CLIP-ings: December 11, 2015

Internet Governance

Mystery Solved? Police raided an Australian businessman’s home after reports published evidence linking him to Satoshi Nakamoto, the pseudonymous Bitcoin creator.

Privacy

Goodbye Barbie: A mother sued Mattel over its controversial interactive Hello Barbie doll that records and stores to the cloud its owner’s voice, alleging that the doll violates the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act because Mattel does not receive permission to record from the parents of any underage third parties that may also interact with the doll.

Information Security And Cyberthreats

Wyndham’s FTC Settlement: In its settlement with the Federal Trade Commission concerning the data breaches affecting hundreds of thousands of its customers, Wyndham Worldwide agreed to take certain steps to strengthen its data security, including implementing a “comprehensive information security system” and conducting annual security audits.

Notification, Pronto: European Union officials agreed on the first EU-wide cybersecurity rules which would require member states to adopt measures imposing sanctions on “critical national infrastructure” operators who do not implement adequate data security systems nor timely report discovered data breaches.

Intellectual Property

Cookie Wars: Pepperidge Farm filed a trademark suit against Trader Joe’s, alleging that the supermarket chain sells a cookie that looks too similar to its famous Milano cookie.

Free Expression And Censorship

Thoughtcrimes: A federal circuit court held that a man repeatedly publishing fantasies online about “kidnapping, sexually abusing, and eating women” is not unlawful because such fantasies are “beyond the reach of the government.”

Practice Note

Hacks On, Hacks Off: A district court ruled that car manufacturers cannot be held liable for installing deficient computer systems which leave the car vulnerable to hacking attacks until an actual incident occurs.

On The Lighter Side

Toasty Turkey: A Connecticut teen modified his drone into a fire-breathing turkey roaster.


Joel R. Reidenberg
Stanley D. and Nikki Waxberg Chair and Professor of Law and Founding Academic Director, CLIP

N. Cameron Russell
Executive Director, Fordham CLIP

Thomas B. Norton
Privacy Fellow, Fordham CLIP

Tory Geronimo
Dean’s Fellow, Fordham CLIP

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