLC.com no later than 10 a.m. Wednesday morning if you plan on attending.
Spring Networking Event
Once again, the Information Technology Section is planning a Spring Networking Event. The event is being planned for May 20 or 21, 2009, and promises to be a great opportunity to relax, network, and have some fun! Invite your spouse/significant other, your clients, your colleagues, even your vendors. This year the event will be held at a downtown Detroit casino, and anyone interested in information technology law is welcome to attend. Details and registration information will be available soon! If you have any questions, or suggestions for next year’s Spring Networking Event, please contact Anthony Targan at Anthony.Targan@proquest.com.
Annual Business Meeting
Plan to attend the Information Technology Section’s Annual Business Meeting! Mingle with your Section peers, learn about opportunities to get more involved with the Section, participate in the election of Section Council members, and attend a substantive presentation on IT law. The Information Technology Section’s Annual Business Meeting is expected to coincide with the State Bar of Michigan’s annual meeting, which is planned for September 2009 at the Hyatt Regency in Dearborn. Be there! Please contact Mark Malven at MMalven@dykema.com to suggest speakers or topics, or if you have questions about the event.
Circle the Date
The Section and the Institute of Continuing Legal Education (ICLE) will host an IT Law Seminar on Wednesday, October 28, 2009. The seminar will cover important and topical issues to enable you to better serve your clients. More information will be released as available! Suggestions regarding potential speakers or topics are encouraged, and should be communicated to Charlie Bieneman at cab@raderfishman.com.
IT Law In the News
Opening an ICANN of Worms
The Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will soon be making available top-level domain names (e.g., those letters to the right of the dot such as “.com” and “.gov”) that include brand names, which may cause some problems for trademark owners and others as the ABA Journal reports in the February 2009 issue, which is also available at abanet.org.
Copyright Still Lagging in the Digital Age
The February 2009 ABA Journal also has an interesting article on the difficulty copyright law is still having with the incredible growth of websites such as YouTube and MySpace that depend on user-generated content.
IT Administrator Left a Good Job in the City
Just doing his job was the recent response of former city of San Francisco IT administrator Terry Childs, who was arrested in July 2008 and is being prosecuted for his refusal to disclose network passwords to city management. Read the full article at Computerworld.
Facebook’s About-Face
A recent change to Facebook’s terms of use had users up in arms, some suggesting that the changes gave Facebook rights in user’s deleted content, such as personal photos. In response Facebook announces that it is reverting its terms of use until clearer revisions can be made. Read the full article at Computerworld.
Closing the Book on Digital Rights Management
Some are suggesting that DRM is stifling the growth of e-books in addition to videos and music, as the following article reports at Computerworld.