Millions of Consumers have Cut Their Debts, So Why are Financial Experts Sounding Alarm -
"And with stimulus payments a thing of the past and other unusual financial stabilization programs unwinding, the alerts are going...more
11/17/2021
/ Automotive Loans ,
Banking Sector ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Credit Cards ,
Credit Reports ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Forbearance Agreements ,
Mortgages ,
Payment Systems ,
Stablecoins ,
Student Loans
Assignment and Recordation of Patent Ownership Rights -
A patent has the attributes of intangible personal property: it can be sold or mortgaged; it may be bequeathed by a will; and it may pass to the heirs of a deceased...more
11/10/2021
/ Automation Systems ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Driverless Cars ,
Facebook ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Medical Malpractice ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Ransomware ,
Robots ,
Technology Sector ,
Trademarks ,
Vaccinations
What to Expect as Education Department Gets Ready to Resume Student Loan Payments -
"After nearly two years of pausing student loan bills, the U.S. Department of Education is trying to figure out how to start collecting...more
Nature of Patents and Patent Rights -
When a patent is issued under the seal of the United States Patent and Trademark Office, it is signed by the Director of the USPTO or an Office official. The patent contains a grant...more
10/28/2021
/ Amazon ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Collection ,
Department of Justice (DOJ) ,
Facebook ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Federal Contractors ,
Medical Devices ,
Nanotechnology ,
Patent Litigation ,
Patents ,
Retailers ,
Starbucks ,
USPTO
Bankruptcies Trending Down in West Virginia, but for How Long?
"Then from June 2020 to June 2021, in the heart of the pandemic, those numbers dropped even more."
Why this is important: From 2016 to 2019, there was an...more
The Story of Henrietta Lacks and the Biotechnology Company Accused of Selling Her Cells for Profit -
These two articles (Newsweek and Fierce Biotech) describe the new lawsuit by the Henrietta Lacks Estate surrounding the...more
10/13/2021
/ Biotechnology ,
Blockchain ,
Coinbase ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Liability Insurance ,
Patent-Eligible Subject Matter ,
Patents ,
Ransomware
China's Cryptocurrency Ban: What It Means for Bitcoin, Coinbase and the US -
"On Sept. 24, China's Central Bank declared all crypto-related transitions illegal, citing concerns about gambling fraud and money laundering."...more
Biotechnology Can Fight Climate Change—but Trade Negotiators Need to Act -
"Emerging biotechnology, such as gene-editing, can safely and effectively change our planet's future for the better."
Why this is important:...more
9/30/2021
/ Agricultural Sector ,
Amazon ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Biotechnology ,
Bitcoin ,
Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Life Sciences ,
Novartis ,
Ransomware ,
Stablecoins ,
Surveillance
China Risks Winter Energy Crunch -
"China is at risk of the same energy-crunch chaos seen in Europe, with a state-run newspaper warning that coal-fired power plants will struggle to keep the lights on this winter."...more
9/23/2021
/ China ,
Coal ,
Coal-Fired Plants ,
Coking Coal ,
Cybersecurity ,
Energy Sector ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Natural Gas ,
NPDES ,
Oil & Gas ,
Petroleum ,
Pipelines ,
Renewable Energy ,
Utilities Sector
Biden Administration Extends Student Loan Pause Until January 31, 2022 -
"The Department believes this additional time and a definitive end date will allow borrowers to plan for the resumption of payments and reduce the...more
9/21/2021
/ Banking Sector ,
Biden Administration ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Fair Credit Reporting Act (FCRA) ,
Financial Regulatory Reform ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Housing Market ,
Interest Rates ,
Military Service Members ,
Payday Loans ,
Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) ,
Small Dollar Lenders ,
Student Loans
El Salvador Buys 200 Bitcoins as the Digital Currency Becomes Legal Tender -
"El Salvador became the first country to adopt bitcoin as a national currency, kicking off a radical monetary experiment that could pose risks to...more
9/15/2021
/ Apple ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
Climate Change ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cyber Attacks ,
Cybersecurity ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
El Salvador ,
Ethereum ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
GAO ,
Government Agencies ,
Kim Kardashian ,
Medical Devices ,
Popular ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Smart Contracts
Why the Overturned Eviction Moratorium May be Too Little, Too Late for Both Renters, Landlords -
"However, the ruling doesn’t mean renters in states without protections will be immediately removed from their homes — an...more
9/7/2021
/ CARES Act ,
Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) ,
Coronavirus/COVID-19 ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Debt Collection ,
Department of Education ,
Eviction ,
Federal Reserve ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Foreclosure ,
HELOC ,
Moratorium ,
Payday Loans ,
Startups ,
Venture Capital ,
Wage Garnishment
China Passes Major Data Protection Law as Regulatory Scrutiny on Tech Sector Intensifies -
A final version of the law has not been published but a previous draft included rules around requiring consent for data protection...more
9/2/2021
/ Apple ,
Biometric Information ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
China ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Collection ,
Data Protection ,
Data Security ,
Distributed Ledger Technology (DLT) ,
Fitbit ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
International Data Transfers ,
Medical Devices ,
TikTok
As U.S. Retreats, China Looks to Back Taliban with Afghan Mining Investments -
"While the Taliban takes stock of the natural resources and U.S.-funded infrastructure now at their disposal, strategic competitors including...more
8/26/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Clean Energy ,
Coal Industry ,
Cybersecurity ,
Electricity ,
Energy Policy ,
Energy Projects ,
Energy Sector ,
FERC ,
Oil & Gas ,
Pipelines ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sanctions
Biden Makes It Easier for Student Loan Borrowers to Get a Mortgage -
"The new rule supported by the Biden administration proposed that FHA lenders drop the requirement to calculate student loan payments at 1%."
Why this is...more
8/25/2021
/ Biden Administration ,
Blackberry ,
Connected Cars ,
Consumer Financial Products ,
Credit Scores ,
False Claims Act (FCA) ,
Financial Institutions ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Mortgages ,
Paycheck Protection Program (PPP) ,
Student Loans ,
TCPA
The T-Mobile Data Breach is One You Can’t Ignore -
"Hackers claim to have obtained the data of 100 million people—including sensitive personal information."
Why this is important: Earlier this week, reports began...more
8/18/2021
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biden Administration ,
Biometric Information ,
Biometric Information Privacy Act ,
Bitcoin ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Data Breach ,
Data Privacy ,
Data Protection ,
Hackers ,
Insurance Industry ,
Robocalling ,
Trademarks
President Biden Extends Pause on Student Loan Payments to 2022 -
"Student loan payments have been paused since Congress passed the CARES Act in March of last year but were due to resume in September."
Why this is...more
Bye-Bye, Bitcoin: It's Time to Ban Cryptocurrencies -
"International banking officials say cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin are speculative assets, not sustainable, usable money."
Why this is important: This opinion piece...more
8/5/2021
/ 3D Printing ,
Big Tech ,
Biometric Information ,
Biotechnology ,
Bitcoin ,
Blockchain ,
China ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Department of Energy (DOE) ,
Digital Currency ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Food and Drug Administration (FDA) ,
Novartis ,
Patents ,
Personal Information ,
Supply Chain ,
Technology Sector ,
USPTO
Yellen Tells Regulators to ‘Act Quickly’ on Stablecoin Rules -
"New rules would cut into profit margins earned by issuers, but in the long-run should help them attract more users."
Why this is important: The recent...more
Video - NFTs are Not Tulips! (Or are They?) -
Have questions about just what exactly is an NFT? In this video, Spilman Thomas & Battle attorneys Brandon Hartman, Hugh Wellons, and Risa Katz-Albert briefly discuss what an...more
7/22/2021
/ Algorithms ,
Big Tech ,
Communications Decency Act ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Digital Assets ,
Facial Recognition Technology ,
Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) ,
Local Ordinance ,
Nanotechnology ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Privacy Concerns ,
Section 230 ,
Technology Sector ,
USPS
Mobile Payment App Complaints are Surging as More Americans Go Cashless -
"Top complaints include trouble with digital wallets, scams and customer service issues."
Why this is important: Roughly four in five Americans...more
Court Redirects Most Ring LLC Privacy Litigation Plaintiffs to Arbitration
"In the complaint, the plaintiffs alleged that Ring’s security systems were defectively designed without sufficient security protocols, leaving...more
7/8/2021
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Biotechnology ,
CRISPR ,
Cryptocurrency ,
Cybersecurity ,
Nanotechnology ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
Ransomware ,
Research and Development ,
Standing ,
Technology Sector ,
TransUnion LLC v Ramirez
Federal Hearings Seek to Reverse Trump-Era Student Loan Rules -
"The revisions include strengthening protections for borrowers harmed by misleading practices by their college."
Why this is important: Student loan debt...more
Humana Sued Over Wrongful Records Access Data Breach -
"Louisville, Ky.-based Humana is being sued over a data breach last fall that exposed the personal information of about 65,000 of its health plan members, according...more
TCPA CLASS COUNSEL LOSES MILLIONS: $60MM+ Class Recovery Looks to be Down the Tubes as Eleventh Circuit Finds No Insurance Coverage for TCPA Suit -
"The policy at issue has an exclusion for claims 'arising out of'...more
6/18/2021
/ Article III ,
Attorney's Fees ,
Debt Collection ,
Debt Relief ,
Eviction ,
FDCPA ,
FHFA ,
Financial Services Industry ,
Injury-in-Fact ,
Standing ,
Student Loans ,
TCPA