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Alaina Lancaster

Alaina Lancaster

Alaina Lancaster, based in San Francisco, covers disruptive trends and technologies shaping the future of law. She authors the weekly legal futurist newsletter What's Next. Contact her at [email protected]. On Twitter: @a_lancaster3

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May 20, 2020 | The Recorder

Lenovo Hit With Trade Secret Lawsuit Over Source Code Theft

"Not only did Lenovo do a wholesale cut-and-paste job with Khoros's public-facing code, it also reverse-engineered Khoros's Studio Tool and its proprietary back-office website architecture, APIs, and macros," according to the complaint filed Tuesday.

By Alaina Lancaster

2 minute read

May 20, 2020 | Law.com

What's Next: SCOTUS Won't Save Facebook From Contempt Order + Do ADA Litigants Need to Download the Uber App to Sue it? + Church Sues Zoom Over Hacked Bible Class

Do criminal defendants have a constitutional right to users' private social media messages to defend themselves?

By Alaina Lancaster

9 minute read

May 19, 2020 | The Recorder

More Litigation Ahead for Facebook Over Defendants' Access to Private Posts, California Chief Justice Warns

The California Supreme Court heard arguments raising the same legal question that the U.S. Supreme Court declined to take up Monday: whether social media companies violate criminal defendants' Sixth Amendment and due process rights when they refuse to comply with subpoenas.

By Alaina Lancaster

4 minute read

May 18, 2020 | The Recorder

SCOTUS Passes on Facebook Fight Over Criminal Defendants' Social Media Access

The U.S. Supreme Court denied a petition for certiorari in a case exploring the constitutionality of a platform's refusal to turn over user communications that could help alleged criminals build their defense.

By Alaina Lancaster

4 minute read

May 14, 2020 | The Recorder

'Epitome of a Futile Gesture': 9th Circuit to Decide Whether People Who Have Never Downloaded the Uber App Can Sue Over ADA Claims

If the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit rules that plaintiffs who have not downloaded the Uber app have standing to sue the company, it could create a circuit split on the issue.

By Alaina Lancaster

4 minute read

May 13, 2020 | The Recorder

Church Sues Zoom After Bible Study Hacked With Pornography

Bottini & Bottini and Cotchett, Pitre and McCarthy filed the class action complaint after a bible study class hosted by Saint Paulus Lutheran Church on Zoom was infiltrated by a bad actor.

By Alaina Lancaster

5 minute read

May 13, 2020 | The Recorder

A New Normal for Consumer Privacy: Apple, Google and Employers Begin Contact Tracing COVID-19

"I've stopped using the words 'going back to normal' because I don't think we're going back to whatever it was before," said Heather Federman, the vice president of privacy and policy for BigID.

By Alaina Lancaster

6 minute read

May 13, 2020 | Law.com

What's Next: Contact Tracing COVID-19 v. Our Privacy + Facebook to Burn Facial Recognition Templates + What Ross Intelligence Has to Say About Thomson Reuters Copyright Suit

As the U.S. death toll from the coronavirus pandemic passes 80,000, more Americans might prioritize public health and put aside a distrust of Big Tech and everyday privacy intrusions.

By Alaina Lancaster

11 minute read

May 12, 2020 | The Recorder

As Part of $52M Facebook Settlement, Content Moderators to Get at Least $1K and Mental Health Coaching

Some class members could receive up to $50,000 under the terms of the deal if they are diagnosed with a condition such as post-traumatic stress disorder.

By Alaina Lancaster

3 minute read

May 11, 2020 | The Recorder

LA Superior Court Judges Must Wear Masks Due to COVID-19

Los Angeles County Superior Court appears to be among the first court systems to require judicial officers to wear a face covering.

By Alaina Lancaster

2 minute read