Gibbons Law Alert

Gibbons Law Alert

Tagged: Software

Software License Cannot Be Used as a “Shield” Against Production

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Posted in E-Discovery: Legal Decisions and Court Rules

On January 26, 2015

In Pero v. Norfolk Southern Railway, Co., No. 14-cv-16 (E.D. Tenn. Dec. 1, 2014), the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Tennessee concluded that a party cannot use a video software license to block a party from obtaining relevant evidence. Pero, an employee of Norfolk, sued after he was injured while operating a locomotive. The train was equipped with a camera and recorded the events leading to Pero’s injuries. Pero moved to compel production of the video, which could only be viewed using a proprietary software program. Norfolk moved for a protective order, arguing that providing a copy of the video would exceed the scope of its software license. Norfolk took the position that Pero had to pay $500 to purchase his own license or Pero could view the video in Norfolk’s counsel’s office.

Exploration of Sophisticated Cloud Computing Abilities Unnecessary When Responding to Discovery Demands

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Posted in E-Discovery: Legal Decisions and Court Rules

On May 29, 2014

A new decision out of the District of New Jersey holds that a company need not utilize its cloud-based comprehensive document search tools absent evidence that its standard custodian-based approach to data collection was deficient. In Koninklijke Philips v. Hunt Control Systems, a multi-billion dollar trademark dispute, defendant Hunt Control Systems, Inc. (“Hunt”) served plaintiff Koninklijke Philips N.V. (“Philips”) with discovery demands that included requests for production of electronically stored information (“ESI”). To prepare its response, Philips requested information from eight specific employees.

Predictable? — DOJ Approves Use of Predictive Coding in AB InBev-Grupo Modelo Merger Investigation

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Posted in E-Discovery: Legal Decisions and Court Rules

On July 24, 2013

On May 6, 2013, the U.S. Department of Justice’s (“DOJ”) Antitrust Division approved Constellation Brands Inc.’s (“Constellation”) and Crown Imports LLC’s (“Crown”) request to use predictive coding to determine which documents were most relevant and responsive to the DOJ’s requests. Constellation is a potential buyer of assets from the huge AB InBev-Grupo Modelo merger, and Crown is a joint venture between Grupo Modelo and Constellation. Reportedly, Constellation and Crown identified in excess of one million documents that would require manual review before being handed over to the Justice Department for scrutiny. After several seed sets were run using the automated data review software and compared manually, DOJ was satisfied that the predictive coding software would identify the most relevant documents and approved its use. As reported by the Wall Street Journal, the predictive coding software used by the parties was developed by kCura Corporation, a software vendor for many entities including DOJ.

Update of Proposed Rule Changes: A Universal Federal Sanctions Standard for the Failure to Preserve ESI Could be a Reality

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Posted in E-Discovery: Legal Decisions and Court Rules

On May 6, 2013

The United States Courts’ Advisory Committee on Civil Rules (“the Committee”) has proposed various amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure that, if adopted, will profoundly affect the range and scope of sanctions a court may impose for failures to preserve electronically stored information (“ESI”). F.R.C.P. 37(e), which currently addresses sanctions in those instances, is one of several rules slated for amendment.

An International Standard for E-Discovery?

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Posted in Technology Developments and Issues

On March 18, 2013

The International Organization for Standardization (“ISO”) is forming a new e-discovery committee tasked with the development of standards for e-discovery processes and procedures. The international standard “would provide guidance on measures, spanning from initial creation of [electronically stored information] through its final disposition which an organization can undertake to mitigate risk and expense should electronic discovery become an issue” according to a draft committee charter.

REGISTER NOW: NJIPLA’s First Annual Electronics, Telecom and Software Patent Practice Update

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Posted in Patent

On November 4, 2011

The New Jersey Intellectual Property Law Association (“NJIPLA”) will be hosting its first annual “Electronics, Telecom and Software Patent Practice Update” next Wednesday, November 9, 2011, from 12:00-5:15 pm at the New Brunswick Hyatt. This informative event is co-chaired by Robert E. Rudnick, a Director in the Gibbons Intellectual Property Department and Vice President of the NJIPLA, who will also be a panelist at the event speaking on the recently enacted Leahy-Smith America Invents Act and its impact on patent protection in the electrical arts.

First Annual Electronics, Telecom and Software Patent Practice Update

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Posted in Patent

On October 26, 2011

The New Jersey Intellectual Property Law Association (“NJIPLA”) will be hosting its first annual “Electronics, Telecom and Software Patent Practice Update” on Wednesday, November 9, 2011, from 12:00-5:15 pm at the New Brunswick Hyatt. This informative event is co-chaired by Robert E. Rudnick, a Director in the Gibbons Intellectual Property Department and Vice President of the NJIPLA, who will also be a panelist at the event speaking on the recently enacted Leahy-Smith America Invents Act and its impact on patent protection in the electrical arts.

The Role of Lawyers in the Age of Electronic Discovery — Don’t Hit Delete!

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Posted in Technology Developments and Issues

On June 13, 2011

Will developments in technology make lawyers more efficient or will they become extinct? A March 2011 article in The New York Times, entitled “Armies of Expensive Lawyers, Replaced by Cheaper Software,” discussed the significant efficiency and accuracy of e-discovery software in document review over that of human review. Although technology has enabled computers to imitate humans’ ability to reason at even higher levels, rest assured that Armageddon is not looming on the legal profession’s horizon.

Internet File Sharing Constitutes Distribution in Child Porn Case

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Posted in E-Discovery: Legal Decisions and Court Rules

On January 10, 2011

New Jersey’s Appellate Division recently held in State v. Lyons, __ N.J. Super. __, 2010 N.J. Super. LEXIS 227 (App. Div. Nov. 30, 2010) that Defendant Richard Lyons’ placement of child pornography in a shared online folder constituted an offer and distribution of child pornography in violation of N.J.S.A. 2C:24-4b(5)(a). Lyons’ computers contained videos of children engaged in sexual activities, including one that a detective discovered and downloaded when he accessed a shared folder on Gnutella, a peer-to-peer file sharing network, accessible via LimeWire software program.

Technology and Legal Panel Addresses the Risks and Benefits of Cloud Computing at Gibbons Fourth Annual E-Discovery Conference

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Posted in Technology Developments and Issues

On November 18, 2010

Cloud computing is revolutionizing the IT marketplace. With the economy still suffering aftershocks from the Great Recession, companies of all sizes are being pressured to consider cost-cutting strategies. One such strategy is migration to cloud computing services. The “cloud” provides a reasonable solution to reduce cost while at the same time, increasing efficiency and innovation in IT operations. On Thursday, October 28, 2010, Gibbons P.C. held its Fourth Annual E-Discovery Conference, assembling a panel of experts for a roundtable discussion concerning (i) what constitutes “cloud computing,” (ii) how cloud migration can be achieved, and (iii) what risks are posed by “cloud computing” and how to mitigate those risks.

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