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11 Ways to Stay Safe Online & Protect Your Privacy By Nerissa Sardi on September 1, 2009 2:25 PM | No TrackBacks Nearly everyone is using the internet these days to find information or connect with others. But surfing the web can still sometimes feel like the Wild West. Despite technological advances to help reduce the risk of identity theft, becoming the victim of an internet scam or having your privacy invaded is a persistent threat. And, as a number of recent incidents involving social networking websites have shown us, it can even be fatal Keeping your guard up is essential to avoid trouble on the internet. Here are eleven tips from FindLaw.com to help you stay safe online: 1. Be careful who you give your information Avoid giving out personal information such as your name, address, telephone number or other personal information on websites until read and understand their privacy policy. For example, be on guard for online promotions or contests in which you may be asked to provide details about yourself. This information could be used to market to you in the future. Never give out your Social Security number or passwords online, unless you are certain the site is secure. 2. Know you're being watched Be careful of the e-mails you send and the websites you visit while at work. In most U.S. states, employees are exempt from protection by employers who may be monitoring e-mails and internet use while on the job. 3. Don't reply to spamEver get one of those strange, unexpected e-mails for real estate, weight loss, work-at-home or investment opportunities? Your best bet is to delete those e-mails without opening them. Never reply to these e-mails, even to request they remove your name from their lists. Replying will alert the sender that your e-mail is a "live" e-mail attached to an actual person.  4. Use secured websites Before you purchase a product or service online with a credit card, make sure the connection is secure or encrypted. Look for a small lock icon on the website, or look at the URL address line; a secure connection will begin with https:// ("s" for secured) instead of http:// 5. Beware of public wireless accessDon't send personal or confidential information when using public wireless connections in cafes and other public places. Fellow wireless users could potentially monitor what you are doing only a few feet away. 6. Think before you post Avoid revealing personal information or photos on websites such as Facebook, MySpace or SecondLife. Personal or embarrassing information and images can haunt you in years to come like when you are applying for college or a new job. If it's on the internet, it's available for a potential employer, your school, a future or current spouse, your mother or grandmother to find it. 7. Don't trust your friends A number of recent incidents involving "sexting" demonstrate, sending photos of yourself in the nude or in compromising positions could not only be extremely embarrassing when a partner or ex-partner starts to share those photos with his or her friends, but it also could be illegal. 8. Beware of classified listing meet-upsWhen using websites such as Craigslist or Freelist to buy or exchange goods locally, always bring someone you trust with you to meet the seller/buyer. Be cautious about letting strangers into your home or meeting in unsafe places 9. Watch your cookies Cookies are tidbits of information that websites store on your computer. Some cookies are useful, such as those that store information about you so you don't have to retype info every time you go to that site. Other cookies are used to track your motions through a website. Some companies keep this data for their own usages - however, some sell your information to other marketers. You can monitor and edit the cookies on your computer through your browser. 10. Use anti-spyware Spyware is sneaky software that rides its way onto computers during the download of screensavers, games, music and other applications. Spyware sends information about what you're doing on the internet to a third-party, usually to target you with pop-up ads. Anti-spyware will help block this threat. 11. Monitor your kids' internet useMove computers out of the bedroom and into family space where parents and others can check on your child's internet use by simply walking by. Set specific times that your child may surf the web, and set rules about social media websites, such as Facebook, My Space and Twitter.

In this digital age, bullying is no longer relegated to the schoolyard. Bullies can now attack in the place kids should feel the safest -- their homes. Instead of physically harming or verbally attacking their victims, cyberbullies use the Internet, cell phones and other technology to hurt, threaten and embarrass others. Because it is done online, the effect of cyberbullying is more far-reaching and enduring than bullying that occurs at school. Cyberbullies can victimize their targets in a variety of ways, including the following: Creating websites that make fun of or criticize another person Sending mean or threatening emails, instant messages or text messages Pretending to be someone else to trick their victim into revealing personal information Lying about their victim online Breaking into their victim's email or instant messages Posting unflattering or offensive pictures online, without permission Using websites to rate their peers In most instances, the victims of cyberbullying know their attackers. They are often classmates, friends or online acquaintances. One study showed that only 23 percent of victims were bullied by someone they didn't know.

Justin, Demi, Selena, Rihanna - and COPPA By Lesley Fair October 4, 2012 - 1:29pm It's not likely we'll succumb to Bieber Fever.  We're of a generation more susceptible to the Rockin' Pneumonia and the Boogie Woogie Flu.  But a company that ran official fan websites for pop stars may be feeling the effects of an FTC law enforcement action alleging violations of the Children's Online Privacy Protection Act and COPPA Rule. The defendant, Artist Arena, operated authorized sites for Justin Bieber, Demi Lovato, Selena Gomez, and the mononymous recording artist Rihanna.  (It is, too, a word.  Ask Cher or Fabio.)  Visitors to BieberFever.com, DemiLovatoFanClub.net, SelenaGomez.com, or RihannaNow.com could join fan clubs and subscribe to online newsletters.  Fan club members also had access to social networking functions, like creating personal profiles, posting on walls, or "friending" other members.  Of course, to take advantage of those features, people had to provide personal information. The details of the registration process varied depending on the site, so you'll want to read the complaint for the specifics.  But the 25-words-or-less summary is that Artist Arena allegedly collected kids' names, addresses, email addresses, birthdates, gender and other info without properly notifying parents and getting their consent.  According to the complaint, the company violated COPPA by knowingly registering over 25,000 kids under 13 and collected and maintained personal information from almost 75,000 other kids under 13 who started the sign-up process, but didn't finish it. What about Artist Arena's promises that it wouldn't collect children's personal information or activate kids' registrations without parental consent?  The FTC challenged those claims as false. The settlement imposes a $1 million civil penalty, bars future COPPA violations, and requires the company  to delete the information collected illegally. Looking for specifics on COPPA compliance?  Visit the BCP Business Center's Children's Privacy page.  

Copyright Infringement means using the original piece without the permission of the copyright holder, as such or in parts (without attributing the part to the owner). According to the US copyright laws, one can face heavy penalties in cases of copyright infringement. The infringement may also lead to a jail term or a penalty followed by a jail term.

Princeton University Press v. Michigan Document Services (1996) Michigan Document Services was involved in creating packages of study material for the students of the University. A professor supplied the course material and Michigan Document services, a photocopying organization, took photocopies of the material and converted it into a booklet for sale to students at the University. There was a clause of "Fair use" in this case. The photocopying company could have paid a nominal fee to the University and then used the material. This was available to anyone who wished to use the material. However, the photocopying company paid for only the original and then started making photocopies of the study material. The court considered that it was not "fair use" and penalized the photocopying company. A & M Records vs. Napster (2001) This is one of the most famous cases of copyright infringement related to the music industry. As peer to peer file sharing increased, Napster started a website. This website offered downloads of songs of all genre – new and old. You may know someone who used it. A & M Records brought in a joint copyright infringement case which accused Napster of stealing music and making it available to people worldwide. Before closing the site in 2002, Napster had to settle USD26 million to different recording companies and songwriters. It could have even more if Napster had not apologized and folded the site. Several websites still thrive on offering free music to people who can download it at no cost. As mentioned in our article on "Internet Ethics and Copyright Laws", the music industry faces most copyright infringement cases. The Napster case, though an example of the consequences, still does not act as a deterrent for other music websites that offer free music downloads. We hope these famous copyright infringement cases have clarified what is considered copyright violation to some extent. If you still have any questions, please free to contact us using the comments facility.