JD Supra Weekend Reader: Fracking Wastewater, Virtual Currency, Workplace Violence, Data Privacy

A loaf of bread, a jug of wine, and … the JD Supra Weekend Reader? You bet!

Is Dodd-Frank at risk? Probably not, but President Obama shouldn’t let down his guard all the same… (Bloomberg Law) 

The amount of freshwater used by the fracking industry is less than that used by golf courses. It doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about, though… (Looper Reed) 

Is this the wild, wild west of virtual currency? Not really… (Pillsbury) 

Today’s FCPA charges are brought to you by … Wall Street! (Corporate Law Report) 

Add bank fraud to the list of federal crimes committed by legal medical marijuana dispensaries… (Fuerst Ittleman David & Joseph) 

Farmer Bowman’s “blame-the-bean” argument failed to sway the Supreme Court (JD Supra Contributors) 

The new tax law doesn’t look like “relief” from where we’re sitting… (Niles, Barton & Wilmer) 

The EPA just issued a rule that will require fracking operators to disclose the chemicals used in extracting natural gas from the ground (Morgan Lewis) 

Think California lawmakers aren’t concerned about data privacy? Think again… (Reed Smith) 

Oh, baby! (McManis Faulkner) 

How to reduce violence in the workplace? (Corporate Law Report) 

Tough luck, lesser prairie-chicken (Nossaman LLP) 

We’re mad as hell and we’re not going to cook burgers anymore (at least not today…) (FordHarrison) 

Don’t let the recent American Taxpayer Relief Act fool you: now is not the time to be complacent about estate planning… (Cole Schotz) 

Florida judge says the FCC doesn’t know the difference between “implied” and “express” consent… (Foley & Lardner) 

Better let it roll over to voice mail… Federal laws impose significant fines on commercial drivers who use cell phones at the wheel (and their employers, too) (Ogletree Deakins) 

The sun never sets on the IRS empire… Agency signs tax information sharing agreement with Australia and the UK (Looper Reed) 

Thomas Edison never imagined problems like this: who pays to charge my tenant’s Chevy Volt? (Bernstein Shur) 

Using auto-dialers is a violation of the Telephone Consumer Protection Act. And using your finger may be as well… (Loeb & Loeb) 

Get the frack off this federal land, says a California court (King & Spalding) 

How can colleges and universities make sure that their internship programs don’t attract unwanted attention from the Department of Labor? (Ogletree Deakins) 

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JD Supra Morning Brief : Fracking Water, Distracted Driving, Virtual Currency, Bank Fraud

On May 17, 1943, the US Army contracted with the University of Pennsylvania to develop the ENIAC, the first computer. Thanks, guys!

Tired of practicing law? Go home and practice the guitar… (Bloomberg Law) 

The amount of freshwater used by the fracking industry is less than that used by golf courses. But it doesn’t mean there’s nothing to worry about… (Looper Reed) 

Keep up the fight, FTC! (Ballard Spahr) 

OSHA wants to end texting behind the wheel, and they’ve turned to employers for help (Dentons)  

The wild, wild west of virtual currency? Not really… (Pillsbury) 

Today’s FCPA charges are brought to you by … Wall Street! (Corporate Law Report) 

Add bank fraud to the list of federal crimes committed by legal medical marijuana dispensaries… (Fuerst Ittleman David & Joseph) 

Another Facebook firing bites the dust… (Orrick) 

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JD Supra Morning Brief: Human Gene Patents, Expensive Facebook Posts, Maximum Building Heights, IRS Phishing Scams

As it turns out, April 15 wasn’t designated as “Tax Day” until 1955. Before that? March 15. So there’s really no reason to complain, right? 

Can you patent human genes? No, says the ACLU (Bloomberg Law) 

According to the EPA, only 21% of the country’s rivers and streams are in “good” biological condition… (Burr & Forman) 

Your mother was right: some things ARE better left unsaid (or at a minimum, left unposted on Facebook…) (Lerners LLP) 

Even President Obama appears to growing weary of the ongoing NLRB nominations saga (Barger & Wolen) 

Nearly 600 companies, from 70 different countries, have signed on to the International Code of Conduct for Private Security Service Providers (Foley Hoag) 

ConocoPhillips has joined Shell in suspending arctic offshore drilling operations due to the uncertain regulatory environment (Davis Wright Tremaine) 

Heads up! The FAA is considering lowering the maximum allowable height of buildings in Miami (Bilzin Sumberg) 

First step to avoid falling for IRS phishing scams: read this update (Looper Reed) 

Looks like the 34 people who gambled online with Legendz Sports have hit a streak of bad luck… (Snell & Wilmer) 

What’s in Connecticut’s restrictive new gun law? (Pullman & Comley) 

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JD Supra Weekend Reader: Salmon, Dodgeball, Google, Sexting. And Much Much More

Today’s JD Supra Weekend Reader? Chock full ‘o good. Happy reading! 

Dodd-Frank is taking some pretty hard hits in court, and we all stand to lose from it (Bloomberg Law) 

Q: How long should we keep these insurance policies? A: Probably a lot longer than you think… (McNees Wallace & Nurick) 

Trademark owners are responsible for policing their marks. Here’s how to do it (Mintz Levin) 

According to the FTC, websites that provide tenant rental histories to landlords are consumer reporting agencies and as such subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (Ballard Spahr) 

If salmon had hands they’d be clapping: Washington was ordered to remove barriers to fish passage in hundreds of highway culverts across the state (Lane Powell) 

Don’t get whacked like Wackenhut: provide your employees with FMLA notices regarding their eligibility and rights (Franczek Radelet) 

About 70 percent of security breaches are committed by employees (both willing and unwilling) (Sheppard Mullin) 

President Obama unveiled his new BRAIN Initiative last week – how much did US taxpayers pay to come up with that name? (McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff) 

Banks in Cyprus were saved not by a bail-out, but by a bail-in (Harney Westwood & Riegels) 

Tick tock, tick tock – 89% of healthcare workers use their personal smartphones for work purposes, and that’s a HIPAA / HITECH time bomb waiting to explode… (BakerHostetler) 

Same-sex married couples must act now to protect their right to file an amended 2009 tax return should DOMA be overturned (Carlton Fields) 

French, Italian, British, German, Spanish, and Dutch data protection authorities agree: Google’s privacy policy isn’t what it should be… (Proskauer) 

Dodgeball and other “human targeting” games eliminated from a New Hampshire school district (Cullen & Dykman) 

Are we all a guilty of a little “robosigning” from time to time? (Ifrah Law) 

Bill Maher trumps The Donald: Donald Trump dismisses his unwinnable breach-of-contract lawsuit against the comedian (Greenberg Glusker) 

Student sues university over right to keep a guinea pig in her dorm room, and other higher education legal news (Saul Ewing) 

Four national mortgage insurers have been fined a total of $15 million for provided kickbacks to lenders in exchange for business (Leonard, Street and Deinard) 

The European Union is beefing up its cyber-defense strategy (Skadden Arps) 

Maximizing the value of your business for your heirs requires a long-term transfer program. Here’s how to get started (Pepper Hamilton) 

Is China planning to get rid of its “one-child” policy so that it can stay competitive? (Fisher & Phillips) 

Consumer data privacy and data breach claims are beginning to gain traction, and that means companies improve data security now (Sedgwick LLP) 

New York wants to give sexting juveniles a second chance – instead of jail time (Raiser & Kenniff) 

What’s in President Obama’s Rebuild America Partnership plan? (Ballard Spahr) 

First to file means, well, file your patent application as soon as you possibly can. Or risk losing patent rights to a competitor… (Foley & Lardner) 

Is there really a commercial database containing the names of employees suspected of stealing from their retail employers? Looks like it… (Perkins Coie) 

Have you installed a dashboard camera in your car yet? (Barasch McGarry Salzman & Penson) 

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JD Supra Morning Brief: Keeping Insurance Policies, Reporting Rent Payments, Assessing Compliance Risk, Letting Salmon Swim

52 years ago today, Soviet Cosmonaut Yuri Gagarin became the first person in space. Two days ago, NASA unveiled a plan to capture an asteroid. What will we announce in 2065? 

While you’re thinking pondering the question, enjoy this JD Supra Morning Brief:

Dodd-Frank is taking some pretty hard hits in court, and we all stand to lose from it (Bloomberg Law) 

Q: How long should we keep these insurance policies? A: Probably a lot longer than you think… (McNees Wallace & Nurick) 

Trademark owners are responsible for policing their marks. Here’s how to do it (Mintz Levin) 

According to the FTC, websites that provide tenant rental histories to landlords are consumer reporting agencies and as such subject to the Fair Credit Reporting Act (Ballard Spahr) 

The best anti-corruption compliance programs start with an in-depth risk assessment (K&L Gates) 

If salmon had hands they’d be clapping: Washington was ordered to remove barriers to fish passage in hundreds of highway culverts across the state (Lane Powell) 

“Wait – did we say April 10?” CFTC delays the deadline for swap reporting requirements (Skadden Arps) 

Cuba is establishing a free-trade manufacturing and shipping facility to “increase exports and effectively replace imports” (Akerman) 

“Sorry gang: you’re probably not going to make it to the NLRB…’ (Ogletree Deakins) 

Don’t get whacked like Wackenhut: provide your employees with FMLA notices regarding their eligibility and rights (Franczek Radelet) 

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JD Supra Morning Brief: Mediated Prenups, Paid Sick Leave, Flood Insurance, Human Trafficking

You know what you need? Email delivery of the JD Supra Morning Brief. And you can get it right here.

Does the futures industry need bankruptcy reform? The chair of the National Futures Association thinks so (MarketsReformWiki) 

Nothing like a mediated prenuptial agreement to start a marriage off on the right foot… (Law Offices of Marlo Van Oorschot) 

Are paid sick leave laws giving you a headache? (Foley & Lardner) 

Who’s funding European football clubs? The European Commission wants to know… (McDermott Will & Emery) 

ExxonMobil just dodged a $1 billion bullet in Maryland (Sedgwick LLP) 

At least one California lawmaker thinks cities in the state should still have the right to require affordable housing (Sheppard Mullin) 

No matter how you look at it, sexting is a bad idea (and may even become a crime) (The Byrd Law Firm) 

No flood insurance? You may still be able to claim your Hurricane Sandy losses under other provisions of your business coverage (Lowenstein Sandler) 

Truck stops, adult businesses, emergency rooms, and other business establishments in California must now post notices regarding human trafficking and slavery (BakerHostetler) 

Can businesses get in trouble for March Madness office pools? (And who do you like in this year’s tournament, anyway?) (Small Business Support) 

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JD Supra Morning Brief: Overseas Cash Cache, Fracking Performance Standards, Patent Licensing Exchange, Stolen Sperm Suit

You know, eating two pounds of chocolate is easier than you might think. Especially if you start first thing in the morning…

Bigger IS better for San Francisco (Allen Matkins) 

Frito-Lay says the Department of Labor cannot come back for seconds when auditing the company (Proskauer) 

We’ve said it before, and we’ll certainly say it again: if you’re hiding money overseas, it’s time to come clean (Pepper Hamilton) 

What should employers now do to prepare for implementation of the Affordable Care Act in 2014? Quite a bit, actually… (Manatt, Phelps & Phillips) 

What so great about the fracking performance standards recently developed for the Marcellus and Utica Shales? Environmental groups AND oil and gas companies are on board (Reed Smith) 

Dmitriy Shirokov’s “settlement fraud” lawsuit against the group that sued him for illegal downloads is a Far Cry from a class action, says a federal judge (Foley Hoag) 

Japan is joining talks on the Trans-Pacific Partnership. And that could spell trouble for US automakers (Foley & Lardner) 

Did the DOJ give IPXI’s proposed patent licensing exchange the green light? (Morrison & Foerster) 

Truth is stranger than fiction: woman steals ex-boyfriend’s sperm from sperm bank, has child, likely to get child support from donor (Lanier Law Group) 

Here’s a first look at the new Cyprus capital control and banking laws (Ropes & Gray) (Harney Westwood & Riegels) 

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JD Supra Weekend Reader: Craft Beer, Catastrophe Bonds, @#%*& Comments, Art Loans

What a week! We’re so glad it’s over, because it means another Weekend Reader. The best way to kick it off? A nice cold beer… video. Enjoy:

The IP lawyers have all the luck: more trademark insight for craft brewers (McNees Wallace & Nurick) 

Follow these rules in your employee communication and everything should be just fine (Foley & Lardner) 

Demand for catastrophe bonds was up 37% in 2012 over 2011 (McCarter & English) 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 1 - Dermochelys coriacea: 0 (Nossaman LLP) 

Bank officers and directors: your new “Stay out of Jail” card is an anti-money laundering compliance program (Manatt, Phelps & Phillips) 

Has crowdfunding already begun with the SEC’s blessing? (Leonard, Street and Deinard) 

Wouldn’t the world be a better place if ALL companies released guiding principles on freedom of expression and privacy? (Foley Hoag) 

Don’t loan your Picasso to the art museum without reading this update (Sheppard Mullin) 

Hey! Keep your @#%*& opinions about the employees off of your Facebook page! (Looper Reed & McGraw) 

Your tax dollars at work: US Customs and Border Protection has proposed a new method for determining the proper classification of footwear under the country’s tariff laws (Duane Morris) 

Cut from the team for not cutting your hair? You’re out of luck, kid (Franczek Radelet) 

Why isn’t the minimum wage $33 an hour? (Fisher & Phillips) 

The Geolocation Privacy and Surveillance Act would require the police to obtain a warrant to track GPS devices (Carlton Fields) 

Planning to deduct your charitable donations on your income tax filings? Read this first (Farella Braun + Martel) 

India is at a crossroads: more foreign investment or more tax revenues from multinationals doing business in the country? (McDermott Will & Emery) 

Cyprus won’t blow up Europe, but the keg of dynamite is still there… (Dechert) 

“Be nice to pregnant ladies,” and other advice for avoiding pregnancy discrimination lawsuits (Miller & Martin) 

Did the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court throw common sense out the window? (Foley & Lardner) 

US Customs and Border Protection is going paperless. And that means I-94 visa recipients need access to a good printer when they get to the US (Davis Brown) 

VC funds expect operational problems when investing in your startup. Here’s how to make sure those problems don’t kill your deal (The R. Bernard Law Group) 

Chinese companies try novel “but our government made us do it” defense for price-fixing charges. It didn’t work… (Nossaman LLP) 

An 883-pound fish, yellow snow, and copyrighted grades of football players, all in the same update. Really – does it get any better than this? (Proskauer) 

Trying to sort through the complexities of the NFL concussion litigation is giving us a headache (Barger & Wolen) 

Agree to disagree? Not this time – environmentalists and fracking industry agree on voluntary standards (BakerHostetler) 

Do mortgage lenders discriminate against women? Yes, says a new study (BuckleySandler) 

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JD Supra Morning Brief: Bailout for Cyprus Banks, Communication Rules for Employers, Demand for Catastrophe Bonds, Good Advice for Bankers

So, it turns out that Benjamin Franklin didn’t really say “beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy.” No matter – it’s Friday, and we’ll still raise a glass in his honor.

One good result of the Cyprus bank bailout? It made the Greek banking bailout look farsighted and disciplined… (Bloomberg Law) 

Follow these rules in your employee communication and everything should be just fine (Foley & Lardner) 

Are you counting down the days ‘til Myriad? (Baker Donelson) 

Demand for catastrophe bonds was up 37% in 2012 over 2011 (McCarter & English) 

U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service: 1 - Dermochelys coriacea: 0 (Nossaman LLP) 

What does healthcare reform mean for foreign employers and employers of foreign workers? (Fisher & Phillips) 

Bank officers and directors: your new “Stay out of Jail” card is an anti-money laundering compliance program (Manatt, Phelps & Phillips) 

Has crowdfunding already begun with the SEC’s blessing? (Leonard, Street and Deinard) 

Supreme Court rules that class actions cannot be certified based on speculation alone (JD Supra Contributors) 

Pigs in a blanket? No – pigs in a condominium (Heenan Blaikie) 

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JD Supra Morning Brief: Same-Sex Marriage, Yellow Snow, NFL Concussions, Dawn Raids

Since when did they start making the weekends only two days long? Sheesh. At least we’ve got a new Morning Brief:

Tomorrow’s the big day! So what do we need to know today about the Supreme Court oral arguments in the same-sex marriage cases? (Bloomberg Law) 

An 883-pound fish, yellow snow, and copyrighted grades of football players, all in the same update. Really – does it get any better than this? (Proskauer) 

Trying to sort through the complexities of the NFL concussion litigation is giving us a headache (Barger & Wolen) 

Can consumer watchdog CFPB “level the playing field” in the auto finance industry? And if they do, will it actually help consumers? (Ballard Spahr) 

Repackaging and selling AP news articles is not “fair use,” says appeals court (Davis Wright Tremaine) 

Agree to disagree? Not this time – environmentalists and fracking industry agree on voluntary standards (BakerHostetler) 

Do mortgage lenders discriminate against women? Yes, says a new study (BuckleySandler) 

Every company that does business in the EU could find itself the target of an unannounced antitrust dawn raid (McDermott Will & Emery) 

How much does big pharma spend on research and development? A lot (McDonnell Boehnen Hulbert & Berghoff) 

Abbott shakes off a lawsuit claiming Ensure doesn’t deliver its promised health benefits (Morrison & Foerster) 

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