London Calling: Will 10 Downing Street Be Listening?

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ukBy Jeff Bess

As the debate over the appropriate extent of – and necessary limits to – government surveillance rages on in the United States, other nations are looking to expand their own powers to monitor the electronic communications of their citizenry. Chief among these is the United Kingdom, whose parliament is currently considering passage of the so-called “Investigatory Powers Bill,” which would authorize a whole host of new tactics for monitoring citizens’ Internet use and would also require compliance from the large Internet companies that possess troves of user data. Continue reading →

Should VARA Apply to Nature Graffiti?

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51f877d40cb03.preview-620By Beth St. Clair

State and national parks are sanctuaries, and the Emerald Gem that is the Pacific Northwest has no shortage of outdoor devotees ready to protect its parks’ soul-achingly beautiful mountains, tapestries of forests, and glimmering, shimmering lakes, streams and ocean coasts.

                How shocked would nature-lovers be to learn that, over the last several years, graffiti has moved to national parks? The most nefarious instance involved a 21-year-old from New York who painted exhausted-looking persona on logs, in caves, and even the ground, in as many as eight different national park locales. Tagging each oeuvre with “#creepytings,” she deliberately ousted herself by posting pictures on Instagram. A second case involved a European graffiti artist who spray-painted his signature tag on a boulder in Joshua Tree National Park, also posting on Instagram. After public outcry and an initial denial that he had been on park grounds, the artist paid a National Park Service fine to the U.S. District Court. Continue reading →

Federal Circuit Vindicates First Amendment by Holding Section of Lanham Act Unconstitutional

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trademark-gavelBy Vijay Kumar

The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit (CAFC) recently decided en banc that Section 2(a) of the Lanham Act, which prohibits registration of “disparaging” trademarks, is unconstitutional under the First Amendment. The effects of this significant decision (In re Tam) will undoubtedly ripple across multiple industries and affect many controversial trademarks, including most notably the Washington Redskins, who are currently appealing a district court decision to the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals. Continue reading →

Closing the Tax Gap through Modern Information Technology

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PictureBy Sam Hampton

Congratulations—you just hit a $5000 jackpot on a slot machine! Would you be more likely to report this income on your 1040 (as you should) if you knew the casino would report the winnings to the IRS? Would you be more likely to report a cash tip income if you found out that a waiter had been prosecuted for tax fraud for failure to report his tips? A recent New York Times article suggests that taxpayers are much more likely to report in either of these situations—and modern information technology provides new avenues for both auditing and monitoring taxpayers. Continue reading →

Seattle Paves the Way for Ride-Sharing Drivers to Unionize

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ride-shareBy Naazaneen Hodjat

The Seattle City Council voted unanimously last month to approve a bill that allows drivers of ride-sharing companies such as Uber and Lyft to unionize. Seattle is the first U.S. city to pass such legislation. The legality of the ordinance, however, is uncertain; Uber and Lyft are expected to challenge its legality in court under both federal labor and antitrust laws. Continue reading →