New Developments in the World of Section 230
June 2020 Monthly Minute | Effectively Protecting Your Data
Jones Day Presents: What is Smart Code and How Does it Relate to Smart Contracts?
PATIENT PRIVACY IN AN ERA OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Are website terms of use enforceable?
Can a website copy terms of use or a privacy policy from a similar website?
Every time you click on a website, you are entering into a contract – often without even realizing it. While we casually browse, download content or make online purchases, we are simultaneously agreeing to a set of terms and...more
Character Technologies has been hit with two lawsuits, including a wrongful death suit (among other claims), in less than two months over its popular Character.ai chatbot. The first was filed in the U.S. District Court for...more
IN THREE COURT DECISIONS IN THE PAST SEVERAL MONTHS, two themes emerged: reading the contract before you sign and understanding the law that applies. In the first case, a court needed to decide which of two contracts...more
On August 8, 2024, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Virginia in Lovinfosse v. Lowe’s Home Centers, LLP addressed the enforceability of an arbitration clause in Lowe’s terms of service, serving as a reminder...more
The Ninth Circuit recently concluded that a consumer was not bound by updated terms merely because she accessed a website that contained new terms in a “browse-wrap” agreement on the website. The court also concluded that an...more
Nick Mooney and Joseph Schaeffer, Spilman Technology Law Practice Group Chairs, discuss proposed amendments from the Department of Justice, a recent statement from Justice Thomas on the Supreme Court’s “shadow docket,” and a...more
Many online services feature comprehensive terms of use intended to protect their business from various types of risks. While it is often the case that a great deal of thought goes into the creation of those terms, frequently...more
With the world in various states of lockdown, your organization’s online presence is more important than ever…even more so with official enforcement of CCPA beginning last month. It may be a good time to spend an afternoon...more
As we have noted many times in prior articles, courts often refuse to enforce “browsewrap” agreements where terms are presented to users merely by including a link on a page or screen without requiring affirmative acceptance....more
The current COVID-19 pandemic has forced many businesses online in order to survive. In many cases, businesses had no plans to be online. Others were forced to move online more quickly than planned. In order to assist these...more
On August 17, 2017, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit issued an important decision in a high-profile case against Uber Technologies that has broad implications for the enforceability of terms of use entered on...more
Does your company’s website include or link to third-party content? If so, there are potential legal issues that may arise under copyright law and website terms of use that can be minimized or avoided by implementing some...more
So, you’re ready to launch your new online business or mobile app. The website looks great, and the app tile has an elegant, simple design that’s sure to stand out on phone and tablet screens. Missing anything? Oh, yeah, that...more
Our recent posts on successful legal challenges to the arbitration clauses in browsewrap and clickwrap agreements have a theme in common—even the most thorough and well-worded agreement can be rendered unenforceable by...more
Contract terms and purchaser assent to those terms, conditions, intended use and warning information provided with a purchased product are known fertile ground for defending product claims. In today’s virtual age,...more
Operators of social media platforms and other websites typically manage their risks by imposing terms of use or terms of service for the sites. As we previously wrote, websites must implement such terms properly to ensure...more
Nearly every website, app or online service posts a set of Terms of Use outlining company policies for users (sometimes called Terms of Service) (“Terms”), but many companies do not know if their Terms are enforceable in...more
Implementing and Enforcing Online Terms of Use - Operators of social media platforms and other Web sites must manage a large number of risks resulting from their interactions with users. In an effort to maintain a...more
In a case intersecting the 89-year-old Federal Arbitration Act (FAA) and the digital era, the Ninth Circuit has ruled that a consumer who did not read the company’s terms of use when ordering a product on its website was not...more
Recently, a California court dismissed a plaintiff’s claims that Instagram’s updated Terms of Services constituted a breach of the covenant of good faith and fair dealing implied in all contacts because Instagram took...more