Newsletter Archives

• Got change for a billion-dollar bill?

  Posted on June 3, 2024 at 02:43 CDT by Max Stul Oppenheimer • Comment in the Forums

  LEGAL BRIEF

  

  By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq.

  Large patent-infringement verdicts have been in the news recently.

  On May 10, a jury awarded IPA Technologies $242 million against Microsoft for infringing US Patent 7,069,560 by incorporating the patented technology into its Cortana digital assistant. Nearly a month earlier, a jury awarded Kove IO $525 million against Amazon for using Kove’s patented technology in its AWS products.

  Should you care?

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.23.0, 2024-06-03).

  Legal Brief Newsletters, patent infringement, Patents, Software, User Rights

• Protecting yourself from AI deepfakes

  Posted on May 20, 2024 at 02:44 CDT by Max Stul Oppenheimer • Comment in the Forums

  LEGAL BRIEF

  

  By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq.

  It has been apparent for some time that developments in generative artificial intelligence present serious potential for harm.

  A recent example has made the problem concrete.

  On January 17, 2024, the Baltimore Sun broke the news with the headline “Baltimore County Public Schools investigating Pikesville High principal’s alleged ‘highly offensive’ recording.”

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.21.0, 2024-05-20).

  Legal Brief AI, Deepfakes, Generative AI, Legal, Newsletters, Privacy, Revenge, Security

• Making the world safe for online shoppers

  Posted on March 4, 2024 at 02:45 CST by Max Stul Oppenheimer • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 21.10 • 2024-03-04

  LEGAL BRIEF

  

  By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq.

  Today’s online shopping technology cannot quite match the in-person, brick-and-mortar experience.

  Multiple photos, detailed descriptions, and videos can go a long way toward helping purchasers compare products and pick the one that fits their needs, but current technology can’t really replace the ability to try on clothes, shake a product for loose parts, or check the bytes on a flash drive to make sure they match your color scheme.

  Online shoppers have had two tools that help close the gap: the availability of free returns and online reviews by other purchasers.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.10.0, 2024-03-04).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Legal Brief Federal Trade Commission, Free Returns, FTC-2023-0047, Newsletters, Online Reviews, Online shopping

• The hidden cost of WFH

  Posted on January 22, 2024 at 02:43 CST by Max Stul Oppenheimer • Comment in the Forums

  LEGAL BRIEF

  

  By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq.

  Working from home — or anywhere other than the employer’s official office space — certainly has advantages, especially if the employer provides things that make the job easy, such as a laptop, an Internet connection, and software.

  Remote work, however, is not without its downsides. For example, you should check your homeowner’s insurance policy to be sure that your work from home doesn’t adversely affect coverage.

  A less obvious potential downside is employer-provided or employer-mandated software.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (21.04.0, 2024-01-22).

  Legal Brief Agency, Liability, Licensing, Newsletters, Terms of Service, Working from home

• The year that was — scoring 2023

  Posted on December 18, 2023 at 02:45 CST by Max Stul Oppenheimer • Comment in the Forums

  

  ISSUE 20.51 • 2023-12-18

  Our next issue will be published on Tuesday, December 26, 2023. Happy Holidays!

  LEGAL BRIEF

  

  By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq.

  It didn’t take a crystal ball.

  If, on January 1, 2023, I had made predictions about what would happen in the coming year, I would not have received high marks for boldness. In a way, that’s reassuring — there were no paradigm-shifting catastrophes that struck technology consumers.

  I would have predicted the following.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.51.0, 2023-12-18).
  This story also appears in our public Newsletter.

  Legal Brief AI, blockchain, Cryptocurrency, Legal, Meta, Microsoft Services Agreement, Newsletters, Predictions, Section 230, Windows 11

• Tmas Greetings!

  Posted on December 4, 2023 at 02:43 CST by Max Stul Oppenheimer • Comment in the Forums

  LEGAL BRIEF

  

  By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq.

  It is a mystery why a company would voluntarily replace one of the most recognizable product names in the world with a name that has multiple pre-existing uses and connotations.

  It isn’t the first time that a famous brand changed its logo. Standard Oil of New Jersey replaced ESSO with EXXON in 1972. But it’s a rare event, so it is interesting when the owner of a famous brand announces such a major change in brand identity.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.49.0, 2023-12-04).

  Legal Brief Branding, Legal, Newsletters, Trademarks, Twitter

• Over to you, Congress

  Posted on November 13, 2023 at 02:44 CST by Max Stul Oppenheimer • Comment in the Forums

  LEGAL BRIEF

  

  By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq.

  Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act of 1996 was a calculated political decision on the part of Congress.

  The idea was to grant immunity to the then-fledgling Internet industry in order to enlist its help in fighting the specific problem of obscenity on the Internet. I wrote about this in Legal Brief over two years ago.

  It’s time for an update.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.46.0, 2023-11-13).

  Legal Brief Communications Decency Act, Newsletters, Section 230

• Tax simplification

  Posted on October 16, 2023 at 02:43 CDT by Max Stul Oppenheimer • Comment in the Forums

  LEGAL BRIEF

  

  By Max Stul Oppenheimer, Esq.

  The Inflation Reduction Act gave the U.S. Treasury Department billions of dollars to create a world-class customer experience for taxpayers.

  Let’s put aside the question “Do we want a world-class customer experience, or do we deserve something better — maybe an Amazon-class customer experience?” Because I’m not really sure how customer-friendly the typical world tax system is. I mean, half the world’s population is in India and China.

  Maybe they’re great — I just don’t know.

  Read the full story in our Plus Newsletter (20.42.0, 2023-10-16).

  Legal Brief Government, Newsletters, Privacy, Security, Taxation
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