Computer Law Guide

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Technology and the Law              
They are becoming more and more intertwined.

Seizure of Computer Guidelines              
From the federal government, law enforcement's guidelines to search and seizure of computers and computer related equipment. A bit technical, but an excellent overview of what the government will, and will not, seize if they suspect criminal activity

Tricks and Traps in Contracting for Computer Systems         Peter Sim     
Contracts for the purchase of computer hardware and software are as varied as the products themselves. A purchase of a $3,000 pre-packaged system can be closed with a handshake. This article examines the issues.

Contracting for Software Development: Look before you leap         Peter Sim     
The need for software development and licensing agreements with third party customers is obvious. However, there are also internal issues in the software development team which should be covered by appropriate agreements. These agreements should be put into place before development work begins. If a disagreement arises after the work is underway it may be too late to avoid costly litigation and unexpected losses.

Judge Says Recording of Electronic Chats Is Legal              
A Washington judge has ruled that it is not illegal to record online chats without the knowledge and consent of the other party

Cyberspaces: Familiar Territory or Lawless Frontiers         Anne Wells Branscomb     
The purpose of this special issue is to gather provocative essays concerning issues that present special challenges in computer-mediated communication in a globally interconnected Networld. These include: advertising practices, accountability for abusive behavior, anonymity, online gambling casinos, due process, pornographic images and sadistic writing, copyright infringement, free speech, privacy, and jurisdiction.

SHRINKWRAPS - Reasons for Use: ProCD, trial decision         John T. Ramsay     
Examination of the use and viablity of shrink wrap licenses.

Software Licensing Primer         John T. Ramsay     
This primer, written from the perspective of a Canadian business which must enter the American market to succeed, is intended to take you through one method of commercializing software: i.e., licensing.

Expert Explains New Rules, Laws Surrounding "Cybersquatting"         Office.com     
Web law guru gives lowdown on efforts to curtail name grabs.

Home Is Where The Hack Is         ZDNet News     
Enabling file sharing when you are connected to the internet by DSL or a cable modem could cause serious computer security issues.

Always On, Always Open to Attack              
You have DSL or cable internet access--two of the biggest, baddest, broadest pipes to the Internet a consumer can have. And you don't have to wait for dial-up and disconnect dialog boxes because your Internet connection's always on. Convenient? You bet it is. But it also makes you susceptible to port-scanning scripts that probe IP addresses looking for a point of entry into your PC or home network.

Oughta Be E-Legal - Web Hosting Blazes New Trail in the Courts         PC Week     
If a site crashes and is unavailable for an extended period of time, who owes what and how much?

Divorce, Silicon Valley Style         Office.com     
The explosion of wealth in Silicon Valley is having an unexpected side effect: Divorces are growing increasingly more complex.

Hacker Pleads Guilty in NASA Case         Findlaw.com     
A 20-year-old computer hacker pleaded guilty to federal charges of infiltrating sensitive computer systems, including those at Stanford University and NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena.

Technology In the Workplace - Caveat User         Audrey M. Roth     

Important Aspects to Consider in Your Website Agreement              
When negotiating your website agreement, it is important to consider several factors: Who will own the copyright to your website? What happens if service is interrupted? Who is responsible for maintaining and updating the website and how often must it be done?

The Threat of Digital Theft         Janet Reno for The Standard     
Intellectual property theft is faster, costlier and more dangerous than ever.

Unsolicited, Faxed Ads Bring Costly Responses              
Sending an unsolicited facsimile advertisement to a Georgia lawyer could land the sender in court. Junk fax class actions are becoming increasingly popular with frustrated attorneys. "It's eating up toner and ink and it's against the law," said attorney W. Gregory Dobson, who's filed yet another case under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act, which prohibits advertisers from sending unsolicited faxes.

Cyber Trespassing Claims Must Demonstrate Harm              
A former employee floods his employer's servers with e-mail criticizing the company and urging some 35,000 employees to quit. The company alleges significant interference with productivity causing economic damages. May the company recover in tort against the former employee for losses caused by the flood of e-mail?

Legal Issues of the Internet              
An overview from the American Bar Association

Lock and Load              
Document security on the Internet - from Business Law Today, the ABA Section of Business Law

Links and Related Resources

Supreme Court Cases on Computer Law

Featured Books

The Software Developer's Complete Legal Companion : A Combined Disk and Practical Handbook to Protect You and Your Creative Work/Book and Disk

Software Development - A Legal Guide

The Software Publishers Association Legal Guide to Multimedia/Book and Disk