As part of a recent move to revise its body of business law, the Council of Washington D.C. has adopted an amended Title 29 of the District of Columbia Code on Business Organizations. Chapter 4 applies specifically to rules pertaining to Nonprofit Organizations. Also known as the Nonprofit Corporation Act…
Internet Lawyer Blog
Validity and Enforceability of Non-Compete Agreements
Employers use non-compete agreements often to protect trade secrets and keep valuable employees from moving to competing firms. Most employers who conduct business involving highly valuable business secrets require employees to sign non-compete agreements before commencing employment. These contracts prohibit employees from releasing trade secrets to competing companies. Additionally, non-compete…
Cloud Computing and Privacy Laws
The proliferation of cloud computing has given rise to increased privacy concerns. These concerns are especially grounded in Google’s new terms of service that allow the company to gather user information and data and release it to government entities upon request, without obtaining user consent. According to these new terms,…
Digital Estate Planning
The Electronic Communications Privacy Act of 1986 (“ECPA”) prohibits disclosure of stored communications without a court order. This includes instant messages, emails, and communications on Facebook. The issues that can arise from such a standard came to light in 2005, when Loren Williams died in a motorcycle accident in Arizona,…
Access to Websites for Persons With Disabilities
The Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) requires public businesses to provide equal access to their venues for persons with disabilities. Under Subchapter III of the ADA, such public establishments include, among others, restaurants, movie theaters, stores, and places of education. Now, the increases in businesses that operate exclusively online, without…
Legal Implications of Online Impersonation
The possibility of identity theft is a growing concern. However, banks, credit card companies, and various other institutions that house private information regularly take steps to protect customers’ identities. Nonetheless, a different type of identity theft continues to thrive. Online impersonation is a quick and easy form of identity theft…
Internet Business Licenses and Permits
Starting an online business requires acquiring many of the same permits and licenses that are generally required for a traditional business. Generally a business, including an “e-business” or a company that operates on the web, requires a business license before it begins to operate. When a city grants a business…
Cyberbullying
Bullying has plagued people of all ages for many generations. Now, with the expansion of the Internet, bullies are able to threaten and harass people at an even greater level through cyberbullying. Stopbullying.gov, a government supported website aimed at spreading awareness, defines cyberbullying as any bullying that involves electronic technology…
Cloud Computing
Cloud computing offers a revolutionary new way to conduct business over the Internet. This service is a form of cyber-outsourcing where virtual servers provide certain services or applications for consumers online. Cloud computing vendors include, IBM SmartCloud, Cisco Cloud Computing, Amazon Elastic Compute Cloud (aka Amazon EC2), and various smaller…
Privacy Concerns for Personal Email Accounts
Former CIA Director David Petraeus from his position after the FBI looked through Petraeus’ private Gmail account and discovered that he was having an extramarital affair. These events have brought to light the fragile state of individual privacy on the Internet, particularly in relation to individual email accounts. According to…