How the Net became land of opportunity for legal profession; freewheeling days are over as lawsuits, fine print bedevil entrepreneurs: one company's close call
Article Abstract:
An increasingly litigious Internet industry is putting pressure on small companies that rely on the medium. Numerous law firms are developing cyberlaw practices, while small innovators lack the resources to defend themselves. An example is Interactive Imaginations, a New York-based company that operates the popular World Wide Web game site Riddler. Warnings permeate the Internet because of the fear or lawsuits. Interactive Imaginations forces Web users to approve pages of disclaimers before registering for game-show-style prizes. Interactive's legal bills mounted after the company was sued for breach-of-contract in Los Angeles. A judge dismissed the case, but money-strapped Interactive laid off more than half of its 60 employees. Interactive, with the help of some investors, has been renamed The ContentZone. The Internet environment has changed because entrepreneurs require expertise to solve legitimate problems, according to attorney Robert Cumbow.
Publication Name: The Wall Street Journal Western Edition
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0193-2241
Year: 1997
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The moderator
Article Abstract:
Jay Denebeim, who voluntarily moderates the 'Babylon 5' newsgroup site on UseNet, began the process of coordinating the messages for the interest group as a defense against clutter. With increasing numbers of users gaining easy access to the UseNet part of the Web, the levels of civility and appropriateness are sometimes strained. Studies indicate that the total number of groups and message volume on the UseNet is up to 40,000 and 250,000 per day, respectively. This situation is expected to continue with some 82 million computer users slated to be online by the end of 1997. Denebeim and other newsgroup moderators follow a simple procedure of screening messages by means of a macro program, then posting appropriate messages to the Internet server.
Publication Name: The Wall Street Journal Western Edition
Subject: Business, general
ISSN: 0193-2241
Year: 1997
User Contributions:
Comment about this article or add new information about this topic:
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