Balough
March 18, 2015
Realtors and small businesses should take simple steps to protect themselves from crimes and fraud on the internet, Richard C. Balough said at a meeting of the Northern Illinois Commercial Association of Realtors. Those steps include keeping malware software up to date, not clicking on links within emails, blocking pop-ups, and routinely backing up data. […]
Balough
March 5, 2015
One Supreme Court Justice is ready to hear a case on whether online purchasers should pay a use tax regardless of where the seller is located. Currently, states can collect taxes only if the seller has a “presence” in the state—a holding Justice Anthony Kennedy apparently wants reversed. Justice Kennedy expressed his strong view in […]
Balough
March 4, 2015
Google, Inc. won a preliminary injunction stopping the Mississippi Attorney General from enforcing a 79-page subpoena or bringing a civil or criminal charge against Google under Mississippi law for making accessible third-party content to Internet users. In a brief order, the trial court found that Google had a substantial likelihood of prevailing on the merits in […]
Balough
February 9, 2015
Today’s technology-advanced cars are vulnerable to hacking, which can result in the theft of personal driving information and control of the vehicle taken over by hackers, a new report issued by Sen. Ed Markey’s office finds. The report, “Tracking & Hacking Security & Privacy Gaps Put American Drivers at Risk,” notes its findings “reveal that […]
Balough
February 8, 2015
The First Amendment does not guarantee the right of the press to publish unlawfully obtained sensitive information of marginal public value, the Seventh Circuit found. The opinion in Dahlstrom v. Sun-Times said it answers the long-standing “still-open question” created when the U.S. Supreme Court found that a newspaper could publish unlawfully obtained information if the newspaper […]
Balough
January 28, 2015
As the internet of things (IoT) affects more consumers, businesses must build security into the devices at the outset rather than as an afterthought, a report by the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) staff recommends. The report, Internet of Things, Privacy & Security in a Connected World, is based upon a workshop last fall discussing what […]
Balough
January 27, 2015
Lindsey Duncan, a purported expert on health foods and nutrition, who touted on the Dr. Oz Show a green coffee bean weight loss supplement, which he sold without credible studies supporting the claims, has agreed to pay a $9 million fine. The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced a consent decree with Duncan, Genesis Today, Inc., […]
Balough
January 22, 2015
DISH Network’s DVR technologies do not infringe on Fox Broadcasting Company’s copyrights, but provisions in a 2002 contract prohibit some of DISH’s activities, a federal district court found in ruling on cross-motions for summary judgment. Fox filed a copyright infringement and breach of contact case against DISH Network over its services that allow consumers to time […]
Balough
January 9, 2015
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has reached out to local law enforcement to help pursue operators of unauthorized commercial drones. Current FAA regulations prohibit the commercial use of drones, formally known as unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), unless the party receives a specific FAA waiver. So far, only a handful of waivers have been granted. As […]
Balough
January 8, 2015
The question of who came up with the idea for Heinz Ketchup’s “Dip & Squeeze” packaging will be left to a jury, a Pennsylvania U.S. District Court judge said. The court denied H. J. Heinz Company’s motion for summary judgment. The company sought to dismiss the case arguing that it was in the process of developing […]
