By June 30, 2018, retailers accepting digital (online) credit card transactions must cease using encryption protocols known as SSL or TLS 1.0. Retailers must transition to TLS 1.1 or higher (such as the popular TLS 1.2) or else lose the ability to accept credit card payments. View Full Post
On June 21, 2018, the U.S. Supreme Court in South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., et al., decided (5-4 although not the usual liberal/conservative split) that an online retailer does not have to maintain a physical presence in a state in order to be required to collect the state’s sales and use tax. View Full Post
In Patrón Spirits International AG v. Conyngham Brewing Company, the Applicant sought registration of the mark PIRATE PISS for “beer, ale, and lager” in International Class 32.   Opposer Patron had opposed the application based on its ownership of the previously registered marks PYRAT and PYRAT RUM for distilled spirits and rum in International Class 32.  View Full Post
Today, the United States Supreme Court sent shock waves through the securities industry as well as the United States Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC”) enforcement program when it held that SEC administrative law judges (“ALJ”) are “inferior officers,” and must be chosen pursuant to the appointments clause of the United States Constitution.  View Full Post
On June 19, 2018, unannounced ICE raids resulted in the arrest of more than 140 workers at four meat processing plants in Ohio. ICE calls this its largest workplace raid in recent history. According to Fresh Mark, it is a member of ICE’s voluntary IMAGE (ICE Mutual Agreement between Government and Employers) Program. View Full Post
Earlier this week, the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center was ordered to pay a staggering $4,348,000.00 in order to resolve HIPAA violations from data breaches occurring in 2011, 2012, and 2013. The extremity of the penalties is explained by the fact that the data breaches were completely preventable. View Full Post
As we reported last December, the NLRB, in The Boeing Company, 365 NLRB No. 154 (2017), reversed its workplace rule standard under Lutheran Heritage.  Specifically, instead of assessing whether an employee could “reasonably construe” a workplace rule as barring the exercise of rights under the NLRA, the new test will evaluate the nature and extent of the potential impact on NLRA rights and the legitimate justifications associated with the rule.  View Full Post
Copyright is an aspect of intellectual property (IP) law less frequently considered by cannabis businesses than trademark, trade secrets or even patents it seems. Yet, like these other forms of intellectual property, copyrights can afford their holders with market dominance and profitability when utilized correctly. View Full Post
Cyber-Attacks: Does Company Size Matter? It’s no secret that as time goes on, we as consumers are witnesses to groundbreaking technology that is changing how we interact with the world. These advances include easy access to broadband internet for all. Now, it’s common for organizations to use a vast array of hardware and software to help complete vital business goals. View Full Post
Blockchain is a revolutionary technological tool in the way it tracks and stores data, decentralizes information, establishes trust in electronic files, and dispenses of intermediaries. This technology powers virtual currencies, also known as cryptocurrency or virtual tokens. Companies are raising money using “initial coin offerings” (ICOs) and using tokens to compensate and incentivize founders, directors, employees, and consultants. View Full Post
Democratic Senators Elizabeth Warren and Sherrod Brown have sent a letter to Kathy Kraninger, President Trump’s nominee for CFPB Director, seeking documents and other information about Ms. Kraninger’s role in the development and implementation of the Trump Administration’s “zero-tolerance” policy for individuals attempting illegal entry into the United States. View Full Post
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (Department) recently issued a notice proposing to terminate the international entrepreneur parole program (IE Program) in accordance with Executive Order 13767, entitled Border Security and Immigration Enforcement Improvements, because the IE Program represents an overly broad interpretation of the Department’s parole authority, lacks sufficient protections for U.S. View Full Post
Oregon Cannabis: The Week that Was No shortage of cannabis news in Oregon. Here we are a few years into legalization of recreational cannabis sales in Oregon, and it’s never a dull moment. Over the past week or so, there have been no fewer than three significant developments around the state with respect to marijuana law and policy. View Full Post