Samuel Lewis

July 29, 2004 | Law.com

Janus, Microsoft's new digital rights software, claims to promote the mobility of digital music while combating the problem of piracy. Instead of owning a copy of a song or album, you rent it. The view of IP rights reflected in Janus is consistent with an overall shift in software from a "sale," where the user owns a particular copy, to "licensing," where the user doesn't own it. This shift has been the subject of considerable litigation.

By Samuel Lewis

6 minute read

December 13, 2006 | Law.com

Photographers and their professional associations are up in arms over a recent article suggesting parents can save money by digitally reproducing copies of copyrighted school photographs without paying the photographer who created the images. Contrary to popular belief, the lack of profit motive -- such as sharing a copy with grandma -- does not make the act of scanning and printing or e-mailing a copy of a copyrighted photograph less illegal. Attorney Samuel Lewis of Feldman Gale examines the issue.

By Samuel Lewis

7 minute read

April 06, 2006 | Corporate Counsel

A Dutch tabloid has learned the hard way that just because content exists on the Web, it's not necessarily free. The District Court of Amsterdam threatened the tabloid with a fine if it again publishes certain photos obtained from the Internet without permission. The ruling is the first known court decision involving a license by Creative Commons, which promotes a series of license models that let copyright owners share their work. But is this license approach appropriate for all content on the Internet?

By Samuel Lewis

6 minute read

August 03, 2006 | Law.com

Critics have suggested that the U.S. patent system is broken. But with over 350,000 patent applications a year, is the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office simply overwhelmed? Or have recent problems been caused by those who abuse the system, such as patent trolls or inventors who do lax prior art searches? When patents are granted for "technology" to make items as common as peanut butter and jelly sandwiches, how do we begin to fix the problems? Miami attorney Samuel Lewis ponders these questions.

By Samuel Lewis

9 minute read

August 28, 2003 | Law.com

If you're a road warrior who routinely relies upon a computer to work while traveling, you're probably aware of the current "worm" problem. The worm computer programs that are making their way through the Internet and wreaking havoc on computers across the country may interrupt your ability to establish a network connection to your office e-mail and other secure Web servers. For now, brace yourself for frustration.

By Samuel Lewis

5 minute read

January 02, 2005 | Legaltech News

When you buy your next business-class computer, you may be pleasantly surprised to find that you have options that don't involve running Microsoft Windows. Sure, alternatives have been around for a long time. What's momentous here is that our commentator, who's been hooked on PCs since 1981, is willing to admit that Apple hardware and the Linux operating system aren't just viable -- they may be preferable.

By Samuel Lewis

6 minute read

April 06, 2006 | Law.com

A Dutch tabloid has learned the hard way that just because content exists on the Web, it's not necessarily free. The District Court of Amsterdam threatened the tabloid with a fine if it again publishes certain photos obtained from the Internet without permission. The ruling is the first known court decision involving a license by Creative Commons, which promotes a series of license models that let copyright owners share their work. But is this license approach appropriate for all content on the Internet?

By Samuel Lewis

6 minute read

August 17, 2005 | Law.com

One of the greatest challenges confronting anyone who owns intellectual property is figuring out when someone is stealing the property, particularly when it's online. Given the vast number of computers on the Internet, finding cases of illegal copying can be next to impossible. That's where digital watermarks come in. A combination of ancient coding concepts and modern technology, digital watermarks may give copyright owners a more effective way of identifying and prosecuting infringers.

By Samuel Lewis

6 minute read