Socially Aware

March 14, 2016 - Labor Law, Employment Law
A Negative Review May Be Protected Activity Under U.S. Employment Law
By: Mary Race
Yelp, Inc. is more accustomed to being on the giving—rather than the receiving—end of a negative review. That changed recently when a Yelp customer service employee, Talia Ben-Ora, posted an open letter to Yelp’s CEO on her blog, lamenting her daily struggle to survive
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March 09, 2016 - European Union, Data Security, Privacy, Big Data
Privacy Shield vs. Safe Harbor: A Different Name for an Improved Agreement?
The European Commission (the “Commission”) and the U.S. Department of Commerce issued the draft legal texts for the much anticipated EU-U.S. Privacy Shield (the “Shield”), set to replace the currently inoperative Safe Harbor program (“Safe Harbor”). The new agreement is aimed at restoring the
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March 08, 2016 - Event
Join us at SXSW Interactive 2016!
Socially Aware editors John Delaney and Aaron Rubin will be in Austin, Texas, for SXSW Interactive from March 11 th to March 15 th. They plan to “live tweet” a number of the presentations via our @MoFoSocMedia Twitter account. If you will be in Austin
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March 08, 2016 - Advertising, Endorsement Guides, E-Commerce, European Union, FTC, Terms of Use, Copyright, Discovery, Compliance
Now Available: The March Issue of Our Socially Aware Newsletter
By: Aaron P. Rubin
The latest issue of our Socially Aware newsletter is now available here. In this issue of Socially Aware , our Burton Award -winning guide to the law and business of social media. In this edition, we offer tips for a successful—and legal—advertising campaign; we
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March 06, 2016 - Data Security, Privacy, Employment Law
Employer Surveillance of Internet and Email Use in the Workplace in Germany
Is an employer allowed to access an employee’s email account when the employee is on sick leave? To what extent is control permissible when an employee is suspected of illegal activities, e.g., of leaking trade secrets? In Germany, these questions are at the crossroads of
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February 22, 2016 - E-Commerce, Terms of Use
Clickwrap, Browsewrap and Mixed Media Contracts: A Few Words Can Go a Long Way
By: J. Alexander Lawrence
Courts have generally categorized online agreements into two types: “clickwrap” agreements and “browsewrap” agreements. Clickwrap agreements—which require a user to check a box or click an icon to signify agreement with the terms—are usually enforceable under U.S. law, even where the terms appear in
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February 20, 2016 - Event
Social Media 2016: Addressing Corporate Risks
In case you missed Socially Aware ’s and Practising Law Institute’s recent Social Media conference in San Francisco, we will be hosting the conference in New York City this Wednesday, February 24 th. The NYC conference will be chaired by Socially Aware co-editor John
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February 03, 2016 - E-Commerce, Data Security, Privacy, Statistics
Consumer Privacy Survey Results
By: Aaron P. Rubin
As Socially Aware readers know, privacy presents real business risks that have the potential to negatively impact a company’s bottom line, from the legal fees associated with a data breach to revenue declines stemming from a loss of consumer trust. Late last year, Socially
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February 02, 2016 - Internet of Things, IP
The Internet of Things: Interoperability, Industry Standards & Related IP Licensing Approaches
The financial impact of the Internet of Things on the global economy will be significantly affected by interoperability. A 2015 McKinsey Global Institute report indicated that, “[on] average, interoperability is necessary to create 40 percent of the potential value that can be generated by
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January 28, 2016 - Advertising, Endorsement Guides, FTC, Data Security, Terms of Use, Cyberbullying, Marketing, Privacy, Online Endorsements
Now Available: The January Issue of Our Socially Aware Newsletter
By: Aaron P. Rubin
The latest issue of our Socially Aware newsletter is now available here. In this issue of Socially Aware, our Burton Award -winning guide to the law and business of social media, we offer practical tips to help ensure the enforceability of website terms of use; we discuss
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