Social media sites are transforming not only the daily lives of consumers, but also how companies interact with consumers. Here at Morrison Foerster, across all of our practice groups, we are seeing complex, cutting-edge legal issues arising out of social media. As with the Internet boom during the mid-to-late 1990s, social media is generating new legal questions at a far faster pace than the law’s ability to provide answers to such questions. In an effort to stay on top of these emerging issues, and to keep our clients and friends informed of new developments, Morrison Foerster publishes this blog devoted to the law and business of social media.<h2>ABOUT MORRISON FOERSTER</h2>Morrison Foerster is a leading global law firm that transforms complexity into advantage for its clients. Our clients include some of the largest financial institutions, banks, consulting and accounting firms, and Fortune 100, technology, and life sciences companies. Highlighting the firm’s commitment to client service, leadership in market-changing deals and impact litigation, and values-based culture, Morrison Foerster has been repeatedly recognized as one of the top 10 firms on The American Lawyer’s A-List. Year after year, the firm receives significant recognition from Chambers and The Legal 500 across their various guides, including Global, USA, Asia‑Pacific, Europe, UK, Latin America, and FinTech Legal. Our lawyers passionately care about delivering legal excellence while living our values. Morrison Foerster has a long-standing commitment to creating a culture that respects and celebrates differences, while providing an inclusive environment. The firm has achieved Mansfield Certification Plus since 2018 as a result of successfully reaching at least 30 percent women, communities of color, and LGBTQ+ lawyer representation in a notable number of current leadership roles and committees. The firm also has a long history of commitment to the community and society through providing pro bono legal services, including litigating for civil rights and civil liberties, improving public education and fostering the wellbeing of children, advocating for veterans, promoting international human rights, enforcing the right to asylum, and safeguarding the environment.

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Aaron is the chair of the firm’s Technology Transactions Group and co-chair of the Interactive + Digital Media Group. He advises clients on a wide range of complex transactions involving intellectual property and technology, including structuring and negotiating strategic licensing, development, collaboration, procurement, and distribution deals.Aaron’s practice focuses on advising both established and emerging companies in a variety of data- and technology-intensive sectors, including software, SaaS, cloud-based technology, digital media (social media, AR/VR, gaming, streaming media, AdTech), AI, healthcare, consumer electronics, e-commerce, other online business models, and mobile applications. He also maintains an active practice counseling companies on branding and marketing, trademark licensing, and content-related transactions, as well as the intellectual property aspects of mergers, acquisitions, asset spin-offs, and private equity investments.He has represented clients such as Autodesk, Meta, OpenAI, Splunk, Konami, Kaiser Permanente, SoftBank, Visa, and Yahoo, among others.Aaron has been recognized by numerous publications for his work on market-defining technology transactions. He is currently ranked by Chambers USA for “Technology Transactions.”Aaron also serves as co-editor of Socially Aware, the firm’s award-winning newsletter and blog devoted to the law and business of social media, and regularly publishes on various IP and technology-related topics. Aaron is also a sought-after speaker on new and emerging areas of law, and is a frequent presenter and panelist at conferences and legal services programs. In addition to his active practice, Aaron regularly provides pro bono assistance to various nonprofit and charitable organizations such as Common Sense Media and the Starlight Children’s Foundation. He is a member of the board of directors of California Lawyers for the Arts.While in law school at the University of California, Berkeley, Boalt Hall School of Law, Aaron served as executive editor of the California Law Review and was elected to the Order of the Coif. Following law school, Aaron served as law clerk to the Honorable William H. Orrick and the Honorable Martin J. Jenkins, both United States District Judges for the Northern District of California.

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Aaron is the chair of our Technology Transactions Group. He advises clients on a wide range of complex transactions involving intellectual property and technology, including structuring and negotiating strategic licensing, development, collaboration, procurement, and distribution deals. Aaron’s practice focuses on advising both established and emerging companies in a variety of data– and technology–intensive sectors, including software, SaaS, cloud computing, AR/VR, AI, gaming, healthcare, consumer electronics, social media, e–commerce, other online business models, and mobile applications. He also maintains an active practice counseling companies on the intellectual property aspects of mergers, acquisitions, asset spin–offs, and private equity investments.

Aaron P. Rubin

Lawrence Gallick is of counsel in the firm’s Austin office and a member of the Technology Transactions Group.Lawrence focuses his practice on technology transactions and licensing matters. His diverse experience includes advising on SaaS agreements, cross-licensing agreements, research and collaboration agreements, development agreements, and distribution agreements. He counsels a broad range of companies across the software, hardware, life sciences, biotech and FinTech spaces, as well as other entities including universities.He advises clients in connection with general corporate matters including contract negotiations, and leasing and technology placement agreements.Lawrence also serves as co-editor of <a href="https://www.sociallyawareblog.com/" target="_blank">Socially Aware</a>, the firm’s award-winning newsletter and blog devoted to the law and business of social media, and regularly publishes on various IP and technology-related topics.Prior to joining the firm, Lawrence was counsel at another major law firm. Before earning his law degree, Lawrence was a web consultant, project manager, and web developer in Portland, Oregon, where he managed and consulted on projects using industry methodologies and performed custom development and integration of content management systems.Lawrence was named a Super Lawyers “Rising Star” in 2015 and 2018–2022, and is licensed in both California and New York. Lawrence earned his J.D. from the University at Buffalo School of Law, where he was the electronic systems editor for the Buffalo Law Review and awarded the ABA-BNA Award for Excellence in the Study of Intellectual Property Law.

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Anthony Ramirez is a partner in the Technology Transactions Group in the New York office of Morrison Foerster.Anthony advises clients on general commercial and transactional matters. He regularly advises companies on the IP aspects of their M&A transactions. His clients include technology, digital media and content for television and music, financial services, and communications companies with diverse intellectual property assets and issues.His practice focuses on the legal aspects of developing, licensing, and commercializing technology and intellectual property, as well as negotiating general commercial contracts, including outsourcing transactions, as well as content and data licenses. He regularly assists clients with legal issues relating to licensing and commercialization of digital media and content, digital content that is distributed over the Internet or streamed, mobile applications and social media, as well as the licensing of recorded music for distribution via digital platforms. Anthony is also experienced with issues relating to open-source software, software development, artificial intelligence and machine learning, cloud-based technology, and protection of proprietary information.Anthony has extensive experience working on matters involving disruptive technologies, such as blockchain. He has helped fintech clients with general intellectual property issues in connection with terms of service for online financial products and services.Anthony is an integral part of the outside pro bono legal team for nonprofit organizations based in New York, including advising clients on legal issues regarding entertainment, social media, privacy rights, and the negotiation of outsourcing and service agreements. Anthony received his J.D. from the University of Michigan Law School in 2009. He received his B.S. from Cornell University in 2004.

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Anthony Ramirez is a partner in the Technology Transactions Group in the New York office of Morrison Foerster. He advises clients on general commercial and transactional matters. His clients include technology, media, and communications companies with considerable intellectual property assets. His practice focuses on the legal aspects of licensing and commercializing technology and intellectual property, as well as negotiating general commercial contracts. He also regularly assists clients with legal issues relating to mobile applications and social media.

Anthony M. Ramirez

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Socially Aware is devoted to the law and business of social media, proactively addressing emerging issues and keeping our clients informed of new developments. We cover fields such as artificial intelligence, privacy and data security, Section 230, intellectual property, and much more.

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Socially Aware is devoted to the law and business of social media, proactively addressing emerging issues and keeping our clients informed of new developments. We cover fields such as artificial intelligence, privacy and data security, Section 230, intellectual property, and much more.

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Lawrence W. Gallick

All Your Sale Are Belong to Us - Mitigating IP and Payments Risk in In-Game Economies (Part II – User-Generated Content and In-Game Payment Models)

A New California Digital Content Law Establishes New Requirements for Advertisers and Vendors

California’s Assembly Bill 587 Loses Key Provisions After Legal Challenge from X

Social Links: TikTok Tussles, Teen Privacy Push, and the Thumbs-Up That Sealed the Deal

Utah’s New App Store Age Verification Law: What S.B. 142 Means for Kids, Parents, and Tech

In 2016, brands spent $570 million on social influencer endorsements on Instagram alone. This recode article takes a looks at how much influencers with certain followings can command, and whether they’re worth the investment.And don’t overlook the legal issues associated with the use of social media influencers; the FTC just settled its first complaint against social media influencers individually. The case involved two online gamers who posted videos of themselves promoting a gaming site that they failed to disclose they jointly owned.In a precedent setting opinion, the European Court of Human Rights held that the right to privacy of a Romanian man, Bogdan Bărbulescu, was violated when Bărbulescu’s employer, without explicitly notifying Bărbulescu, read personal messages that Bărbulescu sent from an online account that Bărbulescu had been asked to set up for work purposes.In other European news, the attorney general for England and Wales, Jeremy Wright, MP, has begun an inquiry into whether that jurisdiction needs to impose restrictions on social media in order to help ensure criminal defendants there get a fair trial.More than half of Americans 50 or older now get their news from social media sites, Pew Research Center’s 2017 social media survey shows.Celebrities who promote initial coin offerings (ICOs) on social media risk violating laws that apply to the public promotion of securities.Facebook developed an artificial intelligence robot that can express emotion by making realistic facial expressions at appropriate times.A college student has sued Snapchat and the Daily Mail for alleged defamation and invasion of privacy arising from the use of the student’s name and image on Discover, Snapchat’s social news feature, under the headline, “Sex, Drugs and Spring Break—College Students Descent on Miami to Party in Oceans of Booze and Haze of Pot Smoke.”Is the threat of artificial intelligence disrupting a slew of industries less imminent than we thought?Google created a website that uses fun illustrations to show which “how to” queries its users entered into the search engine most.The popularity of online videos that viewers can appreciate with the sound turned off has led to striking similarities between early silent film and modern social video.

Aaron is the chair of the firm’s Technology Transactions Group and co-chair of the Interactive + Digital Media Group. He advises clients on a wide range of complex transactions involving intellectual property and technology, including structuring and negotiating strategic licensing, development, collaboration, procurement, and distribution deals.

Aaron Rubin

Social Links: Social media influencers earn big bucks for endorsements, while the FTC settles a suit against influencers; European court sides with employee axed over emails reviewed by employer

In 2016, brands spent $570 million on social influencer endorsements on Instagram alone. This recode article takes a looks at how much influencers with certain 

Social Links: Social media influencers earn big bucks for endorsements, while the FTC settles a suit against influencers; European court sides with employee axed over emails reviewed by employer

Blockchain is shaping up as one of the most disruptive IT technologies since the Internet itself, with broad-ranging applications that could transform businesses across the spectrum. Companies that ignore the opportunities—and challenges—created by blockchain and cryptocurrencies may find themselves left behind as more nimble and responsive competitors successfully leverage these emerging technologies.Our colleagues Spencer Klein and Dario de Martino recently took a close look at blockchain and cryptocurrencies in an article entitled, “Don’t Want To Be The Next Kodak? Embrace Blockchain,” which has been published by Law360, a leading legal publication.The article addresses:<ul><li>how blockchain and cryptocurrencies work;</li><li>recent legal developments relating to blockchain and cryptocurrencies;</li><li>potential benefits arising from Delaware’s recently enacted blockchain legislation; and</li><li>key takeaways from the recent SEC pronouncements on token sales and related considerations.</li></ul>

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The Blockchain Revolution

Blockchain is shaping up as one of the most disruptive IT technologies since the Internet itself, with broad-ranging applications that could transform businesse

The Blockchain Revolution

A federal appeals court in Miami held that a judge needn’t necessarily recuse herself from a case being argued by <a href="http://www.thegazette.com/subject/news/nation-and-world/legal-ruling-facebook-friends-arent-necessarily-real-friendsphoto-20170823" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">a lawyer with whom the judge is merely Facebook “friends.”</a>Bills in both houses of Congress propose amending <a href="http://www.sociallyawareblog.com/2016/12/15/the-decline-and-fall-of-section-230/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act</a> to clarify that it doesn’t insulate website operators from <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/true-crime/wp/2017/08/01/senate-launches-bill-to-remove-immunity-for-websites-hosting-illegal-content-spurred-by-backpage-com/?utm_term=.104aa26c1da9" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">liability for violating civil or criminal child-sex-trafficking laws</a>.The Commonwealth Court of Pennsylvania held that an unemployment-benefits board acted appropriately when it <a href="http://www.thelegalintelligencer.com/id=1202797015936/Court-Reaffirms-Social-Medias-Role-in-UC-Benefits-Rulings?mcode=0&curindex=0&curpage=ALL" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">relied, in part, on an applicant’s Facebook post</a> to determine that the applicant was not entitled to benefits.A Texas law makes <a href="https://www.dailydot.com/irl/texas-davids-law-cyberbullying/" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">cyberbullying punishable</a> by as much as a year in jail and/or a fine of up to $4,000.Google is trying to make it more difficult to find and profit from <a href="https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2017-08-24/google-rolls-out-its-biggest-crackdown-on-youtube-hate-speech" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">YouTube videos that contain</a> extremist content by placing warnings on those videos and disabling the advertising on them.A company backed by Mark Cuban is planning to create a social media platform that will anonymize its users’ identities using blockchain technology and attempt to cut down on trolls by charging people with bad reputations on the platform more for premium services.The online publishing platform Medium is giving some of its content writers the option to put their work behind Medium’s subscription pay wall and <a href="https://blog.medium.com/expanding-the-medium-partner-program-3be09dd146e4" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">get paid based on the number of “claps” that work gets</a>.Evolutionary psychologists aren’t at all surprised by the popularity of <a href="https://www.bustle.com/p/why-do-we-love-to-snoop-on-social-media-it-might-be-in-our-biology-77482" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">snooping on social media</a>.Tips for law firm marketers on how to <a href="http://www.thelegalintelligencer.com/id=1202796969152/Instagram-The-Next-Frontier-for-Law-Firm-Branding?mcode=1202619332875&curindex=3&curpage=2" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">best leverage Instagram</a>.Advice on how to <a href="https://www.nytimes.com/2017/08/25/smarter-living/what-youre-truly-saying-with-your-out-of-office-reply.html?rref=collection%2Fspotlightcollection%2Fsmarter-living&action=click&contentCollection=topics&region=rank&module=package&version=highlights&contentPlacement=3&pgtype=collection" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">pen the best automated out-of-office reply</a>.When you visit someone’s home these days, <a href="http://www.apartmenttherapy.com/millennials-are-killing-doorbells-amp-honestly-good-riddance-249740?utm_source=facebook&utm_medium=social&utm_campaign=managed" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">do you use the doorbell or text instead</a>?

Social Links: Bills that would take a bite out of §230; court opinion on social media & ethics; using evidence on social media to determine unemployment benefits eligibility

A federal appeals court in Miami held that a judge needn’t necessarily recuse herself from a case being argued by a lawyer with whom the judge is merely Faceboo

Social Links: Bills that would take a bite out of §230; court opinion on social media & ethics; using evidence on social media to determine unemployment benefits eligibility