PODCAST: Williams Mullen's Trending Now: An IP Podcast - Advertising & Customer Engagement in the Digital Age - Customer Reviews and Response
New Developments in the World of Section 230
PATIENT PRIVACY IN AN ERA OF SOCIAL MEDIA
Are websites legally responsible for content posted by their users?
Stealth Lawyer: Zach Abramowitz, 'Blogcaster'
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a new Final Rule (the “Rule”) on Wednesday, August 14, 2024, targeting unfair and deceptive acts or practices specifically related to consumer reviews and testimonials, allowing the...more
Content marketing is such a broad term that it can be difficult to know what falls under the umbrella. Which items make the right statement for your firm? What will promote your firm effectively? Review these types of content...more
If you own a small business, someone has likely posted an online review of your company and its goods or services. From Yelp to TripAdvisor to Angie’s List to any number of websites tailored to particular industries or...more
Would you like to re-post or otherwise use reviews left by customers? Is there a way to make sure customers don’t post bad reviews? What can a company do to protect itself from inappropriate or irrelevant content? Are there...more
Holland & Knight hosted Michael Ostheimer, a senior attorney for the Federal Trade Commission (FTC), for a webinar presentation on Feb. 16, 2021. Ostheimer has been with the FTC for three decades, currently serving as a...more
Social media and influencers. Online feedback and electronic oversight. Data protection and privacy. Managing the legal issues surrounding doing business online is a significant concern for many in-house counsel. Join us for...more
In what is one of the most recent attempts to circumvent the immunity provided in Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (“CDA” or “CDA Section 230”), the United States District Court for the District of Massachusetts...more
A California attorney and her law firm filed a petition on October 18, 2018, asking the Supreme Court of the United States (“SCOTUS”) to review the California Supreme Court’s ruling that reversed an injunction that would have...more
People turn to the internet to find reputable businesses, compliment a local coffee shop, and even lambaste the service at a nearby restaurant. The ubiquitous influence of online ratings, rants, and reviews is felt by...more
In our Alerts dated June 22, 2016 and September 22, 2016, we followed the case of Hassell v. Bird where a lower court, in a matter involving a defamation action brought by a law firm (“Hassell”) against a disgruntled former...more
In a closely watched case, the California Supreme Court on Monday confirmed it will continue to broadly interpret the immunity provided by Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C. § 230. Hassell v. Bird,...more
In a long-awaited decision, the California Supreme Court ruled this week that Yelp cannot be forced to remove a review posted on its website. Hassell v. Bird, 2018 WL 3213933 (Cal. Sup. Ct. July 2, 2018). Both the superior...more
In a case with free speech implications, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on November 8, 2017, affirmed the denial of Glassdoor, Inc.’s motion to quash a grand jury subpoena for the identities of the Glassdoor...more
2016 has been a challenging year for Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) and the website operators who depend on it for protection against liability stemming from user-generated content. An unusually large...more
The Ninth Circuit recently reaffirmed the protection afforded to website providers and users under Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act. In that case, a locksmith sued Yelp over a bad review and one-star rating that...more
The Communications Decency Act (“CDA”) provides broad immunity for “providers of interactive computer services.” In essence, if an internet service provider falls within certain parameters, it is entitled to immunity against...more
Hospitality industry stakeholders who host sites for online reviews or rely on review sites such as Yelp, Trip Advisor, Urban Spoon, or Oyster, may take comfort in the recent Ninth Circuit decision regarding the liability of...more
A recent California court decision involving Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act (CDA) is creating considerable concern among social media companies and other website operators....more
Whether you represent sports stars and high-profile entertainers, or hometown doctors, architects, and restaurateurs, you have almost certainly gotten calls in the past several years asking for your help in dealing with...more
Twenty years ago, the social media world we now live in was the stuff of science fiction. Today, social media is a critical business tool creating unprecedented opportunities for direct consumer interaction, brand awareness,...more