Blog
Is There a Role for International Law in Privacy and Technology?
International Law is wholly inadequate in dealing with the technology and privacy issues.
Big Data and the Fall of Personally Identifiable Information
As Big Data continues to grow in both reach and sophistication, our information economy will start to approach a state in which the definition of Personally Identifiable Information is no longer effective in pursuing its goal of protecting individual rights to privacy.
Bullish on Anti-Bullying Apps
While free-market tools have been effective in curtailing cyber-bulling, there are still opportunities to use the legal system to stop cyber-bulling.
How the SEC Really Feels About High Frequency Trading
The SEC’s high frequency trading (HFT) enforcement strategy of speak loudly and carry a small stick demonstrates that it does not want to regulate high frequency trading.
Poorly Stated Policy: The Ongoing Saga of Samsung’s SmartTVs
Samsung deserves recognition for being transparent and showing concern for privacy after public backlash that its television sets were recording viewer conversations.
Obama Administration to Weigh in on Google v. Oracle Java Dispute
The Solicitor General’s opinion on whether the Supreme Court should hear Google v. Oracle java dispute may decide what constitutes fair use in the software industry.
FCC Aims to Flex Muscle to Remove State Barriers to Municipal Internet
The FCC is taking a more assertive role in internet regulation by preempting state laws that stymie municipal-sponsored broadband projects.
Net Neutrality: A Brief Overview Prior to FCC Vote on Feb. 26
The F.C.C.’s decision in regards to net neutrality will have wide ranging impact on individuals and businesses.
The Fight for Faster Internet
The current mix of state and federal legislation, coupled with competing FCC regulation, creates a difficult situation for municipalities and ISPs in regards to municipal-sponsored broadband.
The Right to be Forgotten
The Court of Justice of the European Union’s “the right to be forgotten” ruling has spurred debate on the role of search engines in regulating privacy.
Freedom of Speech in a Digital Age: Ramifications for Hyperbolic Rhetoric and Free Debate
What counts as a true threat of violence in our digital era, and how we should go about identifying it, is still unclear.
Will federal legislation make consumers’ private information safer?
A federal response to data breach notification may not be panacea that some advocates claim.
Drone Regulation is Up in the Air
The FAA’s recent ruling, banning the commercial use of drones, raises valid concerns about safety and privacy; however, it is no panacea.
Gas, Electric, Water, and…Internet?
While President Obama support for net neutrality is not dispositive, advocates for net neutrality have gained a powerful ally.
Apple Pay and MCX: Antitrust Minefield or Misfire?
The boycott of ApplePay by clients of Merchant Customer Exchange (MCX) raises antitrust concerns.
Killer Robots on the Horizon for Weapons Technology
The United Nations is seeking to anticipate and ameliorate the potential issues regarding Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS).
Regulate High Frequency Trading?
The recent financial crisis has led to heightened scrutiny across the financial markets. After the markets collapsed in 2008 there were calls for increased regulation of the financial markets, which led to the passage of the Dodd Frank Act. Despite the increased...
CVSG Filed in Commil: Is This Yet Another “Fundamental Misunderstanding” of Patent Law by the Federal Circuit?
On June 2nd, the Supreme Court unanimously reversed the Federal Circuit’s decision in Limelight Networks, Inc. v. Akamai Technologies, Inc. The Court found a defendant could not be held liable for induced infringement of a patent under 35 U.S.C. §271(b) where there...
“We Don’t Care”? Maybe Kanye should…
140 characters may not seem like enough room to really say something of value. But if Kanye West is saying something, it can be worth a lot more than one may expect. Etsy seller “supervelma” has hand-stitched popular tweets from the rapper Kanye West onto fabric,...
The Broader Benefit of Benefit Corporations
Ello, an ad-free social network, recently closed another round of venture funding, raising $5.5M. Exciting right? Another social media start-up getting some Series A funding. While $5.5M is surely nothing to sneeze at, perhaps the more interesting feature of this next...
SOPIPA: A first step towards national standards for student data protection
In recent years, school districts have begun incorporating computers and tablets in the classroom to instantly deliver personalized content and interactive technologies to enhance student learning. However, the increasing use of technology in classrooms coupled with...
Is Electronic Dance Music Illegal?
Bad news for music fans: Girl Talk is illegal[1], according to language put forward by the Sixth Circuit. This language applies to all “mash-up” artists and “sample artists” that use clips from other artist’s songs without permission. According to a 2008 New York...
Is Genius.com the Next Napster?
Back in 1999, two tech nerds named Shawn Fanning and Sean Parker upended the entire music industry with the launch of their peer-to-peer music sharing service Napster. All of a sudden, music consumers could get any song they desired for the price of “free.” In less...
Technology Companies Fight Back Against Government Requests For User Data
In response to privacy concerns surrounding data transmission and disclosure of information, the federal government has enacted a couple of laws, most notably the Privacy Act of 1974 and the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (“HIPAA”), in order to...
Posts on the MTLR Blog are editorial opinion pieces written by student-editors of the Michigan Technology Law Review. The opinions expressed in these editorial posts are not espoused or endorsed by the University of Michigan or its Law School. To view scholarly Articles and Notes published by the Michigan Technology Law Review, please visit the MTLR home page.