Category Archives: Litigation

The law with respect to virtual worlds is mostly cobbled together from other forms of internet law. There hasn’t been not a lot of court action concerning virtual worlds so far, but when it does happen, it’s big news.

Proposed Bill Would Outlaw Facebook Account Access As Employment Requirement

Posted on March 22, 2012 by Justin Kwong

Last night in class, we were discussing privacy issues, which is always a hot topic. Someone raised the very disturbing news that employers have begun to demand access to applicants’ Facebook profiles as a condition of considering them for a … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Developments, Legislation, Litigation, Privacy, Rights and Civil Liberties | Leave a comment

Is Your Computer Password Protected by the 4th Amendment or the 5th or Neither?

Posted on February 26, 2012 by Justin Kwong

Can the government compel you to provide your computer password if they think there is illicit material stored in an encrypted part of the hard drive? If there was ever a case when it seemed like the Constitution was no … Continue reading →

Posted in Litigation, Privacy, Rights and Civil Liberties | Tagged government, liberties, search and seizure | 1 Comment

UPDATE: Virtual Horse Case, Amaretto Ranch v. Ozimals

Posted on February 11, 2012 by Justin Kwong

When Judge Frank Easterbrook disparaged the emerging field of cyberspace law in 1996 by comparing it to the “law of the horse,” i.e. that there was no such thing, it’s unlikely that he ever imagined that there would one day … Continue reading →

Posted in Intellectual Property, Litigation, Multi-user Online Environments, Virtual Items / Virtual Goods, Virtual Stuff..., Virtual Worlds | Tagged copyright infringement, DMCA, notice and takedown, Second Life, unfair business practices, virtual horses, virtual worlds | Leave a comment

Supreme Court: GPS Tracking Requires a Warrant

Posted on January 23, 2012 by Justin Kwong

Today marked a big win for privacy advocates. The U.S. Supreme Court handed down a ruling on the question of whether it was Constitutional for police to attach a GPS tracking unit to someone’s vehicle without their consent, and without … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Developments, Litigation, Privacy, Rights and Civil Liberties | Leave a comment

Facebook Sued Over Off-Line Tracking

Posted on October 17, 2011 by Justin Kwong

I realize I’ve become one of those bloggers who goes for days weeks at a time with no updates. I have no excuse. I’m working on a new post that should be up in a few days. In the mean … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Developments, Litigation, Privacy, Rights and Civil Liberties, Social Networks | Tagged browser, cookies, Facebook, privacy, tracking | Leave a comment

Feeding Virtual Horses Sparks an IP Battle in Second Life

Posted on August 1, 2011 by Justin Kwong

I’m not sure how I missed this story when it first emerged last winter. A company that designs and sells virtual animals in Second Life is suing a competing animal maker over the IP behind the way the companies make … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Developments, Litigation, Multi-user Online Environments, Virtual Currency, Virtual Items / Virtual Goods, Virtual Stuff..., Virtual Worlds | Tagged Amaretto, Blizzard, CDA § 230, Diablo III, DMCA, economics, Farmville, irreparable harm, Justin Scheck, Ozimals, Second Life, virtual currency, virtual horses, virtual pets, virtual rabbits, virtual worlds, Wall Street Journal, World of Warcraft, Zynga | 2 Comments

Supreme Court Rejects Consumers’ Right to Class Action Arbitratio

Posted on April 28, 2011 by Justin Kwong

Alright, I’m back! I had to stay up late to get this published, but it was worth it, I think. More to follow soon. Ah, spring, the time when a Supreme Court justice’s thoughts turn to stomping all over consumers’ … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Developments, Litigation, Multi-user Online Environments | Tagged antonin scalia, arbitration, AT&T Mobility, California, cell phone, class action, Concepcion, consumers, contract, justices, majority, opinion, rights, Scalia, social networks, Supreme Court, virtual worlds | Leave a comment

Second Life Litigation Update: Court Denies Plaintiffs’ Request to Shift Forum to Pennsylvania

Posted on February 20, 2011 by Justin Kwong

About two weeks ago, after more than eight months of exchanging motions and responses, hearings and arguments, both sides in the Second Life land dispute case were dealt a substantial victory and crippling blow in a ruling by the U.S. … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Developments, Litigation, Uncategorized, Virtual Worlds | Tagged Bragg v. Linden, California, Eastern District of Pennsylvania, Judge Eduardo Robreno, jurisdiction, Land Dispute, Linden Research, Marc Bragg, property, Second Life, venue, virtual land, virtual worlds | 1 Comment

Labor and Employment Issues in Online Environments Increasing

Posted on January 28, 2011 by Justin Kwong

It’s no secret that what happens online doesn’t stay online, especially when it comes to workplace and employment issues. I’ve noticed a couple stories in recent bar journals where people have expressed surprise when real world laws follow people online, … Continue reading →

Posted in Legal Developments, Litigation, Regulation and Rule-making, Rights and Civil Liberties, Social Networks, Virtual Worlds | Tagged business, collaboration, concerted action, dress code, employment, Facebook, Google, IBM, Kat von D, labor, law, legal, Mayo Clinic, NLRB, Second Life, social media, Wave, workplace | 2 Comments