Greg R. Vetter
This course covers a survey of legal issues arising from the rapid growth of the internet and other on-line communications.
Please read carefully the Generally Applicable Syllabus Information. This document sets forth course policy for attendance, preparation and participation, use of computers, examination and grading, and other items. A complete understanding of this document is necessary to take full meaning from the Class Schedule and Other Information set forth immediately below.
| Name: | Internet Law |
| Class # / Section #: | 6325 / 18634 |
| Place: | 215-TUII |
| Time: | Tuesday & Thursday, 9:00 a.m. to 10:15 a.m. (2 class sessions per week, 3 credit hours) |
| Required Text: | Margaret Jane Radin, et al., Internet Commerce: The Emerging Legal Framework (2nd ed. 2006) (Foundation Press). |
| Supplement?: | There is no requirement to purchase a statutory supplement. Certain documents may be assigned from time to time from sources other than the casebook. These documents will be provided via links in the class assignment table below or in a separate page of class links. Paper copies of these documents will typically not be provided in class, so students should plan to print them or review them electronically. |
| Prerequisites | None. |
| Grading: | The course grade will be primarily based on an open-materials
final exam. "Primarily" means that at least 95% of the course grade will be based on the final exam. Probably 100% of the course grade will be based on the final exam, but I want to have given notice of the possibility of a small percentage of the grade coming from other sources, most likely one or more small exercises. Notwithstanding the above, my assessment of your in-class participation performance will not be a component of your grade. |
| Brief Description of Coverage: | This class will meet in two 1.5 credit-hour blocks each week. The coverage goal is approximately twenty to thirty-five pages per block. Assignments will be detailed in the table below as the semester progresses. |
| Absences Limit: | Assuming two class meetings a week, six or less absences
constitutes attendance meeting the eighty percent requirement. More
than six absences means that the eighty percent requirement is not met. Attendance will be taken via a roll sheet passed throughout the class each session. |
| "Pick your seat" seating chart date: | The second class session during the first week of class: - Thursday, January 22, 2009. |
| Final Exam Date/Time: | Thursday, May 14, 2009; 9 a.m. - noon |
| Final Exam Information: | click here for the Final Exam page. |
| First day/week's assignment: | Read this course web page, the linked Generally Applicable Syllabus Information, and the assignments detailed in the table below for the first day/week of class. |
| {reserved} | {reserved} |
| Audio Recording of Class Sessions | I will audio tape the class sessions using a portable recorder attached to my person and post links to the audio tracks on the class web site for the sole and limited educational purpose of allowing students to stream the recorded sessions to review or to enable students who missed a class to hear the class presentation. Any audio tracks created will be deleted and destroyed shortly after the final exam for the class. Since I call on students, there is a slight chance that your contributions to class discussion, whether voluntary or while on call, may be included in the audio recording. The chance is slight because the recording technology I use does a poor job of picking up any voices other than my own. Your continued registration in this class indicates your acquiescence to any such incidental recording for the purposes described above unless, if you have concerns about this, you come speak with me as soon as possible but in no event later than the first day of the second week of class. |
| Cancellation Day(s) | Thursday, January 29, 2009 |
| Makeup(s) for Cancelled Day(s): | Friday, March 27, 2009 (same time and room) |
These are posted on my home page at:
The links below are for general reference and may be used for some class assignments.
The tables immediately below provide the detailed assignments for this course. It also may provide links to materials for each class and other items related to the course. In order to allow flexibility in the class, assignments beyond those posted for the next week are subject to change; therefore, students who may wish to read ahead are urged to contact the professor before doing so. The rate of progress through the modules depends on the class dynamics.
Class presentation slides are provided as links below in association with each module title. I will generally have the slides available a day or two before a class session. If students want hardcopy of the slides for use during class, please download and print the linked slides file.
After each class session, the class date will become a hyperlink to the audio for that class.
Case names are listed in the table below as assignments. Sometimes there are several paragraphs of introduction before the case when the case is the lead case in a new subheading in the book. These introductory paragraphs are part of the assignment and should be read along with the case.
The call group assignment list will be posted here for downloading as a .pdf file, with a password required to open the file. That password will be given out in class.
In the table each casebook assignment is given a page range to go with the assignment title. Unless the "Comment/Note" column indicates otherwise, read the entire assignment, encompassed on the indicated pages, including any notes or associated problems.
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Separatism - Barlow;
Johnson & Post |
1-7 |
All |
|||
| Evolutionary - Goldsmith;
Rothchild; Long |
7-19 |
All |
|||
| Pluralist Regulation |
19-32 |
R |
|||
| Appendix A |
1257-1259 |
||||
| Activity Outside the Jurisdiction |
32-37 |
||||
| ALA
v. Pataki (SDNY.1997) |
37-45 |
L |
|||
| State
v. Heckel (Wash.2001) |
45-53 |
||||
| Regulated Industries Online:
Pharmacies; Telephony |
53-63 |
||||
| Appendix B |
1260-1267 |
||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trademark Law Basics |
64-68 |
L |
|||
Traditional Confusion - Playboy
v. Universal Tel-A-Talk (E.D.Pa.1998) |
68-74 |
||||
Albert v. Spencer
(SDNY.1998) |
74-76 |
R |
|||
Niton v. Radiation
Monitoring Devices (D.Mass.1998) |
77-81 |
||||
Initial Interest Confusion - Brookfield
v. West Coast (9th.1998) |
82-87 |
R |
|||
Playboy v. Netscape
(9th.2004) |
88-93 |
||||
Gov't Employee
Ins. Corp. v. Google (E.D.Va.2004) |
93-96 |
L |
|||
Bihari v. Gross
(SDNY.2000) |
96-104 |
||||
1-800 Contacts
v. WhenU.Com (2nd.2005) |
104-115 |
stop at the end of page 115 |
R |
||
{skipping Chapter Two, Sec. III: trademark
dilution cases} |
|||||
Trademark Defenses - Fair Use - Brookfield
v. West Coast (9th.1998) |
135-136 |
||||
Bihari v. Gross
(SDNY.2000) |
136-139 |
||||
Nominative Use - Playboy
v. Welles (9th.2002) |
139-146 |
||||
First Amendment - Planned
Parenthood v. Bucci (SDNY.1997) |
146-149 |
R |
|||
Bally v. Faber
(C.D.Cal.1998) |
149-152 |
||||
Name.Space v.
Network Solutions (2nd.2000) |
152-155 |
L |
|||
Taubman Co. v.
Webfeats (6th.2003) |
155-156 |
||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Trademark Infringement and Domain Names
- Lockheed Martin v. Network Solutions (9th.1999) |
157-169 |
||||
Green Products
v. Independence Corn (N.D.Iowa.1997) |
169-175 |
||||
Cardservice Intl.
v. McGee (E.D.Va.1997) |
175-180 |
Cardservice
Intl. stop before "Trademark Dilution" |
|||
{skipping Chapter Three, Sec. II: trademark
dilution cases} |
|||||
AntiCyberSquatting Consumer Protection
Act |
200-205 |
||||
n/a |
|||||
Sporty's Farm
v. Sportman's Market (2nd.2000) |
205-213 |
L |
|||
Alitalia-Linee
v. Casinoalitalia (E.D.Va.2001) |
213-219 |
||||
Electronics Boutique
v. Zuccarini (E.D.Pa.2000) |
219-223 |
R |
|||
Extensions/Questions |
223-231 |
||||
GlobalSantaFe
Corp. v. GlobalSantaFe.com (E.D.Va.2003) |
231-243 |
||||
Gripe Sites - Taubman
Co. v. Webfeats (6th.2003) |
243-247 |
Thurs., Mar. 12 {no audio, recorder lost, sorry!} |
R |
||
TMI v. Maxwell
(5th.2004) |
247-251 |
||||
ICANN UDRP - Helfer
& Dinwoodie |
251-260 |
||||
n/a |
|||||
Madonna v. Parisi
& "Madonna.com" (WIPO.2000) |
260-267 |
L |
|||
Weber-Stephen
Prods. v. Armitage Hardware (N.D.Ill.2000) |
267-269 |
||||
Barcelona.com
v. City of Barcelona (4th.2003) |
269-275 |
||||
Registering Domain Names |
276-281 |
||||
Registering Domain Names as Marks |
281-286 |
||||
In re Dial-A-Mattress
(Fed.Cir.2001) |
286-289 |
||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Consumer Protection Overview |
290-293 |
L |
|||
Fraud Online |
293-300 |
||||
n/a |
|||||
n/a |
Read linked article to the left. Ben Edelmen Internet Fraud research Also of interest: Newsweek article on blogging and advertising |
||||
Agency Responses & Law Enforcement |
300-302 |
McWhortle;
history of RagingBull |
|||
Online Advertising Issues - Information
Disclosures |
302-313 |
FTC
Dot Com disclosures Other guidelines for disclosures: Investor Relations Best Practices Web Guidelines; Search Engine Watch |
|||
Applicability of Rules referencing writing |
313-314 |
L |
|||
Blurring Advertising and Editorial Content |
314-316 |
||||
Online Sweepstakes |
316 |
||||
ESIGN and Consumer Issues |
317-325 |
||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Web sites - 3 categories - Zippo
Manuf. v. Zippo Dot Com (W.D.Pa.1997) |
326-335 |
R |
|||
Cybersell, Inc.
v. Cybersell, Inc. (9th.1997) |
335-344 |
||||
Effects of online activities - Panavision
Int'l v. Toeppen (9th.1998) |
344-348 |
R |
|||
Revell v. Lidov
(5th.2002) |
348-356 |
||||
Entering into transactions - Compuserve
v. Patterson (6th.1996) |
356-366 |
||||
Distribution of Publications Online |
366-367 |
L |
|||
Computer Eqpt. in the Forum State |
368-369 |
||||
Combined online/offline contacts |
369-370 |
||||
Foreign Defendants under FRCP 4(k)(2) |
370-371 |
||||
Long Arm Statutes - business within
the state |
371-373 |
||||
Tortious injury within the state - Bensusan
Rest. v. King (2nd.1997) |
373-378 |
||||
Regularly Soliciting Business in a State |
378-379 |
||||
Equipment Location as a Long Arm Factor |
379-381 |
||||
Choice of Law - Rothchild;
Goldsmith |
381-386 |
L |
|||
Subject Matter Jurisdiction |
386-388 |
||||
General Jurisdiction |
388-389 |
||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Privacy Protection - U.S. |
390-395 |
||||
Reidenberg |
395-396 |
||||
Tensions within Privacy |
396-399 |
||||
FTC - Fair Information Practices Principles |
399-405 |
L |
|||
Online Surveillance |
405-411 |
Center for Democracy & Technology:
Ghosts
in our Machines report |
|||
Online Profiling |
411-418 |
||||
Uses and Abuses of Online Privacy Policies |
418-422 |
||||
State Law Requirements to Post a Privacy
Policy |
422-423 |
||||
Security Breaches |
423-424 |
New York Times article: Do
We Need a New Internet? |
|||
Piercing Online Anonymity - Columbia
Ins. v. Seescandy.com |
424-432 |
AOL
Civil Subpoena Policy; Center for Democracy & Technology:
Digital
Search and Seizure |
R |
||
Models for Privacy - Self Regulation |
432-435 |
||||
3rd Party Certification |
435-438 |
||||
Technological Tools |
438-441 |
||||
The EC Directive & U.S. Safe Harbor |
441-451 |
U.S. Department of Commerce's Safe
Harbor Web site; EU Data
Protection home page |
|||
Privacy Commodified? - Laudon |
451-452 |
||||
Litman |
452-453 |
||||
Radin |
453-456 |
||||
{skipping Chapter Six, Sec. VI: COPPA} |
|||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Copyright Overview |
460-469 |
stop before MAI Systems . . . |
R |
||
{skipping Chapter Seven, Sec. II &
III: copyright in eCommerce and common internet activities} |
|||||
Fundamentals of Digital Music Copyright
- Reese |
542-556 |
L |
|||
Digital Reproduction of Music - UMG
Recordings v. MP3.com (SDNY.2000) |
556-559 |
||||
Downloads - Reese |
560-564 |
||||
A&M Records
v. Napster (9th.2001) |
565-573 |
||||
RIAA v. Diamond
Multimedia (9th.1999) |
573-582 |
||||
Secondary Liability - ISPs - Religious
Tech. Ctr. v. Netcom (ND.Cal.1995) |
583-600 |
L |
|||
ISP Safe Harbors - Ellison
v. Robertson (9th.2004) |
601-606 |
L |
|||
Ellison v. Robertson
(CD.Cal.2002) |
606-612 |
||||
A&M Records
v. Napster (ND.Cal.2000) |
612-617 |
||||
ALS Scan v. RemarQ
Communities (4th.2001) |
617-622 |
||||
Hendrickson v.
Amazon.com (CD.Cal.2003) |
622-625 |
||||
Intellectual Reserve
v. Utah Lighthouse Ministry (D.Utah.1999) |
625-628 |
R |
|||
Perfect 10 v.
CCBill (CD.Cal.2004) |
629-630 |
||||
Secondary Liability - Control over Technology
- Sony Corp. v. Universial (1984) |
630-643 |
||||
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
v. Grokster (2005) |
643-666 |
||||
{end} |
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n/a |
{skipping Chapter Eight: databases} |
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
{detailed assignments forthcoming} |
|||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
{detailed assignments forthcoming} |
|||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n/a |
{skipping Chapter Eleven: online business
method patents} |
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
{detailed assignments forthcoming} |
|||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
{detailed assignments forthcoming} |
|||||
| Assignment | Start Page | Comment/Notes | Start OH# |
Date |
Call Group |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
n/a |
{skipping Chapters 14 through 16} |
Last modified on April 23, 2009, by Greg R. Vetter