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The FTC vs. Google: Who Are You Going to Call?

Late this past June, the Federal Trade Commission indicated it was launching an investigation into Google’s search engine technology and whether it pushes consumers to Google’s other services in a manner that is unfair to competition.

That also means that the FTC will not only be asking Google for records and information about the way it conducts its business, but it will also be asking for information from Google’s competitors (presumably who would provide information gleefully, except that they best be careful about celebrating too prematurely when they hand over information to the government), AND – here it comes – lots of companies who do business with Google: The host of third parties that are advertising and marketing networks, publishers, services, sponsors and, yes, even advertisers and agencies themselves.

What should you do? Well we’ve prepared a handy reference guide – What Should You Do When the FTC Calls About Google? to explain what the FTC can ask, to explain a few of the basic legal principles that apply to the “asking” the FTC may engage in and, frankly, a warning that you should be calling your lawyers—lawyers knowledgeable in this process—and protecting your interests. For you in-house lawyers out there, if you aren’t familiar with handling these inquiries and third-party requests, perhaps you should consider engaging the services of outside lawyers who know how to help. So whether you know you need help, before or after receiving an inquiry from the FTC – formal or informal – or if you aren’t sure, you might just want to call Joseph I. Rosenbaum, Rachel A. Rubin or the Rimon lawyer with whom you regularly work. We would be happy to help!

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New Jersey Finds Media Companies Taxing

New Jersey recently announced an initiative that offers certain tax and penalty abatements to media companies that come forward voluntarily to bring themselves into compliance with the state’s tax laws. New Jersey’s policy is that any media company with New Jersey-based subscribers or that advertises in the state of New Jersey is subject to New Jersey state tax. But New Jersey officials believe that many media companies are not currently in compliance. So they are offering an abatement program, noting that any non-compliant company that does not come forward within the next 90 days will be treated much worse.

Rimon has one of the largest New Jersey state tax practices of any major firm, with extensive experience negotiating these types of tax agreements with New Jersey tax officials; and members of the practice always recommend that discussions with the New Jersey taxing authorities be done through qualified counsel to preserve taxpayer confidentiality. You can read our State Tax Alert on the subject, and if you are interested in learning more, contact David J. Gutowski or any of the Rimon lawyers with whom you regularly work. We would be happy to help.

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Who’s Right on Privacy? Rosenbaum on Legal Bisnow.

You’ll have to read the story to find out why Rimon’s own Joseph I. (“Joe”) Rosenbaum thinks that “Privacy is the elephant-sized rubber band ball in the room.” Joe was recently interviewed by Jeff Gamsey, managing editor of Legal Bisnow, and is featured in yesterday’s lead story on Legal Bisnow entitled, “Who’s Right on Privacy?”

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Transcending the Cloud – Health Care on Cloud 9? Are You Doing Fine?

If you are a music aficionado, you will remember that years ago, The Temptations sang “I’m Doing Fine on Cloud Nine.”

 

https://youtube.com/watch?v=6aiYCuOzmcs

 

If you are a health care provider paying attention to the buzz about cloud computing, you may be concerned about migrating your technology, your data and your applications to a cloud environment.  Or, let’s say you are just confused about the implications. You are not alone.

That’s precisely why our Cloud Computing initiative exists. To provide you with a guidance system – navigational tools to allow you to see sunshine, even on a cloudy day. So, as part of our ongoing commitment to keeping abreast of legal issues, concerns and considerations in the legal world of cloud computing, here, from Vicky G. Gormanly and Joseph I. Rosenbaum, is the next chapter in Rimon’s on-going series, “Transcending the Cloud: A Legal Guide to the Risks and Rewards of Cloud Computing,” entitled “Health Care in the Cloud – Think You Are Doing Fine on Cloud Nine? Hey, You! Think Again. Better Get Off of My Cloud.” This white paper examines the considerations and concerns that arise for the health care industry and the industry’s associated suppliers, vendors and providers in the wake of complex and evolving regulation and scrutiny – most notably, in the privacy and data protection of medical information – of electronic health records.

As we do each time, we have also updated the entire work, so that in addition to the single ‘Health Care in the Cloud’ white paper, you can access and download a PDF of the entire “Transcending the Cloud: A Legal Guide to the Risks and Rewards of Cloud Computing” compendium, up to date and including all the previous chapters in one document.  After reading the article, instead of doing fine, you just may want to take the advice of The Rolling Stones and “Get Off of My Cloud” until you consult your legal advisors.

 

 

Of course, feel free to contact Vicky Gormanly or Joe Rosenbaum directly if you have any questions or require legal counsel or assistance related to this white paper. Make sure you subscribe via email or get the Legal Bytes RSS feed so you are always in touch with our latest information. Of course, if you ever have questions, you can always contact any Rimon attorney with whom you regularly work.

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ANA Voices Opposition to ICANN’s Proposed New gTLD Program

If you have been reading LegalBytes, you already know that the International Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) approved a plan to allow the proliferation of new generic top-level Internet domain names (Nightmare on Brand Street: ICANN Adopts Unlimited gTLDs). We hope you also know that a brief, executive-level presentation was made available entitled "The New gTLDs: What Does It Mean for Brand Owners?" that you can still download from "ICANN. You Can. We All Can: Own Your Own gTLD, Of Course!"

Well since then, all has not been quiet on the Western, Eastern, Northern or Southern Fronts, and today, in a letter to ICANN, the Association of National Advertisers ("ANA") detailed major flaws in the proposed ICANN program. You can read the ANA press release, as well as comments regarding ICANN’s administration of the root server system for the Internet that the ANA filed with the National Telecommunications & Information Administration (U.S. Department of Commerce).

Full disclosure: Rimon is representing the ANA in this initiative, with the support of other associations and organizations, to put ICANN on notice that the program will be economically disastrous and is unjustified by reports and experts relied upon by ICANN. The starting point for inquiring minds is the simple question: What problem or concern is this new program intended to address? The next question might be: At US$185,000 per application, plus additional annual fees, hosting or domain administration costs; dispute resolution expenses; and the added staff and monitoring (not to mention that companies will not simply abandon their existing domains (e.g., the dot com world); how can the Department of Commerce explain to small- to medium-sized businesses or start-up and emerging-growth companies that this additional cost is well worth it?

If you ask me, there is no shortage of questions, but an apparent paucity of answers. While there may be an emerging chorus of opposition, companies are already being forced to spend money hiring consultants, conducting analyses, commissioning internal task forces—all to study the impact, and determine if they should fight, apply or pursue any number of alternatives, in response to a program of questionable need and more questionable value. But then, that’s just my humble and slightly biased opinion.

So if you are stimulated to act or just to ask, you can contact any member of Rimon’s TLD Task Force: Doug Wood at +1 212-549-0377 or dwood@rimonlaw.com; Judy Harris at +1 202 414 9276 or jharris@rimonlaw.com; John Hines at +1 312 207 3876 or jhines@rimonlaw.com; Alex Klett (Germany) at +49 89 20304 179 or aklett@rimonlaw.com; Amy Mushahwar at +1 202 414 9295 or amushahwar@rimonlaw.com; Brad Newberg at +1 703 641 4272 or bnewberg@rimonlaw.com; Bo Phillips at +1 213 457 8311 or rphillips@rimonlaw.com; or Joe Rosenbaum at +1 212 702 1303 or joseph.rosenbaum@rimonlaw.com. 

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Useless But Compelling Facts – August 2011

The amazingly talented Barbra Joan Streisand is a singer, actress, film producer and director, and is among a very few and select group of entertainment professionals who have won an Oscar, Emmy, Grammy, and a Tony Award. She has also won an award from the American Film Institute and a Peabody Award. Further, Ms. Streisand has been married twice – you’ll have to look up the names if you don’t know. But that’s not the question this time.

One motion picture stars both of the men Ms. Streisand has married, both her prior and her current husband. No, you can’t make this up. Name the motion picture and both of these men.