Duane Morris TechLaw

July 10, 2014May 20, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Uber and Lyft Halted in Pittsburgh, for Now

More and more, people are migrating away from the traditional call-a-taxi model, and are instead searching on their smartphones for the closest Uber or Lyft vehicle. You might remember the Beatles’ lyric “Baby, you can drive my car,” and now Uber and Lyft drivers likely are singing to themselves, “Baby, you can ride in my car.” Copasetic, right? Well, maybe….

Just when this new business model has been taking the country by storm, along comes a cease and desist order commanding Uber Technologies and Lyft Inc. to immediately stop operations in Pittsburgh, according to the Pittsburgh Business Times. The two judges who issued the order have ruled that Uber and Lyft cannot operate in Pittsburgh until they obtain the proper authority from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission (PUC). And to top this off, the judges have taken the position that the order prohibiting operations will not be stayed while this matter is reviewed by the PUC.

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June 24, 2014May 20, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Internet Law Is All Grown Up

When I first started working on legal issues relating to electronic data, we were back in the dark ages of the 1980s. This was well before Bill Clinton talked about the coming “information superhighway” when he was running for president in the early 1990s. We were living in a world where document production in legal cases meant the production of actual hard copy pieces of paper and nothing else. There was no “e” when it came to “discovery.”

As we all know, the technological communications age started to grow exponentially in the late 1990s and early 2000s. During this time, people began communicating more and more by email, cell phones, Internet chats, and website postings.

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June 17, 2014May 20, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Detoxing From Always-On Technology Overload

We now live in a world in which we constantly are connected electronically. We spend so much of our time in front of computers, laptops and tablets. Our smartphones can accomplish feats unimaginable not so long ago. These days we can even surf the Internet with smart eyeglasses.

Plainly, connectivity presents numerous advantages from business and professional standpoints. If that were not the case, people likely would not be so addicted to their instant electronic communications and access.

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May 13, 2014May 20, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Do Snapchat Messages Really Vanish? Ask the FTC

People frequently use Snapchat to send messages back and forth with the understanding that those messages will disappear after a designated expiration time.

However, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) launched an investigation and asserted charges that Snapchat messages actually do not vanish as promised. In the wake of those charges, Snapchat and the FTC have settled, according to a recent FTC press release.

So, what is the scoop? Read on.

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May 6, 2014May 20, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Reminder: Update Internet Explorer to Fix Security Flaw

By now, we all have heard of potential security problems and risks on the Internet. And most recently, we must worry about which Web browser we use.

Indeed, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security cautioned Americans last week to refrain from using Internet Explorer because of a significant security flaw.

This flaw apparently enables hackers to circumvent the Windows operating system’s security protections. Once that happens, there can be “infection” caused when a compromised website is visited.

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April 24, 2014May 20, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Cyber Insurance Becoming a Necessity for Online Businesses

This blog for years has highlighted the potential risks and liabilities presented by communications and activities on the Internet. The Internet provides the possibility of privacy violations, security breaches, intellectual property disputes, defamation, hack attacks, and even cyber warfare, among other threats.

So what should companies do to be as safe as possible as they conduct business over the Internet?

In addition to implementing security and protective measures, companies more and more are turning to cyber insurance policies in an effort to protect their exposure to Internet risks.

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April 16, 2014May 20, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

UN Homicide Report Shows the World Is Not a Safe Place

Recently, this blog has touched on how warfare between nations in the digital era includes cyberattacks. And now, just as we already are feeling less than safe, the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime (the UNODC) has released some homicide statistics that can make us feel even more vulnerable.

According to the UNODC study, as many as 437,000 people were murdered around the world in 2012 alone. Here’s what else the study found:

Of all of the world’s homicide victims, almost 80 percent were men; 95 percent of the perpetrators were also men.

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April 9, 2014May 20, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

Is Cyberwar Happening Right Now in Ukraine?

This blog recently discussed whether international mechanisms exist to award damages caused by potential cyberwars. And now it appears that a cyberwar actually is taking place with respect to Ukraine.

Press accounts have been rampant in terms of the turmoil over Crimea, Russia, and Ukraine. And while there have been possible threats of physical force, there also have been reports of disruption of mobile communications as a result of distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks.

The Christian Science Monitor reports that 42 cyberattacks hit Ukrainian government websites during Crimea’s vote to secede from Ukraine and join Russia. On top of that, there reportedly has been defacement of some Ukrainian state-run news websites and social media outlets, with pro-Russian propaganda replacing their original content.

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April 2, 2014May 20, 2016 by Eric J. Sinrod

WTO Nixes China’s Restrictions on Rare Earth Exports

In early 2012, the United States sought a World Trade Organization (WTO) consultation regarding China’s restrictions on the export of tungsten and molybdenum — forms of “rare earths.” These rare earths are raw materials that are used in the production of some electronics products. Subsequently, the European Union, Japan and Canada requested to join the consultation. China then accepted the request for a WTO consultation.

In support of the restrictions, China argued that they are related to the conservation of exhaustible natural resources. China also asserted that they are needed to reduce mining pollution.

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