Millions of Consumers have Cut Their Debts, So Why are Financial Experts Sounding Alarm -
"And with stimulus payments a thing of the past and other unusual financial stabilization programs unwinding, the alerts are going...more
11/17/2021
/ Automotive Loans ,
Banking Sector ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Cards ,
Credit Reports ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Forbearance Agreements ,
Mortgages ,
Payment Systems ,
Stablecoins ,
Student Loans
Nature of Patents and Patent Rights -
When a patent is issued under the seal of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, it is signed by the Director of the USPTO or an Office official. The patent contains a grant...more
10/28/2021
/ Amazon ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Collection ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Facebook ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Medical Devices ,
Nanotechnology ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Retailers ,
Starbucks ,
USPTO
The Story of Henrietta Lacks and the Biotechnology Company Accused of Selling Her Cells for Profit -
These two articles (Newsweek and Fierce Biotech) describe the new lawsuit by the Henrietta Lacks Estate surrounding the...more
10/13/2021
/ Biotechnology ,
Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Liability Insurance ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Ransomware
China's Cryptocurrency Ban: What It Means for Bitcoin, Coinbase and the US -
"On Sept. 24, China's Central Bank declared all crypto-related transitions illegal, citing concerns about gambling fraud and money laundering."...more
Biotechnology Can Fight Climate Change—but Trade Negotiators Need to Act -
"Emerging biotechnology, such as gene-editing, can safely and effectively change our planet's future for the better."
Why this is important:...more
9/30/2021
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Amazon ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Biotechnology ,
Bitcoin ,
Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Life Sciences ,
Novartis ,
Ransomware ,
Stablecoins ,
Surveillance
Biden Administration Extends Student Loan Pause Until January 31, 2022 -
"The Department believes this additional time and a definitive end date will allow borrowers to plan for the resumption of payments and reduce the...more
9/21/2021
/ Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Housing Market ,
Interest Rates ,
Military Service Members ,
Payday Loans ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Small Dollar Lenders ,
Student Loans
El Salvador Buys 200 Bitcoins as the Digital Currency Becomes Legal Tender -
"El Salvador became the first country to adopt bitcoin as a national currency, kicking off a radical monetary experiment that could pose risks to...more
9/15/2021
/ Apple ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
El Salvador ,
Ethereum ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Government Agencies ,
Kim Kardashian ,
Medical Devices ,
Popular ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Smart Contracts
Why the Overturned Eviction Moratorium May be Too Little, Too Late for Both Renters, Landlords -
"However, the ruling doesn’t mean renters in states without protections will be immediately removed from their homes — an...more
9/7/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Debt Collection ,
Department of Education ,
Eviction ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Foreclosure ,
HELOC ,
Moratorium ,
Payday Loans ,
Startups ,
Venture Capital ,
Wage Garnishment
The T-Mobile Data Breach is One You Can’t Ignore -
"Hackers claim to have obtained the data of 100 million people—including sensitive personal information."
Why this is important: Earlier this week, reports began...more
8/18/2021
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Bitcoin ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Hackers ,
Insurance Industry ,
Robocalling ,
Trademarks
President Biden Extends Pause on Student Loan Payments to 2022 -
"Student loan payments have been paused since Congress passed the CARES Act in March of last year but were due to resume in September."
Why this is...more
Bye-Bye, Bitcoin: It's Time to Ban Cryptocurrencies -
"International banking officials say cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are speculative assets, not sustainable, usable money."
Why this is important: This opinion piece...more
8/5/2021
/ 3D Printing ,
Big Tech ,
Biometric Information ,
Biotechnology ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
China ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Digital Currency ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Novartis ,
Patents ,
Personal Information ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector ,
USPTO
Yellen Tells Regulators to ‘Act Quickly’ on Stablecoin Rules -
"New rules would cut into profit margins earned by issuers, but in the long-run should help them attract more users."
Why this is important: The recent...more
Video - NFTs are Not Tulips! (Or are They?) -
Have questions about just what exactly is an NFT? In this video, Spilman Thomas & Battle attorneys Brandon Hartman, Hugh Wellons, and Risa Katz-Albert briefly discuss what an...more
7/22/2021
/ Algorithms ,
Big Tech ,
Communications Decency Act ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Local Ordinance ,
Nanotechnology ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Section 230 ,
Technology Sector ,
USPS
Court Redirects Most Ring LLC Privacy Litigation Plaintiffs to Arbitration
"In the complaint, the plaintiffs alleged that Ring’s security systems were defectively designed without sufficient security protocols, leaving...more
7/8/2021
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biotechnology ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Nanotechnology ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Ransomware ,
Research and Development ,
Standing ,
Technology Sector ,
TransUnion LLC v Ramirez
PA Health Dept Sued; Investigation Looms, After Contact Tracing Breach
"The PA health dept. is being sued, after employees of its vendor Insight Global set up an unsecured channel to share COVID-19 contact tracing data,...more
5/27/2021
/ China ,
Contact Tracing ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Protection ,
Driverless Cars ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Medical Devices ,
Popular ,
Ransomware ,
Technology Sector
Consumer Watchdog Group Issues Policy to Strengthen National Eviction Moratorium -
"Since the eviction moratorium has been in effect, housing advocates and renters have said a lack of enforcement has led to landlords...more
5/19/2021
/ Capital Gains Tax ,
Congressional Investigations & Hearings ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Reporting Agencies ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Eviction ,
FDCPA ,
Moratorium ,
Mortgages ,
Oral Argument ,
SCOTUS ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
TransUnion ,
TransUnion LLC v Ramirez
4 Ways to Boost Blockchain in Consumer Finance -
"Plenty of executives and industry leaders in the blockchain space are looking for clarity on financial regulation."
Why this is important: The recent MIT FinTech...more
Digital Dollar Project to Launch Five U.S. Central Bank Digital Currency Pilots -
"A partnership between Accenture and the Digital Dollar Foundation, the Digital Dollar Project was created last year to promote research...more
5/12/2021
/ Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Digital Currency ,
FinTech ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)
Data Breach at New England’s Largest Energy Provider -
"A misconfiguration error has exposed personal data belonging to customers of New England's largest energy provider."
Why this is important: New England's largest...more
5/4/2021
/ Biotechnology ,
Blockchain ,
Carbon Emissions ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Internet of Things ,
Vaccinations
Three Ways the Legislature Has Redefined Consumer Litigation in West Virginia -
The regular legislative session recently ended in West Virginia, and once again our Legislature has amended the West Virginia Consumer Credit...more
Supreme Court Rules in Google’s Favor in Copyright Dispute with Oracle Over Android Software -
After the Supreme Court's April 6 decision in Google LLC v. Oracle America, Inc., 141 S.Ct. 1183 (2021), the computer software...more
4/21/2021
/ Biotechnology ,
Bitcoin ,
Coinbase ,
Computer Programmers ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Privacy Rights ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Digital Currency ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
FinTech ,
Google ,
Hackers ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Java ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Oracle v Google ,
Software ,
Startups ,
State Privacy Laws
Consumer Complaints to the CFPB for 2020 Up 54 Percent Over Previous Year -
"The CFPB handled about 542,300 complaints last year – a nearly 54 percent increase over the 352,400 complaints handled in 2019."
Why this is...more
Binance Probed by CFTC Over Whether U.S. Residents Traded -
"Binance, which has an office in Singapore but says it lacks a single corporate headquarters, hasn’t been accused of misconduct and the investigation may not lead...more
4/1/2021
/ 3D Printing ,
Blockchain ,
CFTC ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Collection ,
FinTech ,
Popular ,
Technology Sector ,
Trade Secrets
Biden Administration to Cancel $1 Billion in Student-Loan Debt Held by Scammed Borrowers -
“Borrowers who requested loan forgiveness but got only partial relief under former Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos will have...more
3/24/2021
/ Banking Sector ,
CARES Act ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Reports ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Loan Forgiveness ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
PayPal ,
Relief Measures ,
Student Loans ,
TCPA
State of Crypto: It’s Time to Talk About NFTs and Intellectual Property Law -
"NFTs are all the rage right now, but buyers and sellers should be aware of the different regulatory frameworks that might govern these assets." ...more
3/18/2021
/ 3D Printing ,
Anti-Money Laundering ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
BitMEX ,
Copyright ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Digital Assets ,
Hackers ,
IRS ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs)