fabiochiu/medium-articles huggingface dataset:
Legal Trends for 2021
By: Ctg Tech
Tags: Legaltech, Legal Services, Business, Legal

LPM (Legal Process Management) is being used to improve client experience. It’s been predicted that nearly 90% of customer interactions are being managed without humans. While this has improved the efficiency of the legal process overall, it can leave clients feeling vulnerable and disconnected, especially during sensitive cases. Clients are not the only ones who are in need of relationships, but partners of your firm or business feel the same way.

Many people have suffered from the lack of feeling connected and engaging relationships during the pandemic, therefore it is no surprise that businesses are yearning for the same. Businesses of all kinds are focused on building relationships that can be trusted to be sympathetic during difficult times. Focusing on partnerships that will last is not only comforting for businesses, but provides security if disaster were to happen again.

The impacts of the global pandemic have touched every aspect of our livelihood. We have seen big shifts in certain industries, who have had to completely reinvent how their business operates in order to remain open, and others, who have unfortunately had to close their doors for good. For other industries, such as the legal sector, we have seen the pandemic accelerate the progress of longstanding trends.
Punishment under the law against illegal migration
By: Deji'S Notes
Tags: Legal, Social, Migration

Two Acts in Nigerian Law are generally concerned with immigration: The Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Prevention and Enforcement Act, 2015 and the Immigration Amendment Act, 2015.

The first repealed the former Act of 2003 and established the National Agency for the Prohibition of Trafficking In Persons (NAPTIP) expressly laying out guidelines against the trafficking of persons and associated punishments.

The latter replaces the old and moribund Immigration Act of 1963 and 2004 aims to establish a legal framework that reflects existing modern migration management and border management whilst establishing provisions on and strict penalties for migrant smuggling. The Immigration Act 2015 also covers items such as Passport and passport offenses, the establishment of NIS, passenger list and health examinations, recognized port of entries, and several other things not under the scope of this topic.

Any person who employs, acquires, recruits, transports, harbors, receives, or hires out a child to do any work that is exploitative, injurious, or hazardous to the physical, social or psychological development of the child commits an offense and are liable of conviction to imprisonment terms with or without an option of fine.

Highlighting some offenses and associated punishment under the Trafficking in Persons (Prohibition) Enforcement and Administration Act:

Procurement of any person: conviction to imprisonment of 10 years without the option of fine

Procurement of any person under 18 years: 10 years

Procurement of any persons for prostitution, pornography, and use in armed conflict: 14 years without an option of fine

Foreign travels which promote prostitution: 10 years without the option of fine

Unlawful detention with intent to defile (conspiration): 5 years

Unlawful detention with intent to defile (detainment): 10 years

Kidnapping from guardianship: 14 years without an option of fine

Kidnapping and abducting in order to commit culpable homicide

Buying or selling a person for a purpose

Unlawful forced labor

Traffic in slaves

Sources:
MOFA Qatar Attestation Procedure
By: Qatar Attestation
Tags: Mofa, Attestation, Legal, Qatar, Services

All original documents requiring attestation or Apostille should be first authenticated by the designated agencies in the State from where the document has been issued. In case of personal documents, Home Department /General Administration Department are the designated authorities. In case of educational documents, the documents should first be authenticated by the Education Department of the concerned State Government/Union Territory. The details of the Regional Authentication Centre (RACs) in the States/UTs from where the documents should first be authenticated are given below. The Ministry of External Affairs attests the documents on the basis of the signature of the designated signing authorities of the State Government/Union Territory/Chambers of Commerce; hence it does not take responsibility of the contents of the documents.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MOFA) is a government institution that deals with the foreign affairs of Qatar which needs to be contacted for document attestation for many purposes, including educational, non-educational and commercial procedures. if you want to migrate to Qatar from your country, your documents must be attested by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.Every country has their own specific ministry for foreign affairs attestation.It is done from the country where you are going. Once you done with the MOFA attestation you can use your certificate wherever in Qatar for any purposes.

MOFA Attestation for Qatar is required for:

• Gaining employment VISA

• Family VISA

• School admission

• labour card processing

• higher education

• medical purposes

• Visa designation

Documents required for attestation from MOFA

• Original document

• A photocopy of the passport

MOFA attestation for Qatar is an important step while planning to move to Qatar. MOFA Attestation in Qatar is one of the important procedure to follow while you are looking for certificate attestation services. There are different procedures to meet the procedure of MOFA Attestation in Qatar.

Procedure to obtain MOFA Attestation in Qatar

• Notary attestation process

• Ministry of foreign Affairs attestation process

• Embassy Attestation process

• MOFA Attestation in Qatar

Candidates should finish all the above mentioned methods to finish the MOFA attestation in Qatar.This will establish the person is carrying an original document and makes it easy to make any international dealing. Qatar being a strict, rule persisting country punishments can be hard for faking and any other illegal activities. If the authorities of MOFA determines that the document is fake, the applicant will be subjected to face legal issues in the country. MOFA attestation is essential to prove the authenticity of the documents submitted by you to the officials.

Qatar Attestation Services:

Visit our Website for any Questions/Clarification about Attestation.

Website: http://bit.ly/2vuJlOn

Call Us: TOLL-FREE: 8008007 /MOB:+974 70441555

WhatsApp No: +974 3346 9644
The Importance of Studying a Recognised Qualification
By: The Institute Of Legal Secretaries
Tags: Law, Education, Legal, Training, Qualifications

When embarking on a career as a Legal Secretary or advancing your expertise within your role as a Legal Secretary, it will be necessary for you to study a course which provides you with the knowledge and skills needed for the job.

With a wide variety of training organisations providing Legal Secretary courses, it can be confusing to know which is the best one to choose. A good way to come to a decision is to see how recognised the training provider and its courses are. You can take a look on careers websites such as the government’s National Careers Service and UCAS, or browse legal websites such as the Law Society and All About Law. This will give you a really good idea as to how recognised certain qualifications are.

Another good way to find out which qualifications are recognised in the legal industry is by talking to recruitment agencies and law firms directly. They will be able to advise you which courses they value the most.

Not only is it important to study a recognised qualification so that recruiters and employers know the value of what you have studied, but also so that you will be acquiring the knowledge and skills you need from the best source. ILSPA’s courses are highly regarded in the legal industry by law firms and legal recruiters. Many law firms throughout the UK and overseas enrol their Secretaries on our courses, or state that these are essential for entry-level positions.

Being the professional body for Legal Secretaries and PAs, ILSPA provides recognised courses which enable people to advance their careers. We focus on teaching Students about law and legal procedures so that they not only know how to perform certain tasks, but also understand the principles of law behind them. This leads to a holistic way of working, provides greater job satisfaction and leads the way to better prospects.

As well as providing qualifications, ILSPA is recognised for helping our Students and Members throughout their working lives. Our team of experts are passionate about their roles and love helping people with their Legal Secretary careers. We receive regular feedback from Students about how much they have enjoyed our courses and have secured employment in the legal field as a result of qualifying.

If you would like to speak to a member of our team about our qualifications, please feel free to contact us. Whether you are currently studying one of our courses or you are thinking about enrolling, we are happy to provide you with any advice you need.
Hybridverse Joins The Global Legal Blockchain Consourtium
By: Hybridverse Blockchain
Tags: Blockchain, Legal, Compliance, Cryptocurrency, Technology

Hybridverse Joins the Global Legal Blockchain Consortium.

The GLBC is composed of more than 120 large companies, law firms, software companies, universities and projects focused on developing standards and compliance guidelines for blockchain and smart contract technologies in the business of law.

The GLBC is a global network of legal industry stakeholders that aims to enhance security, governance and viability of blockchain and smart contract technologies to complement the way the legal industry interacts with them for the benefit of clients, in-house attorneys, legal service providers and the legal industry at large.

Hybridverse is proud to be part of such a wide and professional network that includes members such as Thomson Reuters, NEO, Integra and more.

Our participation in the GLBC will be focusing on the collaboration, standardization, clarification of those regulatory compliance requirements and due diligence standard procedures that will lay the foundation of how new blockchain regulatory models will be implemented, achieved and assured in regards of DLTs in general and stable digital assets in particular.

Learn more about Hybridverse

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3 Ways To Keep Up With Former Clients
By: Legal Leads
Tags: Marketing Strategies, Legal Marketing, Legal, Marketing, Lawyers

Set up an email list

You can create an e-mail list out of thin air in 5 minutes or less and add your former clients’ email addresses and BANG! Your former clients will hear from you and your work. Just by staying in their conscious, you might come up in a conversation, and they will recommend you to their acquaintances. One important note: you don’t want to spam your clients with daily emails. If I were you, I would send emails every 7 days or so, and send them when they will probably read it. Running an email list doesn’t take up a lot of time, but the ROI on the time spent crafting those emails can be huge.

2. Join and participate in relevant organizations

If your firm specializes in work accidents, you may want to join relevant trade unions and attend as many meetings as possible. There, you can build your personal network, make new valuable connections and become the go-to attorney, if and when something unfortunate happens. Also, workers whose case you’ve won, will be glad to see you and will refer you to their colleagues.

3. Schedule in person meetings

You could always set aside some time and invite your former clients to an in-person meeting, whether at your office, a bar or a restaurant. I know, it sounds weird to invite your former clients to drink, and it’s pretty expensive to be eating out even alone, let alone with others, but it will definitely be a nice touch. They will remember you not only as a great professional, but also as a fantastic person. The combination of these two traits will definitely keep you in the front row of their minds when it comes to recommending an attorney.
A look at this week’s global legal news
By: Indrani Aditya Rai
Tags: Legal News, Politics, Legal, Law And Order, Lawyers

Women advocates of the LEAF organization to publish resource guide to accessing abortion in Nova Scotia

An organization dedicated to protecting the legal rights of women in Canada is set to publish a resource guide to abortion in Nova Scotia on Monday.

“It summarizes the law on access to abortion and reproductive choice in a really easy-to-read, 17-page little guide,” said Sarah Baddeley, the Halifax chair of the Women’s Legal Education and Action Fund (LEAF) in an interview.

“The goal is to make sure that we are clear and transparent about what the law is in Canada and to give people a resource in navigating the medical system.”

U.S. judge halts Trump administration policy of sending asylum-seekers back to Mexico.

A U.S. judge on Monday halted the Trump administration’s policy of sending some asylum seekers back across the southern border to wait out their cases in Mexico, stopping a program the government planned to expand to stem a recent flood of migrants.

The ruling is slated to take effect on Friday, 12 April 2019, according to the order by U.S. District Judge Richard Seeborg in San Francisco. The preliminary injunction will apply nationwide.

In a late night tweet, U.S. President Donald Trump said, “A 9th Circuit Judge just ruled that Mexico is too dangerous for migrants. So unfair to the U.S. OUT OF CONTROL!”

High-profile Hamilton lawyer loses licence after allegedly misappropriating funds in Caledonia lawsuit

A Hamilton lawyer connected to a class-action lawsuit over a land dispute near Caledonia has lost his licence to practice law.

Ontario’s Law Society Tribunal released the decision to revoke John Wallace Findlay’s licence claiming “professional misconduct” and ordering the attorney to pay $1.75 million in reparations and $52,000 in tribunal legal costs.

Findlay represented over 800 plaintiffs in a land dispute that began in 2006 and ended with a $20-million settlement reached with the Ontario government in 2011.

Practice of summoning officers to court is not proper, says SC

The bench comprising Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice Hemant Gupta observed this in an appeal, while noticing that numerous orders were passed by the High Court from time to time seeking personal presence of the officers of the State. The High Court had passed such orders in contempt applications filed by some employees against orders declining their claim for regularisation and/or minimum of pay scale.

Res Judicata Principle also applicable to labour/industrial proceedings, reiterates SC

The Supreme Court has reiterated that principle of Res Judicata defined in Section 11 of the Code of Civil Procedure also applies to the labour/industrial proceedings. The High Court, on the plea by Trade unions, held that this reference made by the State to the Labour Court was not barred by res judicata. The single bench awarded 30% of the wages payable to each employee instead of granting them a relief of reinstatement in service. This order was upheld by the division bench of the High Court.
What is Medical Record Chronology and What is the importance?
By: Itcube Bpm
Tags: Legal Services, Summarization, Medical Chronologies, Medical Record Summary, Legal

A medical case chronology is the summary of the entire relevant medical document that lists medical events of a particular personal injury case in chronological order with records sorted by Date, Location, and Type of records. These documents contain information such as date and time of visit, healthcare provider, category of service and outcome of a medical event, and includes page number Index with Hyperlinks for instant navigation to the actual pages.

This Medical Chronology helps to understand the sequence of events and quickly review the records to build a convincing argument with a reliable case chronology and summary. In the court setting, it helps to provide important information and highlight all the strong points in a case to the jury.

Medical record chronologies are not mere timelines of medical events; they are a solid source of information for personal injury attorneys and their legal staff that can win the cases.

Below are the 7 Most Important Benefits of an Effective Medical Chronology.

Helps to understand the sequence of events Saves precious time by streamlining your expert’s medical records review Easily identifies providers, facilities, timelines, and other details crucial to your case Gives easy access to medical records in a single click from your medical chronology index Identify all the Important points and major event in the timeline of a case Highlights any missing documentation in a case Objective information derived directly from the medical record

Medical chronologies and summaries are incredibly useful in personal injury cases. An accurate case chronology prepared by ITCube’s experienced professionals helps Attorneys to strengthen arguments, whether at settlement discussions or trials.
BSA named a top foreign firm for India related work
By: Bsa Law Llp
Tags: Law, Legal, India Law, Uae Lawyer

BSA is proud to have been recognised by the India Business Law Journal’s 15th annual review, as a top foreign firm for India related work.

The firm was included in the ‘Regional & Specialist’ category, where recognition was given to senior associate Anand Singh, who leads the firms India desk, and matters including the Gulf Petrochem FZC insolvency-related restructuring:

“BSA AHMAD BIN HEZEEM & ASSOCIATES has more than 120 lawyers spread over nine offices across the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Oman, Iraq and Lebanon. Anand Singh leads the India desk and specialises in advising insurance companies, reinsurers, insurance brokers and agents on incorporation, distribution strategy, regulatory, compliance and other matters. BSA was engaged to assist Gulf Petrochem FZC, a multinational company with multiple subsidiaries in India, on its insolvency-related restructuring. The deal required a multipronged approach in order to address corporate restructuring, intellectual property, cybersecurity, litigation, insolvency, insurance, commercial contracts, maritime contracts and other issues. Other highlights include assisting BookMyShow, an online ticketing company headquartered in India, on its operations in UAE and Saudi Arabia. Gaurav Malhotra, associate vice president for legal and compliance at Tata AIA, endorses Anand Singh for his “professionalism and solution-oriented approach”, while Tem Nathan, general counsel at Stockal adds that Singh is “approachable and punctilious”.”

The full list and write-ups can be read here: Top Foreign Forms for India 2021.

The full annual report is available here: India Business Law Journal.

https://bsabh.com/bsa-named-a-top-foreign-firm-for-india-related-work/
How Regulation Best Interest Impacts Broker-Dealers’ Practice
By: Us Legal
Tags: SEC, Legal, Compliance, Regulation

Photo by David Martin on Unsplash

In June 2019, the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) adopted Regulation Best Interest (“Reg BI” or “Final Rule”) with a compliance date of June 30, 2020, aiming at improving protection for retail customers and enhancing the standard of conduct under the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 (“Exchange Act”) for broker-dealers and natural persons who are associated persons of a broker-dealer (“Broker-Dealers”) in the course of recommending any securities transaction or investment strategy to retail customers. The SEC also mandates a disclose form for investment advisers and broker-dealers (“Form CRS”). Additionally, the SEC excludes application to broker-dealer from the Investment Adviser Act of 1940 (“IAA”) if the “solely incidental” prong is satisfied.

Reg BI imposes a general “best interest” standard which requires broker-dealers to act in the best interest of retail customers at the time the recommendation is made, without placing the interests of the firm ahead of the retail customer’ interest. The Reg BI Package will be carried out with following four prongs: 1). Disclosure Obligation, 2) Care Obligation, 3) Conflict of Interest Obligation, 4) Compliance Obligation.

As the foregoing discusses, broker-dealers are bound by Reg BI that places their clients’ interests ahead of their own. Though the SEC intentionally attempts to augment the protection for retail customers by imposing obligations beyond existing suitability obligations , it declines to address the definition of “best interest” in the rule text, nor did the SEC label the new regulation as “Broker-Dealer Standard of Conduct” proposed by NASAA. In the Final Rule, the SEC adopted a “principles-based” approach to align with an investment adviser’s fiduciary duty and broker-dealers’ practice will be evaluated objectively on the ground of facts and circumstances of how the four component obligations of Regulation Best Interest are satisfied at the time the recommendation is made.

This article will provide an analysis of the new Best Interest Standard and the potential impact of Conflict of Interest obligation on a broker-dealers practice. For example, how Reg BI differentiates among other regulation regimes, what limitations will be imposed on broker-dealers when rendering financial recommendation and advice, how broker-dealers mitigate or eliminate conflicts of interest arising from financial incentives in conjunction with their recommendations.
Are you an accidental child pornographer?
By: Kristy Bertenshaw
Tags: Media, News, Legal, Controversy, Life

Are you an accidental child pornographer?

Do you take naked photos of your children and post them on social? Kristy Bertenshaw Aug 27·2 min read

I mean, like cute pics of baby bath time or running around in the backyard naked?

I know growing up, it was perfectly normal, and all parents did this.

Some parents like to laminate or frame these and pop them up on the walls when meeting new partners to be extra embarrassing.

The man photographed naked underwater as a baby and later ended up on Nirvana’s iconic “Nevermind” album cover filed a lawsuit Tuesday alleging he was a victim of child pornography. The album cover shows Spencer Elden, now 30, in a swimming pool as a then-infant with his penis exposed.

The image used for Nirvana’s sophomore 1991 album cover includes a digital imposition of a dollar bill on a fishhook that the baby looks like he is trying to grab. Nonsexualised nude photos of infants are generally not considered child pornography under law. But Elden’s lawyer, Robert Y. Lewis, alleges the inclusion of currency in the shot makes the baby appear “like a sex worker.”

The photon in question. Sex worker or not?

What are your thoughts on this? I saw it on the news yesterday, and it’s had me thinking ever since.

If he’s successful, will we all be able to sue our parents, cousins, aunties, parents, friends etc., for the posts they’ve taken of us as infants, as we, too, had no choice? Will there be limitations around how far back in time we can go? Will there be a statute of limitations because things were different way back when? (I can’t believe I’m old enough to type or say that).

As part of his claim, he said he had no choice and has been defined by this his entire lifetime. I don’t think he looks much like the baby now, so unless he tells people, how would anyone know it’s him? He even remade the famous photo…

I know the star of Charlie Bit My Finger also said he’d been defined by this his entire life. Thank goodness he had clothes on.

Curious to see what other people think on this one. For more details on his claim, check out the BBC.
New apartment series — 2012 — Next step — Research
By: Slava Gorbunov
Tags: Property, Strata Management, Real Estate, Legal, Strataboss

In the earlier post I described the timeline of the intriguing case of construction issues/defects resolution.

What’s obvious:

Nobody is rushing to fix the earlier reported issues Vendors don’t do anything to fix the issues Strata management doesn’t assist in fixing the issues, but forward messages to the executive committee of the owners corporation Treasurer of the owners corporation Executive Committee is somehow involved in the process and communicates directly to vendor, strata manager and the builder. No visible results though, but just promises of better future.

Research

The owner initiated the following research:

Strata rules to see who is responsible for what in terms of building defects

Seeking legal advice to set up a plan for further actions against the Vendor and/or the Builder

Requesting strata scheme account statement

Outcomes

There is no law for breach of contract. So legally there is no obligation to act as per contract of sale even after it is signed. This is what the lawyer said to the owner. In this case that means the Vendor doesn’t necessary have to fix the defects at their own expense in 6 months after the contract completion. Some of the building defects that were reported as individual unit defects are actually Owners Corporation (OC) responsibility to repair. That means the rectification work should be done on OC expense. Builders are responsible by law to provide warranty and rectify the building defects. However not all of the defects were included by Strata Manager, Vendor and Executive Committee (EC) as OC representatives in the list of OC defects in this case. EC used some of the OC money from sinking fund to help the Vendor and Builder to rectify some of the defects. No communication on that has been done to the rest of OC. Also no result of defects rectification, but EC constantly says that owners have to be patient and wait. Questionable expense items on the OC account. The Builder declines to rectify some of the defects and refers the owner to body corporate.

To be continued…
Is your organization slowing your Legal Department?
By: Practiceleague Legaltech
Tags: Legaltech, Law, Business, Legal, General Counsel

Contemporary Legal departments have been part of an evolutionary wave where their position has transformed from a reactive fire-extinguisher to a proactive decision-maker. Today, CEOs are expecting more than just legal advice from in-house counsels and more of a strategic plan that helps the company sail smoothly through the rough regulatory waters.

For the longest period of their existence, legal departments have been seen as a cost center. But with the changing legal landscape, General Counsels are striving to turn their departments into a profit center. As GCs are becoming less dependent on the outside counsels and bringing more work in-house, they are looking for ways not only run the department efficiently but also to carve out a tactical position for the department in the organization by supporting business objectives and being a change management agent.

But this transformation requires not only a change in the attitude towards the impact of legal services in the business but also adopting innovative approach to enhance the existing workflows and create not just efficient processes but also add value to the organization.

Agile legal departments have been leveraging Enterprise Legal Management Platform for various time-consuming and manual works enabling them to focus more on strategic decision-making. While this trend is setting in, the pace at which it is growing is still slow. Research shows that only 2% of legal departments budget go for tech innovation and there is only 20% of adoption rate across legal departments of all sizes. Even if the legal technology spends is increasing, as reported in one study, where 63% of legal departments have access to automated solutions, among them only half or 33% employ them judiciously.

If we look at the legal technology spend numbers, the situation doesn’t paint a rosy picture. Only 22% of legal departments are keen to increase their legal technology budgets while the other 20% have legal tech budget of less than $10,000.

Legal departments often face challenges in their pursuit of digital transformation, including resistance to change, budget constraints and integration concerns. Despite these challenges, 50% of legal operations professionals will be primarily focused on legal technology in the next year, according to Consero Corporate Legal Operations Report 2018.

The PracticeLeague platform hosts an Enterprise Legal Management platform empowering practices like Matter, also called Case or Litigation, Contract Lifecycle, Compliance, IPR and Risk Management All On The Same Platform. The platform can Legal teams collaborate seamlessly with business stakeholders, external partners like Law firms and authorities like courts.

If you wish to know how we have transformed the Legal Department of Major Enterprises into fluidic workflow channeling their time for strategic and predictive decisions rather manual updation?

Contact Us
BlockSpaces Presents Florida CLE course
Tags: Blockchain, Florida, Education, Legal, Cle

BlockSpaces is proud to welcome back “Proof of Law: What Legal Professionals Need to Know”, presented by Sasha Hodder, MBA, Esq. Partner, DLT Law, P.A, a practicing attorney specializing in blockchain, cryptocurrency and the Fintech sector.

Blockchain technology is already impacting the way legal professionals and clients do business. This course may be taken in part or as a series and allows attorneys to earn Florida Bar CLE credit while they learn about this emerging technology and the ever changing legal landscape surrounding it.

For more information and to register: http://bit.ly/Proof-of-law

LEARNING OBJECTIVES

Proof of Law: Module 1 — February 21, 2019 from 4–6pm for 2.5 Florida Bar CLE Credits

Overview of Bitcoin, the Blockchain & Distributed Ledger Technology

Distinctions between the various regulators including the SEC, CFTC, FinCEN, and the IRS

The History of ICOs

The implications of the DAO Notice & Director Hinman’s Speech

The SEC’s interventions to date

Proof of Law: Module 2 — March 21, 2019 from 4–6pm for 2.5 Florida Bar CLE Credits

Review of when a Token crosses the line to become a Security

The Consumer Token Model

When to use Regulation D, CF, S, or A+,

The lockup period required from Rule 144

The Wyoming Utility Token

Proof of Law: Module 3 — April 25, 2019 from 4–6pm for 2.5 Florida Bar CLE Credits

Overview of Crypto Exchanges

Pros and Cons of the Decentralized Exchange Model

Review of the “Good Actors” vs. “Bad Actors” in the Crypto Exchange

Review of the hacked exchanges and legal ramifications

SEC’s warning to Crypto Exchanges

Review of the Volcker Rule & Prop Trading

ETFs and the likelihood of approval

Review of the Enforcement Actions by the CFTC to date

Proof of Law: Module 4 — May 2, 2019 from 4–6pm for 2 Florida Bar CLE Credits
The Growing Struggle between Trademarking and Genericization
By: Pmg Digital Agency
Tags: Media, Branding, Trademark, Legal, Advertising

Two brands where genericization is happening now are Google and Photoshop. Googling has become synonymous with searching on the Internet for most, but courts have ruled that people still mean using Google’s search engine when they use google as a verb, allowing Google to keep its trademark. People are also starting to use the word “Photoshop” to describe editing their photos, even if they used another software, like Facetune. This may prove costly to Adobe as this becomes more widespread and they potentially face a trademark lawsuit.

Will Alexa become a generic trademark?

One product people have noticed becoming more generic is Amazon’s Alexa. With the smart speaker being the first to market, Alexa enjoys the benefit that when people think smart speaker, their minds go straight to Alexa. There are pitfalls to this, however. Though there are many more brands of smart speakers in the market now, most notably Google Home, if people still call other speakers “Alexas” or “a Google Alexa”, Amazon could face the repercussions of genericization.

With the smart speaker being the first to market, Alexa enjoys the benefit that when people think smart speaker, their minds go straight to Alexa.

And with the Internet being an area where brands can hardly police the way people are talking about them, genericization becomes a real threat. A tweet that goes viral can be great publicity for a brand, but if that tweet is talking about a cooler and calling it a Yeti when it’s really an RTIC, this widespread attention for the wrong brand could actually hurt the incorrectly named yet more well-known brand by genericizing it.

The “Alexa, play Despacito” tweets now have a worrisome edge when you consider that people could be calling their Google Home an “Alexa” in the tweet, and Amazon has no real power to stop them and enforce their trademark on their Amazon Alexa.

In the age of the Internet, both consumers and brands need to be careful about conversations about brands. With the ability of social media to go viral without any limitations by trademarks or copyrights, and the lack of control a brand now has around its name’s use on the internet, trademarks can get very diluted very quickly; turning into generic trademarks in virtually no time or disappearing altogether. Genericide is a real threat, and brands that become too successful may start to feel its impact.
Copyright infringement can land you in prison.
Tags: Ngos In India, Social Enterprise, Copyright Infringement, Legal, Ngo

I always believed piracy was an offence or we were led to believe it atleast. However this morning I was introduced to the amended section 7(4) of the cinematograph act that makes piracy a criminal offence?

Basically now there is a jail term of 3 years or a fine of 10 lakh rupees or both. While this recourse is to crackdown on piracy of films, the language of the act has unintended effects on an organisation/person using audio visual digital copies for any purpose. The original act is of 1952 and this amendment suddenly takes on the color of a copyright violation overriding the copyright act (and yes there is a copyright act).

So unless you have a written authorisation from the copyright owner you are in violation of section 7(4). If you work with films for any purpose- running awareness campaigns, discussion groups and it is not an authorised copy of the film you could come within the purview of this offence.

If you are an NGO or social enterprise who is concerned about this legal issue feel free to reach out to TrustLaw for probono/ FREE support.

Trustlaw@tr.com.

Free legal assistance: free legal service enables NGOs and social enterprises to streamline operations, expand into new countries and scale their impact. This helps them focus on their mission without spending valuable resources on their legal needs.
SwapZilla Legal Considerations
Tags: Cryptocurrency, Legal, Blockchain, Bitcoin

The legal status of cryptocurrencies around the globe remains uncertain. Governments issue warnings with an aim to explain to its citizens the difference between actual currencies, which are issued and regulated by the state, and cryptocurrencies, which are not. Some jurisdictions have gone even further and already imposed restrictions on investments in cryptocurrencies. Some ban all activities involving cryptocurrencies, others impose indirect restrictions by barring financial institutions within their borders from facilitating transactions involving cryptocurrencies.

That is why the SwapZilla team has spent a significant amount of time and resources on analyzing the legal status of the SwapZilla business model and SWZL tokens in the jurisdictions where we are planning to operate. As a result of close cooperation with several leading law firms, we created a parent company in Hong Kong (English Common Law). Cryptocurrencies in Hong Kong have a status of “virtual goods” and, in some cases, could be identified as a financial security. We are also considering opening more sister companies in other jurisdictions.

SWZL tokens are designed specifically for the SwapZilla trading platform. SWZL tokens are not securities.

SWZL tokens are sold as a “digital product”, similar to downloadable software, digital music, etc. We recommend that users take a responsible approach when purchasing SWZL tokens. We do not recommend purchasing SWZL token to users who do not have any previous experience in crypto investment, or to the users who are not familiar with the principles of the blockchain technology.
Legal Assistant Salary
By: Govt Job In Rajasthan
Tags: Legal Services, Legal Assistance, Artificial Intelligence, Legal, Paralegal

What is a legal assistant salary

What is a legal assistant salary? If this question also comes to your mind, the answer is in easy language. The salary of a legal assistant depends mainly on 3 things.

1. Qualification of legal assistant — if you take a degree or certificate from a recognized institution before becoming Paralegal, it is also helpful in increasing your salary.

2. Work Experience — The most important thing to get more salary is how much experience you have in this job. The more you experience, the easier the work will be. You can see it in the list below. 3. How you work — Of course, your salary also depends on how you work. What I mean is to inquire about a case that keeps the victim comfortable during any case. To gather the necessary evidence for the lawyer in a short time etc

Entry Level Legal Assistant Salary

The average level of entry-level legal assistant in the United Nations is $ 32,086 per year as of 2019–20. Which is a good salary for freshers. According to a survey by the National Association of Legal Assistants (

Paralegal Topic, this amount is going to increase further in the coming time. Apart from the legal assistant, there is currently no such job that gets such a good salary at the entry-level. However, at present, this job is available only in select cities. But in the coming time, every lawyer or company will have to keep a legal assistant. Therefore, the future of a legal assistant job is very good.

NALA), currently, 64% of lawyers are looking for qualified legal assistant or paralegal assistant. This indicates that the demand for legal assistant is going to increase in the coming time.

How much do legal assistants make an hour?

The starting salary for a new legal assistant is 1 hour’s 16 $. But with experience, it can grow further. This information is based on the data for the last 24 months. Initially, this amount may be low for you. But believe me, if you persevere in this work then this amount can increase amazingly. Just you have to do your work diligently.
Sexual harassment
Tags: Sexual Harassment

I used to think that I had never been in sexual harassment and didn’t really think that this is a serious problem. But after having little princesses who I should take care of, I started worrying about this cruelty and audacity. When I looked back at my past, childhood, I found 3 times which I witnessed kind of sexual harassment- it was not that serious and didn’t become a trauma thing for me, but still, it was SEXUAL HARASSMENT. At that time, I was ashamed of that, I don’t know why but I thought that it was my fault and so ashamed to tell anyone else. I was scared to be kicked or discriminated against.

The first one was my relative, who was or 7 years older than me. At that time, I was 10 or 11 years old I guess. When I was around 6, his grandfather was living next to my house and we used to play together in spite of the age difference /not only 2 of us, probably 5 or 6 kids/. He was like a brother to me. On that day, he visited my apartment — I was with my grandmother and she was so good to him. I was sitting on his leg because I was a little girl and he was a brother to me. Then suddenly, he put his hand into my pants and touched my genitals. Of course, I had no idea what he is doing and I didn’t feel anything at all. But still, I remember these moments and after 10 years, I saw him, I didn't really feel well. I don’t like him.

The second one was my dance teacher. When I was in 4th grade, I participated in a Latin American dance competition and we wore dance clothes that are too tight. I went up with my teacher and he put his hand inside my dress and touched my nipple, stroking it for a few seconds maybe. At that time, I really didn’t mind it and kind of ashamed of saying anyone else. Whoever does the same to my younger sisters or brothers, I am gonna do everything against them.

The third time was on the bus. A man touched my butt and stroked it. I was 12 or 13, just like previous bouts, I thought that this is my fault and ashamed of it. I couldn’t tell anyone. That was not my fault this is not a thing that I must feel ashamed of. He is the one who did wrong and must feel ashamed. I should have screamed and told everyone what he did to me. But I couldn’t because I thought that it will make me weak or bad.

We need to teach our girls and boys, if someone touches you without your grant or allowance, this is WRONG. And this is not your fault. If someone does this, you absolutely should tell your parents, because these people are BAD PEOPLE. You should protect yourself from these people.
Anne Keegan, remembered
By: Richard Foster
Tags: Chicago Journalism, Sexual Harassment, Anne Keegan

I don’t know how other people feel about this, but I am getting tired of reading and hearing about the antics of Harvey Weinstein, Bill Cosby, Matt Lauer and others accused of putting the make on women who were unlucky enough to cross paths with them. And I sometimes ask myself, “Dammit, why don’t more women do what Anne Keegan did one night when some poor slob hit on her? If they did what she did, these predatory poohbahs would restrain themselves.”

Anne Keegan was a Chicago Tribune reporter in the 1970s, and those of us who cut our teeth as reporters during those years recall her as a rare and treasured gift. For one thing, she was absolutely honest with everyone she encountered, her friends, her colleagues, bartenders, the people she wrote about, everybody. When she smiled, the whole universe seemed to light up, and when she was angry people looked around for large boulders to hide behind. I doubt very much if she was capable of dissembling. Everyone who knew Anne Keegan was in love with her, including me.

Anyhow, one summer evening, Anne was having drinks with some friends at an after-work saloon on Michigan Av. populated by newspaper reporters and editors, television people, press agents, various derelict down-and-outers and even some advertising people. By and bye, a drunk came over to Anne and tried to get friendly — if you can call it that — with her. Naturally, she told him to get lost.

He did so, but soon returned. This time, she told him once again to go away, this time in more menacing language. When the poor dope came back a third time, she hauled off and hit him. She hit him very hard, with her closed fist, right in the center of his face. I don’t know whether she broke his nose, but he was sprawled out on the floor, and there was a lot of blood.

It is true enough that some people are not cut out for hitting even lecherous boors in the nose. But everyone, I think, has the power, when being groped or badgered, to yell — to scream as loudly as humanly possible — “Get the hell away from me! Bug off! I’m not interested!” And to keep yelling and screaming.

It seems to me that whacking a masher in the face, or even screaming and yelling at him, makes more sense — would be a far more effective deterrent — than enduring a hurt and then, later, lamely reporting the episode to somebody.

I have no idea whether the guy who hit on Anne Keegan was in a position to retaliate against her. I doubt it. But I am positive it wouldn’t have mattered one bit to Anne. She took no guff from anybody.

I confess that I myself did not see Anne clobber this guy, but people I knew swore up and down they saw it happen. In any case, it would have been a characteristic — even inevitable — manifestation of the way Anne lived her life. Head on. Nothing tentative. I believe the anecdote deserves a place in the domain of newspaper lore, which means it ought to be preserved and, like the memory of Anne herself, honored.

-endit-
The State of California Has Charged More People At Activision Blizzard With Sexual Harassment
By: Thomas Clark
Tags: Gaming, Game, Latest Gamingnews, Sexual Harassment, Gaming News

The State of California Has Charged More People At Activision Blizzard With Sexual Harassment Thomas Clark Aug 27·2 min read

This article contains references to sexual harassment and transphobic behavior.

The state of California has updated its lawsuit against Activision Blizzard to include a broader group of people.

The lawsuit was filed last month when the state of California discovered a “frat boy” working culture within Activision Blizzard. This culture was alleged to have caused discrimination against women at the company, as well as regular harassment and unequal pay for women. Transgender employees at the company claim they are regularly deadnamed at work as well.

Employees and fans staged several walkouts and protests, both virtual and real. Call of Duty Vanguard’s developer, Sledgehammer Games, issued a statement regarding the matter, stating that harassment of any kind goes against everything the studio stands for.

The lawsuit was initially filed by the state of California on behalf of Activision Blizzard employees. The word ‘workers’ has now been added to that language. As a result, temporary workers and contractors may also have been discriminated against at Activision Blizzard.

The state also accuses the publisher of tampering with evidence that could prove crucial in the investigation. The company, according to Axios, has stifled comments on the lawsuit by issuing NDAs that require employees to speak to the company before contacting DFEH [Department of Fair Employment and Housing]. Moreover, the company has ordered its personnel staff to shred critical documents that should have been retained for the investigation of the suit.

Activision Blizzard’s spokesperson denied these allegations. Shredding documents did not destroy information, contrary to claims made by the spokesperson. A relevant piece of information pertinent to the investigation of the DFEH was preserved.

The lawsuit led to a wave of departures at Activision Blizzard. Shortly after the news broke, Blizzard’s president J. Allen Brack resigned from his position. Luis Barriga and Jesse McCree, Diablo 4’s Director and Lead Designer, have also left the company.

Source: http://tomtardis.org/2021/08/27/the-state-of-california-has-charged-more-people-at-activision-blizzard-with-sexual-harassment/