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This story was originally published on June 8, 2011, and is brought to you today as part of our Best of ECT News series. ...

As an observer of the information technology and Internet industries for several decades, I watch with great amusement as new buzzwords surface for old IT concepts. ...

The implications of this case could reach beyond the criminal realm to have an impact on civil lawsuits as well, Peter S. Vogel, a trial partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell, told TechNewsWorld. Depending on how the Supreme Courts words its opinion, it could open the door to the u...

Last month, I discussed, from the website owner's point of view, the critical importance of using Terms of Service (ToS) and Click Agreements suited to their business. ...

In a previous column, I addressed the importance of website users understanding what they are agreeing to when they use a site. Now I'll take a look at the other side: What risks do site owners run by having poorly written Terms of Service (ToS) or Click Agreements -- or none at all? ...

The issue of falsely stating revenues may also be a nonstarter. It is difficult to imagine Google deliberately falsifying records given the draconian sanctions the Securities and Exchange Commission can levy against the CFO, who must sign the documents, thanks to Sarbanes-Oxley, noted Peter S. Vogel, a trial partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell.

Apple's brand name is currently the most valuable name in the world. Google held that title for the last four years, and now Apple has finally surpassed Google as the most valuable brand. The top 10 are all very familiar names:1. Apple 2. Google 3. IBM 4. McDonald's 5. Microsoft 6. Coca-Cola 7. AT&T 8. Marlboro 9. China Mobile 10. GE So what's in a brand name, and what does it mean to Apple? "Apple" has now become a household word, not just in the U.S., but throughout the world as well. With that kind of success, Apple can do more business with more products globally. It also means that Apple is vulnerable to unscrupulous people and companies that may take advantage of Apple's valuable brand. ...

"I think from a constitutional standpoint, it is in the right of the individual to say whether this is self-incriminating or not," Peter S. Vogel, a partner in Gardere Wynne Sewell, told TechNewsWorld. "I don't see a blanket on this," he continued. "Under the Patriot Act, the...

In 2010, Google admitted that when collecting Street View photos around the world it also collected data from unsecured wireless networks. That led to a bunch of lawsuits. ...

"Where you get into problems is it's tremendously difficult to say where the transaction takes place," Peter S. Vogel, a partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell, told the E-Commerce Times. "I'm sitting in New Mexico and I buy a book from Amazon, which is in Washington State and the b...

Since few people bother to read Privacy Policies, Terms of Service or Click Wrap Agreements, is it any wonder that social media sites, search engines, and providers of cell services ask for and receive carte blanche rights to our whereabouts, along with other personal information? ...

"It's not really a surprise to see the headlines, but until the actual terms of the settlement are disclosed, it's not entirely clear what Google admitted they did," Peter S. Vogel, partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell, told the E-Commerce Times. "There are no real legal requireme...

No doubt you've heard the term "Net neutrality." Proponents and opponents have much to say on this topic. However, many Internet users don't even know what it means, or how it will affect them. ...

Courts and regulators have recently made life more complicated for Google, impacting millions of Google users worldwide ...

"Any lawsuit has to be field within a certain length of time, depending of the nature of the suit," Peter S. Vogel, a partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell, told the E-Commerce Times. "This was brought way past the legal statute in the state of New York, so many people are very skeptical about the suit."

Given the substantial gray area in current laws, Amazon would be better off it it were able to negotiate an agreement quickly, Peter S. Vogel, a trial partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell, told the E-Commerce Times. "I do think the music industry could make a case that by allowing...

Social media is transforming communications, but what many people do not see is how social media impacts litigation. Today at least 95 percent of all information is electronic, and the continued proliferation of social media surely will make that percentage grow ...

Privacy policies only work when there is one in place, and presumably this particular site did not have one, Peter S. Vogel, a trial partner at Gardere Wynne Sewell, told the E-Commerce Times. "The FTC has two things to say about privacy polices: You don't have to have one --...

In 1998, Congress enacted the Internet Tax Freedom Act, effectively banning sales taxes on sales on the Internet (the Ban), with some exceptions. Its purpose was to encourage and foster the growth of Internet business. ...

A husband, using his wife's password, read her email on a shared laptop and learned she was having an affair. A prosecutor in Michigan then charged him with a felony for reading his now ex-wife's Gmail, sending shock waves through the Internet. One might wonder where marital boundaries of sharing intimate communications end and crimes begin. ...