Blog Post and Newsletter Archive

October 23 2019
 
October 17 2019
 
January 8 2019
 
August 9 2018

What SaaS Companies Need to Know about Source Code Escrow Agreements

If you run a SaaS company, you may come across a negotiation where a prospective customer or business partner insists on the inclusion of source code escrow in the deal terms.  However, the traditional source code escrow product is unlikely to provide the protections that your prospective customer or business partner is seeking.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog addresses the issue of source code escrow products designed for SaaS products and what SaaS companies need to know about them in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/what-saas-companies-need-to-know-about-source-code-escrow-agreements/

 
June 29 2018

News Update on California’s Enactment of Landmark Data Privacy Law

News Update 6.29.18

 
June 29 2018

In the Aftermath of GDPR, California Passes Consumer Privacy Act of 2018

Software companies are still taking steps to comply with the European Union’s General Data Privacy Regulation (“GDPR”), which just recently went into effect, but they now are facing the prospect of having to comply with a law closer to home: California’s New Consumer Privacy Act of 2018.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog discusses this development at the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/in-aftermath-of-gdpr-california-passes-consumer-privacy-act-of-2018/

 
May 3 2018
 
May 3 2018

California Supreme Court Ruling To Have Long Term Impact on Silicon Valley Reliance on Gig Workers

If your Silicon Valley company relies on Gig workers as part of its business model, then the California Supreme Court’s ruling is likely to have significant consequences for your business.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog discusses this ruling at the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/california-supreme-court-strikes-blow-to-software-industry-reliance-on-gig-workers/

 
April 26 2018
 
April 19 2018
 
April 18 2018
 
April 18 2018
 
April 18 2018

California Contemplates Passage of State Net Neutrality Bill

With the impending repeal of net neutrality at the federal level, California is currently considering the passage of a net neutrality bill to restore net neutrality at the statewide level.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog discusses the proposed bill at the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/california-to-consider-bill-that-restores-net-neutrality/

 
April 14 2018

European Court to Hear Challenge to Privacy Shield: Will the Framework Survive Court Review?

If your software company has pursued Privacy Shield certification and is relying on the certification to comply with EU data privacy regulations, then you will be interested to know that a challenge to the framework is to be heard by a European High Court.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog has addressed this development and what it may mean for the Privacy Shield framework in the following blog post:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/irish-court-has-referred-case-to-european-court-which-challenges-privacy-shield-will-the-eu-u-s-privacy-shield-framework-withstand-scrutiny-by-the-european-high-court/

 
March 23 2018

What Software Companies Need to Know about the GDPR

The European Union’s General Data Protection Regulation (the “GDPR”) will go into effect on May 25, 2018.  In case you are not up to speed on the law already, what do you need to know about it before it goes into effect?  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog addressed the highlights of the regulation in the following blogpost

:http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/what-software-companies-need-to-know-about-the-eu-general-data-protection-regulation/

 
March 9 2018
 
May 19 2017

Bipartisan Bill Introduced in Senate that Seeks to Prevent Attacks on American Cyber-Networks

The “PATCH Act of 2017” has just been introduced in the Senate, which would require government agencies to submit security holes in software products they identify for independent review in order to determine any vulnerabilities that need to be addressed.  For more information on the bill, please check out the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog posting on the story:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/bipartisan-bill-introduced-in-senate-that-seeks-to-prevent-attacks-of-american-cyber-networks/.

 
May 19 2017

BiPartisan Bill Introduced in Senate that Seeks to Prevent Attacks on American Cyber-Networks

The “Protecting Our Ability to Counter Hacking Act of 2017”  or “PATCH Act of 2017” has just been introduced in the Senate.  For more background on the bill, please check out this Silicon Valley Software Law Blog post:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/bipartisan-bill-introduced-in-senate-that-seeks-to-prevent-attacks-of-american-cyber-networks/

 
May 10 2017

Negotiating the Purchase of SaaS Company Assets: Key Problems to Consider in Any Deal

If you are like many SaaS companies I see, if you are approached with an asset purchase that interests you, you will be in a hurry to get the deal closed.  However, before you move forward, you should want to give the deal serious consideration.  What are some of the concerns you should have?  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog addresses these issues in the following blog post:http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/negotiating-the-purchase-of-saas-company-assets-key-problems-to-anticipate-in-any-deal/

 

 
May 6 2017

Investigation Reportedly Launched by Department of Justice into Uber’s Use of “Greyball” Software

The Department of Justice has launched an investigation into Uber’s use of the Greyball software program.  For more information on the investigation, please check out the following Silicon Valley Software Law Blog posting on the story:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/investigation-reportedly-launched-by-department-of-justice-into-ubers-use-of-greyball-software/

 
May 3 2017

Common Software Fee Drafting Problems and How to Fix Them

A common problem in software and SaaS agreements is that the fee terms in the contract make no sense.  Why is this the case and how do you fix the terms?  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog addresses this issue in the following posting:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/common-software-agreement-fee-drafting-problems-and-how-to-fix-them/

 
May 1 2017

Does Your Customer Software License or SaaS Agreement Leave Your Company Vulnerable to a Dispute Over Implementation?

If your company is like most in the software space, your product requires some sort of initial set-up and configuration for customers that in an enterprise scenario can require a significant investment of time and resources.  However, many software contracts are silent regarding what is involved in this initial phase of a business relationship, which results in many disputes.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog discusses this issue in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/does-your-customer-software-license-or-saas-agreement-leave-your-software-company-vulnerable-to-a-legal-dispute-over-implementation/

 
April 29 2017

Could a Software Developer Whose Code is Used for Hacking be Convicted of a Crime?

If you are a developer and you develop code that hackers then use to commit crimes, then you may be at risk for criminal prosecution.  Could prosecution of developers for code used by hackers be a new trend in law enforcement?  For more information on the risks to software developers, please check out this Silicon Valley Software Law Blog posting:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/could-a-software-developer-whose-code-is-used-for-hacking-be-convicted-of-a-crime/

 
March 16 2017

Service Level Agreements: What is a Service Level Agreement or “SLA” and When Do You Need One?

If you are in the software industry, you probably have heard of a “service level agreement” or “SLA” but do you really understand what a service level agreement is or why you might need one?  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog addresses this issue in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/service-level-agreements-what-is-a-service-level-agreement-or-sla-and-when-do-you-need-one/

 
March 10 2017

Recent Class Actions Provide Valuable Lesson on Why SaaS Contracts Should Be Drafted to Fit A Company’s Business Model

If your company is like most, you may be using a software agreement that has nothing to do with your company’s business practices or business model.  Why is this a bad idea?  Well, several recent class action suits provide a recent example of why this can be very problematic for a software company.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog addresses this issue in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/recent-software-class-actions-provide-valuable-lesson-on-why-saas-contracts-should-be-drafted-to-fit-companys-business-model/

 
March 8 2017

Recent FTC Enforcement Actions Should Serve as a Warning to Software Industry Regarding Privacy Practices

If your company is like most and you have given little or no thought to your company’s privacy policy while also collecting data and looking for ways to monetize it, then you may want to rethink how you are operating in light of recent enforcement actions by the FTC in the user data space.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog addressed these developments in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/recent-ftc-enforcement-actions-should-serve-as-warning-to-software-industry-about-privacy-practices/

 

 

 
November 22 2016

US Navy Responds to Copyright Infringement Suit Filed by Bitmanagement Software

Bitmanagement Software GmbH has filed suit against the US Navy alleging willful copyright infringement of its 3D virtual reality software “BS Contact Geo” and demanding $600 million in damages.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog discussed this and the issues likely involved in the dispute in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/us-navy-responds-to-copyright-infringement-suit-filed-by-bitmanagement-software/

 
November 10 2016

Takeaways for Software Industry on the Cost of Data Breach

If you are a cloud service provider or a software provider who offers maintenance services to enterprise-level companies, then your company has likely had occasion to negotiate indemnification clauses related to data breaches.  Moreover, your company has probably had to provide warranties around data security or employee bad acts that would provide some protections to your customers in the event of a data breach.  But have you ever considered what the cost of a possible data breach might really be for your company?  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog addresses this issue in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/takeaways-for-software-industry-from-new-study-on-costs-of-data-breach/

 
September 28 2016

HP Launches New Digital Rights Management Software Controversy with Security Update Downloads

HP has set off a new DRM software controversy over printer cartridges with a recent security update to HP printers, which made third party printer cartridges no longer compatible with their printers.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog explores the controversy and suggests that new litigation over DRM software could be on the horizon in the following blogpost:

Digital Rights Management Software and the Printer Hardware Business

 
May 10 2016

FTC Announces Order Against San Francisco Software Company

The FTC has issued an order against a San Francisco software company for deceptive and misleading trade practices with respect to the distribution of the software product and with respect to advertising and promotions related to the software product.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog has provided a brief summary of the complaint and the order issued by the FTC in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/ftc-announces-approval-of-final-order-in-deceptive-app-case-against-vulcan

 
May 3 2016

Defend Trade Secrets Act Augments Silicon Valley Companies’ Tools to Protect Trade Secrets

If your company is like most technology companies, trade secrets comprise the bulk of your intellectual property and you have probably long been frustrated with the minimal resources available to you to protect them from misappropriation. Congress has just taken action to assist your effort by passing the Defend Trade Secrets Act of 2016. The Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law Blog explores the significance of the new law in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleyiplicensinglaw.com/passage-of-defend-trade-secrets-act-provides-silicon-valley-companies-new-trade-secret-enforcement-tools/

 
April 19 2016

Should Your Software Company Be Concerned about Product ADA Compliance?

If your software company is like most, it may have considered whether the office space it was leasing was compliant with the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”) prior to signing the lease, but the idea that the products the company was selling might not be ADA compliant has never been contemplated by anyone.  However, now may be a good time to give the issue some serious consideration, as the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog explains in the following blogpost:

Should Your Software Company Be Concerned about Product ADA Compliance?

 

 
April 15 2016

Microsoft Launches New Constitutional Challenge Against Alleged Federal Government Searches of Customer Data in Cloud

Microsoft has just launched a constitutional challenge against the federal government over its use of indefinite gag orders when the government subpoenas information from customer cloud account.  The action was clearly timed to capitalize on public sentiment against the government for its perceived instrusion on privacy rights in the recent action against Apple regarding the encryption of the San Bernardino terrorist smartphone.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog further explores this development in the blogpost linked below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/microsoft-launches-new-constitutional-challenge-against-government-over-secret-data-requests

 
March 29 2016
 
March 21 2016

Government Signals Possible Reversal of Course on Apple Litigation

The Department of Justice signaled today that it may be rethinking moving forward with the Apple litigation over the iPhone encryption issue, canceling a hearing scheduled for tomorrow in order to explore a possible new method that had come to light for unlocking the terrorist iPhone that has sparked the dispute.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog further explored today’s developments in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/government-backtracks-in-dispute-against-apple-over-unlocking-terrorist-iphone.

 
March 18 2016

The Encryption Debate: Will Government or Industry Win?

When the Justice Department decided to wage a legal battle against Apple over encryption on the iPhone of one of San Bernardino terrorists, the government moved the encryption debate into the public arena and triggered a public debate over the issue.  Now, it is reported that the government is considering launching a second case over the encryption issue against yet another company.  Who will be the ultimate winner in this debate?  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog explores the issues in the following blogpost:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/who-will-ultimately-win-in-the-fbis-standoff-with-the-software-industry

 
January 15 2016

FTC Signals to Health Software Companies an Intention to Increase Scrutiny over Advertising Claims

The FTC has just reached a settlement with Lumos Labs over claims that the company was deceptively advertising the health benefits of its Luminosity software program.  The FTC’s action over this issue should serve as a warning to the health software industry regarding how health software companies are advertising their products.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog further addressed this matter in the following blog post:  http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/lumos-labs-case-signals-to-health-software-industry-an-intention-by-the-ftc-to-police-advertising-claims

 
December 16 2015

Prinz Law Launches New Copyright Meetup Group

The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog announces the launch of the new copyright meetup group Prinz Law is organizing and provides some additional information about the group in the following blog post:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/prinz-law-launches-new-meetup-group-on-copyright-law-meetup

 
December 15 2015
 
December 11 2015
 
October 8 2015
 
September 11 2015
 
May 27 2015

Software Industry Considers Consquences of Supreme Court Decision on Patent Validity Defense to Claim of Induced Infringement

The U.S. Supreme Court has just issued an opinion in the Commil vs. Cisco Systems case,  prompting members of the software industry to consider how the ruling will impact member software companies, as we further explored in our recent Silicon Valley Software Law Blog Posting:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/silicon-valley-software-industry-considers-impact-of-supreme-court-decision-on-patent-invalidity-defense-to-claim-of-induced-infringement

 

 
May 26 2015
 
May 22 2015
 
March 23 2015
 
March 20 2015

Senate Cybersecurity Bill May Increase Government Surveillance Pressures on Cloud Companies

Privacy groups have voiced concerns about the Senate Intelligence Committee’s recent introduction of a cybersecurity bill, as was further explored by the firm in the following Silicon Valley Software Law Blog posting linked below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/new-senate-cybersecurity-bill-may-expand-government-surveillance-pressures-on-cloud-companies

 
March 18 2015
 
March 12 2015
 
March 4 2015
 
February 27 2015
 
February 26 2015
 
January 30 2015

Distinguishing Between the Software License and the SaaS Contract

The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog looked at what the differences are between the software license and the SaaS contract models in a recent blog posting linked below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/software-licensing-vs-software-as-a-service-saas-the-importance-of-the-technology-model-to-contract-drafting

 
October 10 2014
 
September 14 2014

Report Claims that Most Apps Fail to Protect Users’ Privacy

Do most apps on the market fail in provider users’ with basic privacy protections?

As the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog reported in a recent blog posting, a recent study suggests that this is in fact a common problem in the software industry, as further discussed in the link below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/report-reveals-that-the-majority-of-apps-on-market-ignore-privacy-concerns

 
September 12 2014
 
September 12 2014
 
September 12 2014

California notifies App-based Ride Service Uber and Competitors that Service is Illegal

The state of California has notified Uber, Lyft, and Sidecar that their services are illegal under California law, as further discussed by the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog in the post below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/california-notifies-app-based-ride-service-uber-and-competitors-that-service-is-illegal

 

 
September 11 2014
 
September 10 2014
 
September 9 2014

Google Settles with FTC over In-App Purchases Made by Children

The Federal Trade Commission has announced that Google has agreed to refund customers’ unauthorized in-app purchases made by their children in the Google Play Store, as the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog discussed in its recent blog posting attached below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/ftc-settlement-with-google-to-require-refund-of-unauthorized-in-app-charges

 
September 8 2014
 
September 5 2014
 
September 4 2014
 
February 10 2014
 
February 8 2014
 
February 7 2014
 
February 3 2014
 
October 5 2012
 
October 5 2012
 
October 4 2012

$163 Million Damage Award in Federal Case Against Scareware Software Company and Founders

The U.S. District Court for the District of Maryland has awarded damages in excess of $163 million in a FTC case against a “scareware” software company,  Innovative Marketing, Inc. and its founders, as further discussed by the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog in the blog post link below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/federal-court-awards-163-million-judgment-against-scareware-software-company-in-ftc-case

 
August 16 2012

FTC Proposing New Rules to Protect Children’s Online Privacy

FTC has announced that it is proposing an amendment to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Rule (“COPPA”).  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog discussed the proposed changes as well as the pros and cons of potential implementation in its blog posting linked below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/ftc-proposing-new-rules-to-protect-childrens-online-privacy

 
August 15 2012
 
February 27 2012
 
February 25 2012

President Obama Announces The Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights

President Obama has announced the Consumer Privacy Bill of Rights initiative, as further discussed by the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog in the following blog post linked here:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/president-obama-unveils-new-consumer-privacy-initiative-the-consumer-privacy-bill-of-rights

 
February 24 2012
 
February 23 2012
 
February 22 2012

Web-Based Companies Evaluate the OPEN Act Proposed as an Alternative to SOPA

Is the Online Protection and Enforcement of the Digital Trade Act (“OPEN”) a better alternative to SOPA?  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog explored this question in the blog post linked below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/is-the-open-act-a-more-viable-alternative-to-sopa

 
February 16 2012
 
February 16 2012
 
January 17 2012
 
January 17 2012

SOPA Blackout Day Set to be Observed by Prominent Websites

A number of prominent websites are set to observe SOPA Blackout Day.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog discussed the SOPA Blackout controversy in the following blog post linked here:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/websites-set-to-observe-sopa-blackout-day

 
September 25 2011
 
September 25 2011
 
July 26 2011

Apple to Begin Enforcing Royalty on Direct Sales of Applications Sold on App Store

Apple has signaled its intention to step up its enforcement of its royalty on direct sales of apps being sold on the App Store, as the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog explained in its blog post linked below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/apple-signals-new-enforcement-strategy-to-companies-distributing-applications-at-the-app-store

 

 
July 25 2011
 
July 25 2011
 
July 23 2011

How to Protect Your Ideas Before the Launch of a Software Start-up

How do you protect your ideas before you launch your novel software start-up?  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog explored this issue in the following blog post linked here:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/tips-to-protecting-your-ideas-before-you-launch-your-software-start-up-company

 
July 23 2011

Consider Alternatives to Equity When Launching Your Start-up’s First Development Project

If you are like many software start-ups, you probably think that equity is the only way to pay for your development work. However, this is not in fact the only option for a cash-strapped start-up, as the Silicon Valley Software Law Blog discussed in the blog post linked here:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/equity-not-the-only-option-for-software-start-ups-hiring-first-developer

 
July 23 2011

Most Early-Stage Development Projects Overlook the Need to Procure a Copyright Assignment

If you are like most early stage software companies, you will complete your next development project without ever asking for or procuring a copyright assignment.  The Silicon Valley Software Law Blog explored this issue in the blog post linked below:

http://www.siliconvalleysoftwarelaw.com/copyright-assignmentsoverlookedinmostdevelopmentprojects

 

 
July 18 2011
 
July 17 2011

Don’t Forget the Copyright Assignment

One of the most common mistakes business owners and entrepreneurs make when they hire someone to create something for their business is that they fail to obtain a copyright assignment from the person hired, which is a problem as the Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law Blog explained in the following blog post:

http://www.siliconvalleyiplicensinglaw.com/hiring-a-third-party-to-create-for-you-dont-forget-the-copyright-assignment/

 
July 13 2011
 
July 10 2011
 
March 24 2010
 
March 22 2010
 
March 3 2010
 
February 27 2010
 
February 19 2010
 
February 19 2010
 
February 17 2010
 
February 12 2010
 
February 12 2010
 
January 14 2010
 
January 14 2010
 
January 12 2010
 
December 30 2009
 
July 31 2009
 
July 3 2009
 
June 23 2009
 
June 8 2009
 
June 5 2009
 
June 4 2009
 
June 4 2009
 
June 3 2009
 
May 31 2009

Copyright Office Issues Response to Backlog Reports

The Copyright Office has responded to claims that the Copyright Office has been experiencing a backlog, as the Silicon Valley IP Licensing Law Blog reported in the following blog post:

http://www.siliconvalleyiplicensinglaw.com/copyright-office-issues-response-to-backlog-reports/

 

 
May 28 2009
 
May 28 2009
 
May 27 2009
 
May 26 2009
 
May 17 2009
 
May 17 2009
 
May 16 2009
 
May 10 2009
 
March 31 2009
 
March 25 2009
 
March 2 2009
 
March 2 2009
 
February 18 2009
 
February 17 2009
 
February 8 2009
 
February 5 2009
 
February 5 2009
 
January 23 2009
 
January 21 2009
 
January 21 2009

Is Your Business Infringing on the Intellectual Property in Other Companies’ Logos?

If you have third party logos posted on your website, have you ever considered whether or not you are infringing on the third party’s intellectual property rights by displaying those logos on your site?  If not, perhaps this is something you should consider, as the Silicon Valley IP Licensing Blog explains in the following blog post link:

http://www.siliconvalleyiplicensinglaw.com/is-your-business-infringing-on-the-intellectual-property-in-other-companies-logos/

 
November 14 2008
 
November 12 2008
 
November 12 2008
 
November 12 2008
 
November 10 2008
 
November 3 2008
 
November 2 2008
 
October 31 2008
 
August 21 2008
 
July 29 2008
 
July 29 2008
 
July 29 2008
 
July 18 2008
 
June 20 2008
 
June 1 2008
 
 

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