Internet Crimes, Torts and Scams

Melise R. Blakeslee is the founder and president of Ecrimetools.com, the legal professional's Internet partner in fighting cybercrime. Ms. Blakeslee's legal practice is Internet and litigation-oriented, with an active docket focusing on Internet crimes, complex software and copyright disputes. She has over 24 years of experience protecting and licensing IP in a wide variety of industry sectors and has represented many famous brands and businesses. She is Managing Partner at Sequel Technology & IP Law, PLLC. Ms. Blakeslee was a partner, previously, with McDermott Will & Emery where she served for nine years as the head of the e-Business & Cybercrime group.

I. INTRODUCTION; II. BASIC INVESTIGATION; A. FOLLOW THE MONEY; B. THE MOST ESSENTIAL TOOL; C. CYBERSPACE IS SMALLER THAN YOU THINK; 1. THE "INTERNET" AND THE "WORLD WIDE WEB" ARE NOT THE SAME; 2. A MERE FIVE ENTITIES MAINTAIN A DIRECTORY OF THE ENTIRE INTERNET; 3. DOMAIN NAMES ARE ASSIGNED BY A "RETAILER"; 4. INFORMATION FLOWS IN AN ORDERLY MANNER; D. HOW TO FIND A CYBERSQUATTER OR SITE OWNER; 1. THE WHOIS QUERY AND REVERSE WHOIS; 2. OTHER CLUES; E. HOW TO INTERPRET E-MAIL HEADERS; F. UNMASKING THE ANONYMOUS E-MAILER; G. AN EXAMPLE OF A SIMPLE INVESTIGATION PROTOCOL; III. JURISDICTIONAL QUAGMIRE; A. WHAT'S AT STAKE: PERSONAL JURISDICTION AND THE REGULATION OF THE INTERNET; B. WHERE HAVE WE BEEN?; C. LIFE IS COMPLICATED; D. FIRST PRINCIPLES; 1. THE EARLY CASES; 2. INTERNATIONAL SHOE AND THE RISE OF LONG-ARM STATUTES; 3. EMERGING PRINCIPLES; A. GENERAL JURISDICTION; B. SPECIFIC JURISDICTION; C. IN REM JURISDICTION; E. ENTER THE INTERNET; F. CONSIDER FUNCTIONALITY; G. INTERNET ACTIVITIES (PLUS BUSINESS CONTACTS) EQUALS GENERAL JURISDICTION; H. SPECIFIC JURISDICTION - DEFAMATION; I. RECENT CASE LAW: SPECIFIC JURISDICTION - INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY, CONTRACTS AND COMMERCIAL TORTS; 1. TRADEMARK DISPUTES; 2. COPYRIGHT AND PATENT DISPUTES; 3. OTHER COMMERCIAL CASES; J. RECENT CASE LAW: CYBERSQUATTING; K. RECENT CASE LAW: THE ROLE OF SERVERS AND ISPS; L. RESOLUTION OF THE SCENARIOS; M. LONG-ARM TO GLOBAL REACH - INTERNATIONAL CONSIDERATIONS; 1. THE COMPLEXITY OF INTERNATIONAL JURISDICTIONS; 2. THE EUROPEAN PERSPECTIVE - FIRST PRINCIPLES; 3. THE E-COMMERCE DIRECTIVE (2001/31); 4. THE GENERAL RULE; A. PLACE OF ESTABLISHMENT; B. THE COORDINATED FIELD; 5. E-COMMERCE OR COMMERCE?; 6. EXCEPTIONS TO THE E-COMMERCE DIRECTIVE; A. JURISDICTION REGULATION; B. ROME I REGULATION AND THE ROME CONVENTION; 7. NATIONAL COURTS V COUNTY OF ORIGIN PRINCIPLE; 8. CONCLUSION; 9. INTERNATIONAL DEFAMATION; N. SCAMS AND TORTS - UNIQUE JURISDICTION CONSIDERATIONS; IV. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY; A. TRADEMARKS & DOMAIN NAME DISPUTES; 1. SCENARIOS; 2. HOW TO INVESTIGATE; A. THE WHOIS QUERY; B. DUN & BRADSTREET REPORTS; C. REVIEW AND DOCUMENT HOW THE DOMAIN IS USED; D. COLLECT ANCILLARY EVIDENCE; (I) PRIOR USE OF DOMAIN NAME; (II) DOCUMENT A REGISTRANT'S PREVIOUS INSTANCES OF CYBERSQUATTING; (III) DOCUMENT A REGISTRANT'S OWNERSHIP OF OTHER DOMAIN NAMES INCORPORATING TRADEMARKS; E. HIRE A PROFESSIONAL INVESTIGATOR; 3. THE LAW; A. WHAT IS CYBERSQUATTING?; (I) UDRP; (II) ACPA; B. OTHER TYPES OF CLAIMS; (I) TRADITIONAL TRADEMARK INFRINGEMENT CLAIMS; (II) STATE ANTI-CYBERSQUATTING LAWS; C. EFFECTIVELY USING CEASE AND DESIST LETTERS; D. DRAFTING THE UDRP COMPLAINT; (I) QUICK RECAP OF ACPA AND UDRP FACTORS; (II) TRADEMARK RIGHTS; (III) IDENTICAL OR CONFUSINGLY SIMILAR; (IV) RIGHTS OR LEGITIMATE INTERESTS; (V) MAKING LEGITIMATE NON-COMMERCIAL OR FAIR USE OF DOMAIN NAME; E. DRAFTING A FEDERAL CLAIM; (I) TRADEMARK RIGHTS; (II) REGISTERS, TRAFFICS OR USES; (III) IDENTICAL OR CONFUSINGLY SIMILAR; (IV) BAD FAITH INTENT TO PROFIT; F. UDRP COMPLAINTS: "TO SETTLE OR NOT TO SETTLE"; 4. STRATEGY FOR RESOLVING THE SCENARIOS; B. TRADEMARK USE IN METATAGS AND KEYWORD ADVERTISING; 1. MORE ABOUT THE TECHNICAL USE OF KEY WORDS AND METATAGS; 2. HOW TO CHECK A WEB PAGE'S METATAGS; 3. WHAT ARE KEY WORDS AND SPONSORED OR KEY ADS?; 4. HOW TO CHECK FOR SPONSORED ADS; 5. THE LAW; A. IS THIS "USE IN COMMERCE?"; B. IS SELLING A "KEYWORD" A "USE IN COMMERCE?"; C. LIKELIHOOD OF CONFUSION AND INITIAL INTEREST CONFUSION; D. FAIR USE; 6. FACTORS THAT MAY AFFECT THE OUTCOME OF AN INFRINGEMENT CLAIM; A. METATAGS; B. KEYWORDS; C. THEFT OF CONTENT - COPYRIGHT AND CONFIDENTIAL INFORMATION; 1. SCENARIOS; 2. HOW TO INVESTIGATE; 3. THE LAW; A. BASIC COPYRIGHT; B. FAIR USE OF COPYRIGHT; C. COPYRIGHT, FACTS AND "HOT NEWS"; D. THERE ARE NO TRADE SECRETS ON THE INTERNET; D. COUNTERFEITING; 1. SCENARIO; 2. HOW TO INVESTIGATE; A. A MODEL OF A COUNTERFEITING NETWORK - PHARMACEUTICALS; B. CONSIDER REGISTRATION AND HOSTING; C. MORE TOOLS & TIPS; V. FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AND THE PROBLEM OF ANONYMITY; A. INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDER LIABILITY; 1. SCENARIOS; 2. HOW TO INVESTIGATE; 3. THE LAW; A. HISTORY OF ISP LIABILITY; B. COMMUNICATION DECENCY ACT, SECTION 230; (I) BROAD IMMUNITY FOR ISPS; (II) EXCEPTIONS TO BROAD ISP IMMUNITY; 4. INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS AND INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY; A. PRE-DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT LIABILITY; B. THE DIGITAL MILLENNIUM COPYRIGHT ACT; C. ISP LIABILITY UNDER THE DMCA: CASES; 5. INTERNET SERVICE PROVIDERS AND THE FOURTH AMENDMENT; 6. CONCLUSION; B. DEFAMATION; 1. SCENARIO; 2. HOW TO INVESTIGATE; 3. THE LAW; A. PUBLICATION V. DISTRIBUTION; B. EXPEDITED DISCOVERY; C. OBTAINING A SUBPOENA; 4. STRATEGY; C. SPAM; 1. SCENARIO; 2. HOW TO INVESTIGATE; 3. THE LAW; A. DEFINING SPAM; B. PRIVATE COMBAT; C. LEGAL COMBAT; (I) STATE LEGISLATIVE EFFORTS; (II) FEDERAL LAW; 4. PROSECUTION OPTIONS AVAILABLE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION; A. OBTAINING INFORMATION, HELP AND/OR DIRECTIVE; B. REMEDIES AVAILABLE IN THE EUROPEAN UNION; C. IMPLEMENTATION OF THE E-PRIVACY DIRECTIVE; D. WHAT CAN BE GAINED BY SUING A "SPAMMER" IN THE EUROPEAN UNION?; E. CONCLUSION; 5. STRATEGY FOR RESOLVING THE SCENARIO; VI. ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE - SPECIAL CONSIDERATIONS; A. UNIQUE CHARACTERISTICS OF ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE; B. AUTHENTICATION OF ELECTRONIC EVIDENCE; 1. AUTHENTICATION OF E-MAIL MESSAGES; 2. AUTHENTICATION OF WEBSITE CONTENT; 3. AUTHENTICATION OF TEXT MESSAGES AND CHAT ROOM CONTENT; 4. AUTHENTICATION OF ELECTRONIC PUBLIC RECORDS OR REPORTS; 5. AUTHENTICATION OF COMPUTER-STORED DATA AND RECORDS PRODUCED IN CIVIL DISCOVERY OR SEIZED IN A CRIMINAL CASE; 6. AUTHENTICATION OF BUSINESS RECORDS STORED IN A COMPUTER; C. HEARSAY CONSIDERATIONS; 1. BUSINESS RECORDS EXCEPTION; 2. OTHER EXCEPTIONS; D. CHALLENGING AUTHENTICATION; E. STIPULATED AUTHENTICATION; F. BEST EVIDENCE CONSIDERATIONS; VII. FORENSICS AND EXPERTS; A. SCENARIO; B. UNDERSTANDING THE EXPERTISE; C. HOW TO CHOOSE AN EXPERT; 1. WHAT ARE THE CREDENTIALS TO LOOK FOR?; 2. HOW DO YOU FIND THESE EXPERTS?; 3. HOW MUCH DOES THE SERVICE COST?; 4. HOW MANY COMPANIES SHOULD YOU COMPARE?; 5. WHAT SHOULD AN EXPERT CONCENTRATE ON FIRST?; 6. CAN THE EXPERT WRITE A CLEAR REPORT?; D. COMPUTER FORENSIC SCIENCE; E. FORENSICS AND THE SCENARIO; F. CONCLUSION