Software Piracy

Software piracy is the unauthorized duplication of computer software. Although most computer users today are aware that unauthorized use and duplication of software is illegal, many show a general disregard for the importance of treating software as valuable intellectual property.

Cyber squatters

Many people believe that if they register a particular domain, for example www.arkansascoffee.com, then the person has trademarked that as a business name an no one else can use the name Arkansas Coffee for their business. This is not necessarily true. You must not only register the domain, but use the business name enough to achieve distinction, such as through customer awareness and marketing.

File Sharing

Downloading music, movies, games, or software from the Internet without paying and sharing these materials without appropriate permission is considered a breach of copyright laws. Recreational file-sharing, or the trading of movies, music, games, and/or software, is more easily detectable than you might assume. Copyright holders have been intensifying enforcement using automated scanning software to identify infringements, no matter how small.

Domain Name Disputes

A domain name is a unique string of characters or numbers that typically is used to designate and permit access to an Internet website. The value of a trademark is diluted when a company owns a domain name that is identical or confusingly similar to a trademark registered by a different company. Potential customers may become discouraged if they cannot find the web page for the company that owns the trademark, and may fail to continue to search out of frustration or an assumption that the page does not exist. In addition, the domain name registrant's use of a trademark as a domain name places the trademark owner at the mercy of the registrant, allowing the registrant to associate the owner's trademark with all types of messages and preventing the owner from using its trademark as a unique identifier of its goods and services on the Internet. This further weakens the trademark owner's ability to protect its reputation and goodwill.

Email Harassment?

Law enforcement agencies estimate that electronic communications are a factor in from 20 percent to 40 percent of all stalking cases. If you are being harassed, or even stalked, via email, you have a couple of options, particularly if you know who the person sending you the emails is. First, contact the senders ISP (Internet Service Provider) and make a complaint, which could result in this person losing their email account, and, at any rate, sets up a trail of evidence. Second, keep all the emails sent to you as further evidence. Third, do not reply to the harasser. Fourth, if there are threats of violence, you should contact your local law enforcement agency immediately, because this can constitute a crime.