California domain name bill draws fire
Article Abstract:
California Senate Bill 1533, sponsored by state Sen Charles Calderon, makes it illegal for users to employ a trademark registered by anyone else as a domain name, but the bill is widely criticized. The bill specifies that a holder of a trademarked domain name would have to relinquish it as soon as the trademark owner asked them to, and it imposes a fine of up to $1,000 on those who refuse to comply. Opponents claim that the bill is excessive and that it places an unreasonable burden on those trying to establish a domain name. The International Trademark Assn (INTA) opposes the bill, claiming that its language it too vague and that it does not take established trademark law into consideration. INTA also says that the bill's attempt to legislate on a local level is inappropriate, since the issue requires international cooperation. If passed, the bill could encourage lawyers to search for trademarks on the Internet, then try to get the owners to relinquish the names, while the lawyers get fees from the trademark owner.
Publication Name: Law Office Computing
Subject: Law
ISSN: 1055-128X
Year: 1996
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The Electronic FOIA amendments of 1996: reformatting the FOIA for on-line access
Article Abstract:
The 1996 Electronic Freedom of Information Act Amendments reflected a five year effort by Congress to modernize the accessibility to governmental information via revolutionizing information technologies. The Amendments expanded the accessibility of information to physically challenged people while maintaining and even increasing access already existing for the general public. The increased role of the Internet in formal policy exemplified the importance of information in the maintenance of democratic institutions.
Publication Name: Administrative Law Review
Subject: Law
ISSN: 0001-8368
Year: 1998
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