Posting: A New Broker Disclosure Law in New York

Buyers and renters are now required to sign a form stating that they understand whom their agent represents.

Posting: A New Broker Disclosure Law in New York

Backlink: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=3ab3ae28365e999a21ae1f7fd5a26d85

Small-Business Guide: In the New Economy, Use New Strategies to Hire Law Firms

The business side of law has changed, and that can mean advantages for entrepreneurs, provided they know how to find a law firm that suits their needs.

Small-Business Guide: In the New Economy, Use New Strategies to Hire Law Firms

Backlink: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=1340af92e53cc91868fc7da10b9f93db

One law for them, another for us: is it illegal to record the police on the job?

In Reason magazine, Radley Balko takes an in-depth look at all the places in the USA where it's nominally illegal to record the police, and all the people who've faced fines or prison for recording law enforcement officers breaking the law with illegal beatings and harassment. High courts at the state and federal level are pretty consistent in ruling that privacy rules don't protect cops who are, say, beating someone up in an alley or waving their guns around at a roadside stop, but this doesn't prevent cops and prosecutors from dragging people who record law enforcement misdeeds through the criminal justice system. The second incident came on April 13, about the same time McKenna's case began to make national news. Maryland State Trooper David Uhler pulled over motorcyclist Anthony Graber for speeding and reckless driving. Graber had a video camera mounted to his helmet that was recording at the time of the stop. Uhler, dressed in street clothes, emerged from his unmarked car with gun drawn, yelling. Graber was given only a traffic ticket, but he was miffed at Uhler's behavior. So he posted the video on YouTube. Days later, Maryland State Police conducted an early-morning raid on Graber's home, held Graber and his parents for 90 minutes, confiscated computer equipment, arrested him, and took him to jail. Graber was charged with two felonies. The first was violating Maryland's wiretapping law by recording Uhler without the trooper's consent. The second was "possession of an intercept device," a provision in the same law that was intended for bugs and wiretaps but in this case referred to Graber's video camera, a device that is perfectly legal to own and use in just about any other context. Thanks to legislation written to prevent the surreptitious interception of communications, Graber faced up to 16 years in prison for recording a cop during a public traffic stop. Wiretapping statutes apply to audio recordings, with or without video. Maryland is one of 12 states with a wiretapping law that requires consent from all parties to a conversation for someone to legally record it. But in 10 of those 12 states, including Maryland, the statute says a violation occurs only when the offended party has a reasonable expectation that the conversation is private. This privacy provision prevents people who record public meetings or inadvertently pick up conversations while shooting video in public from accidentally committing felonies. Civil liberties advocates argue that on-duty police officers, like people attending city council meetings or walking down a public street, do not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. For Graber to be convicted under Maryland's wiretapping law, a prosecutor would have to argue that Uhler--a police officer who had pulled over a motorist, drawn his gun, and yelled at the guy on the side of a busy highway--had a reasonable expectation that the encounter would remain private. The War on Cameras (via /.)  Video camera designed to record encounters with police - Boing Boing How to record the cops - Boing Boing Boston cops: citizen recording of abusive busts is "illegal ... Wiretap charges dropped against motorcyclist who videotaped cop ... Man faces jail for videotaping gun-waving cop - Boing Boing It's okay for cops to track suspects via GPS without a warrant, VA ......

One law for them, another for us: is it illegal to record the police on the job?

Backlink: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/-qB1yHUcgk0/one-law-for-them-ano.html

Venezuela passes new law drastically limiting internet freedoms

The Venezuelan parliament has passed a law that bans any internet content that "promotes social unrest, challenges authority or condones crime." President Hugo Chavez's ruling party pushed the law through in less than a week. Snip from AFP:

The new law expands 2004 restrictions on content in radio, television and print media. In an unprecedented move, it now also includes content from the Internet and electronic subscription services, making webpage managers "responsible for the information and content" published on their websites."

It is meant to crack down on media content that "makes an apology of crime," "promotes unrest in the population" or "challenges legally established authorities." Webpage managers must now "establish mechanisms to restrict, without delay, the diffusion of messages... that are included in the ban." The measure increases fines imposed on media violations to "10 percent of the previous year's gross income," in addition to "72 hours of continuous suspension of services."

Here's more about the law in Spanish on the government's website, including a video.

Venezuela passes new law drastically limiting internet freedoms

Backlink: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/LHgZnvfz45A/venezuela-passes-new.html

Antitrust Suit in Michigan Tests Health Law

Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan dominates the state, but a Justice Department lawsuit says the company is stifling competition.

Antitrust Suit in Michigan Tests Health Law

Backlink: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=286d4d86f72d175ac8fca093b7a59503

Wrinkle in Health Law Costs Children’s Hospitals Discounts on Some Drugs

Children’s hospitals have been told by drug companies that they will no longer get discounts for medications known as “orphan drugs.”

Wrinkle in Health Law Costs Children’s Hospitals Discounts on Some Drugs

Backlink: http://feeds.nytimes.com/click.phdo?i=791b8ad76725222d2fab308e7f7f9bd5

Wikileaks cables reveal that the US wrote Spain's proposed copyright law

Spain's Congress is about to vote on a new and extremely harsh copyright/Internet law. It's an open secret that the law was essentially drafted by American industry groups working with the US trade representative.

Wikileaks cables reveal that the US wrote Spain's proposed copyright law

Backlink: http://feeds.boingboing.net/~r/boingboing/iBag/~3/xdToHqrU2Aw/wikileaks-cables-rev.html

Telstra Split Law Passes Australian Parliament After Amendments

Australia’s parliament has approved legislation for a structural split of Telstra Corp.’s retail business from its copper-wire network with the House of Representatives today passing bills amended in the Senate.

Telstra Split Law Passes Australian Parliament After Amendments

Backlink: http://www.businessweek.com/news/2010-11-28/telstra-split-law-passes-australian-parliament-after-amendments.html