Site Map - Legal Issues

11/02/2007 - A bill (H.R. 744) that would prohibit the use of spyware has been approved by the House and is now pending in the Senate Judiciary Committee.

11/02/2007 - Lawmakers and witnesses recently discussed port security issues at a hearing before the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee. The key issue raised at the hearing was grant funding for the various federal programs enacted after 9-11.

11/02/2007 - At a recent hearing on identity theft, data brokers argued that only limited measures were needed to protect consumers from identity theft, while consumer advocates and identity theft victims disagreed and laid out steps Congress should take. Representatives from companies such as ChoicePoint, Acxiom Corporation, and LexisNexis shared their stories of data breaches and the theft of information from their computer systems.

11/02/2007 - An Ohio appeals court has ruled in favor of a preliminary injunction barring an employee from using his former employer’s information in his new job. However, the court ruled that some of the information taken by the employee could not be included in the injunction because the company failed to take sufficient steps to protect it. (Liebert Corporation v. John Mazur, Ohio Court of Appeals, No. 1-04-2794, 2005)

11/02/2007 - Companies that have found SOX compliance far too costly have probably implemented measures well beyond the letter of the law.

11/02/2007 - When companies outsource their security functions, attention to detail, planning, and analysis are critical.

11/02/2007 - An effective performance-appraisal system ensures that employee issues are dealt with continually, not only at yearly reviews.

11/02/2007 - Six new cases issued by the National Labor Relations Board reverse longstanding trends and establish new rules between employers and employees.

11/01/2007 - Sexual harassment and wrongful termination in the courts. Also, what’s new in Congress and the state legislatures

11/01/2007 - The book has six parts, with writings ranging from the historical to the latest in current thought. A discussion of civil liberties during wartime leads off the book. Selections from the U.S. Constitution and a federal habeas corpus statute round out the first chapter and provide a legal context for the subject.

11/01/2007 - Texas lawmakers have enacted a law (formerly H.B. 7) that will overhaul the state’s workers’ compensation program. The new law, which will take effect this month, abolishes the current Texas Workers’ Compensation Commission and replaces it with the Office of Injured Employee Public Counsel. The law, meant to cut costs, will operate like an HMO, where injured workers see doctors approved by the commission and work within certain medical networks.

11/01/2007 - Legislators in Alaska have approved a bill (H.B. 184) that would allow citizens of the state to keep guns in their cars at all times. The bill has been approved by both houses of the state legislature and is now awaiting the governor’s signature.The bill would allow employees to have guns in their cars even if the cars are parked in workplace parking lots, as long as they are beyond 300 feet from a secured restricted access area. Under the bill, this practice would be allowed even if organizations have policies prohibiting firearms on company property.

11/01/2007 - A federal appeals court has ruled that personality tests are considered medical tests under ADA.