My Blog About Cyber Laws

The internet is often deemed to be like the Wild West. It is viewed as a lawless region where people can act outside the laws of the land. This is not the case. The jail sentences handed down to a number of individuals who tweeted or posted Facebook messages about the riots in England in August clearly illustrate that there laws governing what can be posted online carry real consequences. Breaking the law online is as serious as breaking the law offline.

The law that the social media users broke was the Serious Crime Act 2007. Although the law was not set up to cover the use of social media, the use of social media was much lower in 2007 than it is now, the law of the land applies online to the same degree that it does off line.

The Serious Crime Act 2007 states that either "intentionally encouraging or assisting an offence" or "encouraging or assisting an offence believing it will be committed" is viewed as being as serious as carrying out the act itself. So if you post a Facebook message encouraging people to riot and loot then it viewed the same in the eyes of the law as if you were rioting and looting yourself.

Defamation and Libel Online

Defamation and libel laws apply to the online world in the same way that they apply to more traditional forms of print media, TV and radio. If you slander someone online without being able to prove it then you can be open to being sued for libel.

You may think that something you post about an individual of company may well be lost in the billions of webpages in cyberspace. This is not the case as many individuals and companies actively police what is said about them online. Many will issue civil proceedings if they feel the statements are defamatory.

The cyber smearing does not have to take place on a website you own for you to be open to being sued. If you have smeared someone using social media, message boards, forums, review sites, auction sites or email then you are open to being pursued for libel damages.

You also do not need to be the originator of the rumour. If you simply repeat the allegations then you can be sued. It is very foolish to just repeat allegations without double checking that they are true. A re-tweet of somebody else's link to a post about a rumour can place you in line for being sued. It is also worth noting that you cannot defame someone using their nickname and thing you are safe if the nickname is well known by the public.

Attempting to hide behind an anonymous username is also no protection from the law.

Difference between Slander and Libel

A landmark ruling in August 2008 by Mr Justice Eady drew a distinction between de Defamatory comments on internet bulletin boards and forums and those published within articles on websites. The Judge stated that those on internet bulletin boards were more likely to be slander and not libel.

Currently the UK is looking at reforming its libel laws and this will take into account both online and offline forms.

Tony Heywood

Corporation is a distinct and legal and separate entity from the persons who have created it. Of all the business organizations, corporation is the most common form, and its owners are not responsible to pay for its liabilities. Corporations can be classified as: profit corporations, non-profit corporations, public corporations, private corporations, professional corporations, publicly-held corporations and closely-held corporation.

In this article we are going to comprehensively outline the formation of corporations and the importance of the role commercial and real estate lawyers play in this formation. It follows a procedure which includes the following steps: First of all, a name is to be decided for your corporation which should not be the same as any other registered corporations. The name should end with a corporation designation like 'corporation', 'limited' or 'incorporated'. However, some of the restricted words cannot be used such as 'federal', 'national' etc. To avoid any complications you need to contact the corporation's office and get a name registered. Since this process can get a little technical most individuals prefer appointing a business lawyer.

The second step is to appoint a board of directors, who make the financial decisions for the corporation and finalise the policies. They also appoint different officers and decide their salaries, make approvals for loans to be taken and other major decisions such as issuing stocks. They are appointed by the owners of the corporations before the beginning of the business.

The next step for the formation of a corporation is to file the 'articles of incorporation' with the corporation filing office. These are to be created and signed by the owners of the corporation. A member of the board of directors is appointed as the 'agent' so that public can contact the corporation through this 'agent'.

The formation of a corporation also requires you to create the bylaws, also known as the internal laws for your corporation which deal with daily decisions. For this, usually a lawyer is appointed who drafts them out for you. Another important step is the signing of an agreement, for the transfer of ownership of the corporation, after the owner becomes disabled, dies, retires or decides to leave the corporation.

The final step is obtaining required permits and licenses for your business. The most important being the business license, which is your tax registration certificate. You also need an employer identification number and a permit from the local planning board for your business. All these tasks can be performed efficiently by a business attorney.

If you are thinking about starting a corporation then you should get in touch with Miss Lubna K. Jahangiri, her real estate and commercial law firm is located in the State of California. Her expertise and knowledge in business law can make the procedure of forming a corporation convenient and hassle free for you; the vast knowledge she processes can act as a sole source of guidance throughout the procedure. The second pertinent advantage of consulting Miss Lubna is the reasonable fee she charges. The unmatched quality of her services along with a very affordable fee makes her the perfect choice for formation of your corporation.

Miss Lubna K. Jahangiri is one of the most qualified law consultant and experienced business and corporate lawyer in the State of California.

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Defamation law in England is reported to have been created as early as in 1307. Since then, the substance of English defamation law has not changed much. However, since the rapid expansion of the internet as the medium of choice for many individuals to air their views, many traditional defamation solicitors are finding it difficult to apply the traditional defamation law rules to modern defamation cases which mainly involve the use of the internet and email to disseminate information.

This in turn has led to the creation of a new breed of defamation solicitors who recognise the fact that traditional defamation legal solutions might not always be compatible with modern online defamation.

Many of the old-fashioned legal tools have hardly evolved over the past 100 years and they are being practiced by traditional defamation solicitors whose knowledge and understanding of the internet is probably, generally speaking, not greater than that of the average person on the street. After all, solicitors normally learn the practical aspects of their work from their supervising solicitor in the law firm and these tend to be very senior lawyers indeed, who might find the internet world a little bit too difficult to comprehend.

The experience of many of the traditional online defamation solicitors is mainly based on old-fashioned defamation cases, which in the majority of cases, relate to traditional publications such as books, newspapers and letters. Online defamation is a different illness altogether. Treat it with traditional text-book defamation medicine and you are likely to make a bad problem even worse.

This is why, with all the best intentions, old-fashioned defamation advice in relation to online defamation can sometimes backfire, in the sense that even if the case is won at court, the defamation still remains online and can even increase in volume.

So what has changed? Why might traditional defamation legal solutions not be compatible with modern online defamation?

The causes of defamation have changed

Some of the root causes of online defamation cases are very different in nature to the causes of traditional defamation. Online defamation is occasionally inflicted maliciously but sometimes it comes as a result of ignorance, strong emotional feelings, disgruntlement, self-righteousness or due to financial reasons.

Compare this with the main causes of traditional defamation, which are more or less confined to erroneous beliefs or innocent misconceptions and you will see why online defamation incidents must be treated in a different way altogether.

It is obvious, isn't it, that before one attempts to resolve a problem, one must first fully identify and understand the causes of it and if these causes are not deeply understood, then one might find oneself in the place of a patient with a sore eye who goes to receive treatment from the most expensive and highly prestigious brain surgeon in town. With respect, brain surgeons know very little about sore eyes and the last thing you would want the brain surgeon to do, is to open your brain up to try and administer medicine to your sore eye. In such a case, one can expect nothing but general deterioration in one's health with the original sore eye now constituting the least of one's problems.

Some players who are involved in defamation cases have been replaced

Over the past 100 years or so, the law of defamation has been developed by expert judges over countless court cases, mainly involving newspapers and book publishers. Broadly speaking, the playing teams who developed our defamation laws used to be very well read and highly experienced judges, a small number of newspaper publishing groups and a few highly paid lawyers, largely based in the City of London.

Pick up a text-book on defamation law in England and you will see that the same names of the parties involved in many of the defamation cases are repeated over and over again. The composition of the parties involved in defamation cases used to be almost set in stone and this is why reading a traditional defamation law text-book could feel like a Dj vu. You read time and time again about the same judges, the same lawyers and the same defendants. It used to be a small world.... Now this has all changed.

When appearing in court on matters of online defamation, the players can hardly recognise one another any longer. As a result of the dramatic increase in defamation cases, the number of Judges who are sitting on such matters has increased. And because of the different nature of the modern online defamation, a new breed of defamation solicitor has started to emerge.

This new breed of online defamation solicitor is very different to the traditional defamation solicitor, who used to almost exclusively occupy the court rooms. The modern online defamation solicitors are highly technically skilled, are incredibly internet savvy and they tend to possess vast knowledge of IT related matters.

Modern online defamation solicitors pay a great deal of attention to the psychological aspects of online defamation. They build psychological profiles of offenders and some of them are even NLP trained, which means they can tailor an individual approach to each act of online defamation by analysing the personalities of the offenders and by then dealing with each and every one of them in a personalised and highly effective manner.

The modern defamation solicitors are increasingly entrepreneurial like in their approach to the problem at hand. They approach online defamation issues from legal, technical and entrepreneurial angles and their solutions are not necessarily confined to local legal issues but are much more versatile. They tend to focus on obtaining successful results and workable solutions for their clients, who primarily, want their reputational problem to disappear rather than seek damages.

This refreshing approach which is often taken by the modern online defamation solicitors is pretty much in line with the latest technical developments and is reflective of their client's needs. They understand the fact that winning a defamation case through the courts, may not be sufficient on its own, for their client's on-going online defamation problems to completely disappear or even not to reoccur soon after the legal battle was won. This is another reason why modern online defamation solicitors spend so much of their time researching and genuinely trying to understand some of the underlying roots of each specific online defamation issue.

The use of personalisation by modern defamation solicitors, together with their ability to effectively communicate technical issues to their clients, makes it easier for them to find effective solutions to online defamation issues. And because of their deep routed understanding of the law as well as of technical matters, they are managing to develop personal relationships with key people in the social medial organisations and within the internet world, relationships which help them to affect the removal of websites, posts and comments with relative ease.

The ability to speak the same language and to effectively communicate with internet service providers is probably the most important asset of a modern online defamation solicitor because the reality is, that it is much cheaper and more cost-effective to facilitate the removal of material off the internet via dialogue than through legal action.

Lastly, many of the defendants who are now involved in online defamation cases are different in nature from their predecessors. In the past, most defendants in defamation law cases were editors of major newspaper titles, whilst currently defendants in online defamation cases are, generally speaking, normal people like your neighbour across the road who possesses very limited legal skills and experience. They sometimes appear in court in person, without a lawyer to represent them but with a lot of passion instead. The defamation courts now allow litigants in person to even use video links, whenever regular travel to the court room is not practical for them.

The Size of the Defamation Field has increased

Traditionally, the playing field where defamation was created was very small in size. Newspapers, text-books and letters, mainly published in the UK used to provide the main source of defamation cases. The old players in defamation law cases were therefore acting within some sort of comfort zone, limited both in size and in scope. This allowed the traditional defamation law solicitors to develop expertise within a very limited field of the defamation law.

This has now changed because the scope of defamation law has been widening. An opportunity to defame exists almost everywhere you look: on websites, blogs, forums, social media, emails and other online forums. Furthermore, defamation can now be initiated from anywhere in the world and be transmitted instantly worldwide. Defamation law is no longer a local or a national matter. Very often it involves cross jurisdictional issues which means the modern online defamation solicitor must have a sound knowledge of multi-national laws.

Modern online defamation solicitors spend hours upon hours researching, studying and investigating their playing field and they must, in addition to having a sound understanding of the law, be vested with specific knowledge of how the online world works and operates. They must be able to speak the language, be fluent in the jargon and fully understand the way things work on the internet, as well as the mechanics which cause online defamation to be created and then spread across. And to enable them to keep up with the rapid changes that are occurring on the internet, modern online defamation solicitors must now possess a rare combination of skills, which include legal, analytical and technical and they must maintain these skills constantly afresh.

It is not surprising therefore that some of the old-fashioned defamation solicitors, who for many years had been successfully scoring time and time again within a 'Mini Football field', are finding it difficult now to keep up with this rapidly changing area of law.

The Training which is required is not traditional at all

Whilst traditional defamation solicitors have almost always enjoyed the benefit of being trained up by their firm's experienced defamation law partner (hence the reason why lawyers from other, smaller practices have in the past found it difficult to enter this field of law), much of the knowledge and skills of the modern online defamation solicitors have been acquired independently and by sharing experiences with colleagues all over the world.

In other words, internet law and online defamation law are not subjects which are taught at law schools. They can only be mastered by constant usage and by plenty of practical experience.

One of the reasons why many modern defamation solicitors acquire their unique skills independently, is that there was no one around to teach them these skills, because these skills are not traditionally associated with solicitors' work. They are not listed in legal text-books and are highly technical. In fact, many of the special skills that effective online defamation solicitors must possess, are not necessarily legal skills but are skills which did not really exist up until very recently.

These skills are not written (yet) into text-books and neither are they taught on legal courses. Knowing your law well is one thing, but understanding the magic that makes pages appear on or disappear off the internet is a completely different matter so it is not surprising at all that some traditional defamation solicitors are finding it a bit difficult to adapt and participate in this new arena.

Traditional defamation solicitors are lawyers not IT specialists, not SEO gurus, not detectives and very often not NLP trained. And because one can only teach what one knows, trainee solicitors in some traditional, corporate like law firms might not receive the opportunity to enhance skills which are not strictly speaking, regarded as legal skills. Training in large law firms is normally confined to the legal matters and legal matters alone. Modern online defamation solicitors, on the other hand, have always enjoyed the freedom to learn, to study and to pursue knowledge, without the constraints that sometimes exist within old-fashioned law firms, whose focus tends to be directed more on the production of billable hours almost from day one.

This is why modern online defamation solicitors can offer their clients much more than traditional thinking and traditional legal genius. They possess skills, which are not normally associated with traditional corporate-like, old- fashioned defamation solicitors. And furthermore, it is important to note that most victims of online defamation, regardless of the size of their organisations, are looking for an online defamation solicitor with technical, psychological, investigative and inter personal skills in addition to the traditional legal abilities.

Goodbye Damages Hello Damage Limitation or The Trophy is not gold plated any longer

Wining a defamation case for a client is without a doubt considered to be the ultimate result for most defamation solicitors. This is one of the reasons why highly expensive and emotionally charged legal proceedings on behalf of lucrative clients, have been the bread and butter of some of the old-fashioned defamation law firms. But this has now also changed.

Many victims of online defamation are now measuring success by using a different formula altogether.

Because of the immediate and potentially disastrous consequences of online defamation to their businesses, (regardless of size), victims of online defamation, tend to measure success in relation to the speed by which their business can be brought back to normal operation. Most victims of online defamation have little or no time at all for highly expensive and everlasting defamation trials. By the time their defamation trial comes to an end, there might be nothing left of their business reputation. It is no longer about damages: it is now about damage limitation.

Court actions for defamation could constitute a serious distraction for the entrepreneur who invariably understands that a lawyer, with even the greatest possible advocacy skills, cannot bring him his business reputation back following a successful defamation trial. Court actions for defamation are considered by most entrepreneurs as 'last resort' options.

This is why modern online defamation solicitors tend to commit their various special skills to help solving their client's immediate online defamation issues, whenever possible, outside the court room and it is now clear that what many victims of online defamation consider to be a good result is not only the fast disappearance of defamatory comments from the internet, but also the learning which follows from a successfully defeated online reputation attack and the help and support which they receive from their internet lawyer, which helps them build up new systems and processes to prevent or at least minimise future online reputation attacks on their business.

It is very possible that the above developments in English defamation law will lead to an overhaul change to the way defamation law in England is being practiced and this change will perhaps result in significant amendments of the law of defamation in England.

Yair Cohen is a leading UK online defamation and internet solicitor. Yair is a partner with the niche internet law firm Bains Cohen. The firm is renowned for its innovative approach to resolving client's online reputation problems and for the exceptional level of client and customer care that it practices.

Yair Cohen is believed to be the first lawyer in the United Kingdom to have obtained court injunctions against Google, YouTube and other main internet service providers to force the companies to remove defamatory content from various blogs and websites. Yair's main strength is in his superior knowledge and understanding of the law in the context of the new realities which the internet presents. The secret to his success in removing defamatory websites is in his unique ability to combine vast amounts of technical knowledge with a unique and creative way of applying it to the law and to business reality.

Visit Yair Cohen's blog http://www.yaircohenuk.com

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If you are under investigation for a computer crime, or if you have already been arrested for such an offense, you are probably under a great deal of stress. Computer crimes involve a wide range of activities that are otherwise illegal. When people use a computer or the internet to further commit such crimes, then they are categorized as computer or internet crimes.

These days, nearly every aspect of our society is digitalized. People can download movies, apply for a credit card, transfer balances between accounts, and pay their bills all with the touch of a button. The expanding functions of the internet have opened a whole new world to criminal outlets and activities. Criminals are finding new ways to break the law at a pace that law enforcement is struggling to keep up with. Because computers have such a large impact on society as a whole, federal prosecutors waste no time or expense in securing criminal convictions against the individuals who commit such crimes. In fact, the federal government has entire task forces devoted to tracking down and arresting people who commit these types of crimes.

What categorizes a computer or internet crime? One common aspect of computer crimes involves financial fraud and money laundering schemes. Other financial crimes committed via the internet include credit and debit card fraud, hacking and identity theft.

Computer crimes also involve harassment, spamming, phishing, and sex crimes against children. People who possess child pornography on their home or work computer, and people who distribute child pornography via the internet are in violation of the law. Unfortunately, internet crimes involving children can oftentimes be a case of mistaken identity. Perhaps you were not aware that the images were of minors, or perhaps someone else used your computer. Revealing the truth of what actually happened will be dependent upon the highly investigative tactics of an experienced defense attorney.

Because these crimes typically cross state lines, they are often classified as federal offenses. If you are under investigation for a federal crime, you could have a large government entity assisting your local law enforcement agency. This means that the prosecution will have unlimited manpower and means to pursue a conviction. If you want to effectively protect your legal rights, you are going to need the assistance of a seasoned federal criminal defense attorney on your side. Your lawyer will have a wealth of proven defense tools at their disposal. The last thing you would want to do is hire an inexperienced or apprehensive lawyer when you are fighting to preserve your reputation and your freedom. If you are under investigation for a computer crime, don't hesitate to contact a federal criminal defense attorney immediately.

The Law Offices of Guy L. Womack & Associates, P.C. is conveniently located in North Houston, Texas. Their firm has been providing their clients with outstanding defense representation for all sorts of federal and state criminal offenses. Whether your case is going to military, state or federal court, they have the knowledge, experience and tools necessary to protect your legal rights. A member from their legal team is prepared to meet with you in person for a free consultation. They would like to provide you with both sound advice and potential defense strategies that may aid in your defense. Their goal is to help their clients obtain the best possible outcome in the charges against them. They will search for any mitigating circumstances that might get the charges against you reduced or dropped entirely. You are urged to contact a Houston federal criminal defense lawyer from their firm at (800) 990-8762 today.

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The internet has changed many industries including the way that lawyers practice their trade. While this might not be the first industry to come to mind in terms of how it uses the internet, the World Wide Web has had a huge influence on the practice of law.

Thanks to the internet, geography is no longer an issue. Even having a website can draw in hundreds or thousands of clients that the firm would not have had if it hadn't been for a foray into the internet. There are many examples of firms which have been able to expand into foreign countries and thrive there all thanks to the doors that the internet has opened. In addition, it is now easier than ever to communicate with lawyers who are half a world away. Thanks to email and instant messaging, lawyers can work together no matter where they are located.

The internet has also led to the proliferation of electronic publishing. Now lawyers and firms can print such things as bulletins and have them distributed all over the world. Many of these bulletins have become very popular, but if they were a traditional paper publication the cost associated with them would be too high. However, thanks to the internet, firms can publish papers and have them read in all corners of the world.

Lawyers frequently need to talk to each other when dealing with a large case and thanks to the internet, they no longer have to be in the same room with each other. This has led to a lowering of travel costs as teams of lawyers can discuss the case over Skype or another similar program. Video conferencing is now the wave of the future and can be done much easier than trying to get everyone in the same room at the same time.

Lawyers need information in order to win cases and that has also been made much easier thanks to the internet. Instead of having to haul around reams of paper or huge law books, lawyers can now find the information they need by simply logging onto the internet. Lawsuits, judgments, phone numbers, liens and other records are easily accessed and can make prepping for a case much easier. In addition, all team members will have access to the same information no matter where they are located.

The practice of law also involves a lot of paperwork and lawyers can now easily access the forms they need on a wide variety of websites. In addition, even regular people can go to websites and create their own legally binding documents such as articles of incorporation for a business or a last will and testament. This has also cut down on the number of fees that can be charged and opened the law to more people than ever before.

The internet will continue to change the way we live our lives and how we operate in the world of law and justice. It will be interesting to see how it continues to affect the practice of law in the future.

MyBlueDish is an informative website on Satellite Internet and High Speed Internet Service.

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A legal litigation lawyer is primarily concerned with providing officially authorized proficiency desired to determine the resolution to a special kind of legal disagreement that primarily do not fall under the category of criminal offences. The conflict can range from among small individual units to among large corporations. For instance, when two neighbors come across a difference of opinion pertaining to any topic like property boundaries, and if they are unable to resolve their disparity outside the legal court, only then the role of a civil becomes essential. Each side would hire a lawyer to support each of their positions before a judge or the jury.

A second prominent situation that calls for the essential role of this lawyers is when Businessmen from time to time come across a difference of opinion regarding some legal concord on contract conditions to an extent that it calls for an authority or the procedure of a lawsuit to resolve the differentiation. A litigation lawyer will usually have the required awareness of the contract and the law, which would give him the ability to construe the diverse contractual sections so he or she can help the authority in reaching a conclusion desirable to the party involved. Also, where there is a compromise on the contractual clauses, the lawyer may be capable of helping the entities involved in rectifying the differences of opinions without actually going for a legal lawsuit. But when the easier way out is not conceivable, both parties can appoint litigation lawyers who will have the required knowledge to deal with the case proceedings effectively to a desirable conclusion.

Another important property specific to the litigation lawyers, which is made most evident when going through the local phone book for the contact of a litigation lawyer, is that a person will notice that there are lawyers with specialties in various fields out there. Every lawyer of this category chooses to specialize in some special kinds of cases, for illustration, whenever an operative feels the impression that there has been percipience or discrimination of particular sort at his work place, he will easily be able to find a litigation lawyer who concentrates in that individual field of law. Federal, state and local laws can be very diverse and complicated and the way they administer behavior in the workplace. Therefore, it can be rather difficult to understand, so hiring a skillful and knowledgeable expert can assist the employee get the reimbursement he merits.

With all the arguments presented above, one conclusion that can be evidently drawn is that a litigation lawyer clearly possesses a very momentous domicile in any society. Given the latest trend, common among people of many countries suing one another clearly acts as empirical evidence of the importance of litigation lawyers in a country. Unquestionably this is the very motivation why so many lawyers out there have constricted their practices to specialisms rather than going for "general" practice.

Miss Lubna K. Jahangiri is one of the most qualified law consultant and experienced business and corporate lawyer in the State of California.

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Every celeb should know what celebrity footage licensing is so that no one will try to take advantage of them. There are so many things that are contained in this agreement but there are there are some do's and don'ts that the person who will be taking the license will be expected to know. This will have to be read carefully by the person before they can agree to anything.

All those who want to use a clip that has a particular celeb on it should do so after the person has agreed to and has obtained a written consent to that effect. Whether the celebrity will be paid or not, the agreement should still be made and put down in writing. In the agreement, all the people that are involved will have to put their signatures on it.

For any video, the celeb has the right to decide whether they will have those clips released or not. If they do not want the clips to be released, they can get a court order to stop this from happening. The other option can be to have certain parts of the clips to be released while the unauthorized parts will not be released.

The purpose of getting the agreement is so that both parties who will use the footage will be protected. With all the people that will be involved, they will all have to sign the agreement so that when anything goes wrong later they can go back to the agreement to see what they had agreed upon. There are times when people will get into a tussle with the law because there is no evidence that such an agreement had been reached.

There are times when the person will want money in exchange for the clips or they will want to be paid. If this is the case, there are two things that will have to take place. One, they will have to agree on the amount of money that will be paid. Second, the time that the company or the buyer will use the clips should be agreed upon.

There is room to negotiate what they can give for the clip and what the owner will be asking for. There are so many things that will influence the money that one will pay. This mainly should have to do with things such as the economic condition and whether there will be inflation or not. Whatever the case, the amount that will be given should be the kind of amount that will be worth it.

Since there are different entities that give these licenses, they have different conditions. It will be up to those people that will have them to know the content of the clips. They should also be aware of the consequences that will befall them when the content of the clip is released to the public.

The celebrity footage licensing has helped so many people not to be faced with some issues that they would have avoided in the first place. This is why it is very necessary that every person has this. Failure to do this might lead them into situations that would have been solved very easily if they have a license in the first place.

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With all of the technology available today it's very possible that your phones may be tapped or someone is intercepting and reading your private emails. A quick search of the Internet will produce literally thousands of online spy stores that sell all different kinds of eavesdropping equipment. If you're are involved in a very competitive business your cut throat competitors may want to have an advantage over you and they may be willing break the law to get it. Likewise if you're involved in a divorce or custody litigation your ex may have left behind some spying equipment to monitor your computer or telephone communications.

Telephone wiretapping is not like you see on the movies or on TV. You are not likely to hear strange clicks or noises on your phone to indicate a wiretap. also a surveillance van does not have to be parked nearby with men listening in on headphones. It's far more likely they will use something along the lines of an infinity transmitter or harmonica tap as it was called in the old days. This is a piece of equipment either built in or added on to your home phone. It works like this. Once the equipment is installed on your phone the spy will be able to call your home phone and pause before dialing the last number. At that pint they will play a tone over the phone line and then dial the last number. The phone will not ring in the house but the telephone handset is transformed into a listening device that can pick up all the conversations spoken in the room.

This type of phone tapping device can be very difficult to locate in the average bug sweep of a telephone system. Often the only way this kind of room bug can be discovered is with a telephone trap line. A telephone trap line will be able to detect this kind of invasion of privacy because it will detect every incoming call whether the phone rings or not. In fact it will send you an email alert with the incoming caller's phone number. Even if that caller is using caller ID block.

This can also be the case with an invasion of your email privacy. If someone has somehow stolen your email password and now has access to your emails it can be very difficult to discover this. Even a forensic examination of your computers hard drive may not be able to detect an unauthorized access to your email account and very often the email service providers are not interested in listening to your complaints or suspicions. However it is possible to discover this kind of intrusion with an email tracing investigation. This is where a private investigator will monitor your email account and document any unauthorized access. They can often recover enough identifying information about the intruder to provide enough evidence for an arrest and successful prosecution.

As you can see invasion of your privacy through a telephone wiretap, room bug or email hacking can be possible and even very simple for an amateur to attempt. However an expert in counter surveillance has many tools to catch the spy and even document their crimes.

Copyright (c) 2011 Opperman Investigations Inc

Ed Oppermaan is Pres Of Opperman Investigations Inc. If you suspect someone is reading your emails you need a hacked email account investigation. Visit http://www.emailrevealer.com to locate or identify the hacker.

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It makes no difference the reason that you need it, the simple truth of the matter is that almost everyone will at one point or another need the services of a video footage library for one reason or another. The use of this will lead you to see a much improved amount of success in getting the footage that you need.

People use this all the time and many of us never realize that we are watching this unless someone points it out to us and lets us know about it. This is usually the most obvious during the news when a story is running in the background. This is for times when a live shot or recent footage is not able to be obtained.

Research students tend to use this in a way that makes their job a little easier as well. The most common form of this is when they are working on a report for a class and need something that they are able to reference for the project that they are working on. This is a useful tool that they are able to get the best benefits from on a regular basis.

When this is used, it is many times under a common usage license. This means that the item is able to be used in the efforts that are implementing it so long as the item is given the appropriate amount of credit. This is a license that is many times free and does not require the registering or paying a fee for the use of it.

Many other situations that may see the use of this as being a good thing can be found in the workplace. When you are in the process of putting together a presentation, it is important that you have something that will be eye catching and will get the attention of your employees. This can have a lasting impression on the person in regards to making the most from the efforts that are placed into the attempt.

Many larger companies see this as the wave of the future and as a result are quick to make it a point that they get their employees interested in the presentation that they are putting together. This, as a result, will lead to having a presentation that will be second to none.

An independent journalist will also be a wonderful person that can make the most out of the efforts that are placed into their journalistic piece. This is a common thing that many of these take the liberty to ensure that they use on a regular basis.

Video footage library is one of the more common pieces of assistance needed by people to get the video that they need without them having to spend a lot to get this. It is certainly the very best way to get all the video footage you need and get it quickly and efficiently.

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As strange and shocking as it may sound yes there are certain laws that are set out by the government designed to keep us safe...from the internet? Amongst the many laws about the internet that here is a look at the top 4 strangest internet laws. In no particular order here is the first one.

Upsetting the entertainment industry
It is made up mostly by penalties for people who upset the entertainment industry through actions such as downloading and sharing content illegally. The penalties also include the three strikes rule which allows for your family to be cut off completely from the internet if anyone single member of the household is accused of copyright infringement. The worst part about this is that this can happen without needing any sort of proof or evidence or even a trial. There is also a newer rating system for the gaming industry making more games easily rated not suitable for children or peoples under 16 or 18.

There is also a fine of up to

Internet "gripe" sites have become very popular over the last three or four years, and they have taken many different forms. Some of these sites have offered students an opportunity to share random thoughts. Others have turned into a bashing forum for people to light into other people. Others still allow consumers to gripe about different businesses. Though it turns out these sites are completely legal, there are some reasons to take pause if you are posting on them. The law provides certain protections for the owners of these sites, but those protections are not ironclad. This is especially true in the changing world where internet laws are under siege.

Laws designed to shield site owners

One of the nice things about today's internet law is that site owners are relatively insulated from litigation. They have a "shield", so to speak, since the law does not allow for prosecution on the basis of simply providing a forum. The way these sites get away with this is relatively simple. They just put out the bulletin board and allow people to post thoughts on it. This puts the responsibility on the individuals doing the posting, since the law does not impute liability onto the site owner in most circumstances. Though many have tried, it is very difficult to get to a site owner based upon these principles.

Coming after site posters

Just because the site is insulated does not mean that individual posters are free to post what they want. Even anonymous posters can be held liable for their words if those words are defamatory to other people. In many instances, subpoenas have been served on the site, requiring the site owners to give up IP addresses on users. This can turn ugly for people who have been posting false statements, as they can be sued for libel as a result of their words.

Site owners and encouraging misconduct

Gripe sites have run into some trouble on the basis of "encouraging" certain kinds of postings. Though they are not civilly liable for defamation on the face, these individual site owners can be implicated if they encourage certain postings. This is where the law gets a bit murky, so site owners have to be very careful in how they craft their sites. Though they are not required to take down postings and they are not generally responsible for all defamation that takes place there, a site owner can have some liability if he is not careful.

The changing nature of internet law

Another thing to note is that the internet law is changing. The US Supreme Court and other federal courts are still relatively new to the proceedings and they are still learning how to apply the law. There is always a chance that the law could shift with judicial interpretation changing in time. This is something that site owners and internet posters alike must be aware of if they plan to test the difficult waters of internet gripe and borderline defamation.

I am an Arizona Bankruptcy Lawyer and an Internet Law Attorney

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The federal Computer Fraud and Abuse Act (CFAA) is most closely associated with criminal prosecutions brought by the Department of Justice. But the CFAA also provides for a civil cause of action for anyone who suffers damage or loss because of a violation of the statute. In light of the expansive reading that some courts have given to the law, victimized companies should give consideration to taking the civil route. A civil lawsuit gives the wronged party more control and may provide a quicker fix. By means of such a lawsuit, the victim can retrieve stolen data, enjoin illegal access to data, and even get compensatory damages for the theft and destruction of data.

The CFAA applies to all companies and all computers that are connected to the Internet. Potentially, there are multiple, distinct types of violation of the statute that could support a civil action. On a recurring issue in such cases- whether the defendant had authorization for his actions; the courts look at several factors:

-whether the defendant was an agent of the plaintiff's, with particular powers;

-whether an employment contract, such as may have been embodied in company rules and policies, was breached; and

-whether the defendant's use of the computer exceeded normal use that was expected by the plaintiff.

In recent court decisions, a real estate business was allowed to proceed with a civil action against a former employee for violations of the CFAA. In violation of his employment contract, the employee decided to quit and start a competing business. Before he returned the company's laptop, he deleted all of the data in it, including data that would have revealed his misconduct. Knowing that "deleted" filed can be retrieved, he erased the incriminating data by loading into the laptop a secure erasure program.

All of this, if proven in court, violated the CFAA as "transmission" of a program that damaged the computer (defined to include files in the computer), and as intentionally accessing the computer without authorization. Although the employee had not yet left his job when he installed the program, by law any authorization he might have had evaporated as soon as he violated the duty of loyalty to his employer.

In another case brought under the CFAA, a tour company secured an injunction against a competing company run by one of its former employees. The ex employee improperly used confidential information from his former employer to enable his new company to glean pricing data from his former employer's website, so that his new enterprise could effectively undercut those prices.

Although the website was open to anyone, the unauthorized use of the confidential information, combined with the use of a "scraper" software program, violated the CFAA. On top of the injunction, the plaintiff could recover, as compensable "loss" under the CFAA, the thousands of dollars it had paid in computer consultant fees for the diagnostic work after the defendant's conduct was discovered.

Copyright (c) 2011 Scott Carlyon

Scott Carlyon founded The Law Office of R. Scott Carlyon, P.C. in 1992. The firm has served its clients primarily in the areas of Real Estate Law, Estate Planning, Wealth Preservation, Probate, Businesses Law, and Litigation related to these areas of law; practicing in the state and federal courts of Bexar County, Tx. Learn more at http://www.BusinessLegalCounselor.com

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In the past, people obtained legal forms only through attorneys, public notaries and government offices. In our time and age, legal documents became very accessible on the internet. This provides the consumer with the ease, convenience and inexpensive access to the forms form the comfort of one's home or office computer.

Depending on the forms, some forms can be obtained from government offices and now websites as in the case of court related forms. These forms can usually be obtained at no cost. Other forms such as business forms can be obtained from attorneys websites, law firms websites and business legal websites. The prices and quality of legal forms vary from one website to another and one must exercise due diligence when shopping for legal forms online.

Websites offering legal forms differ not only in price but in content as well. Some websites offer a wide range of forms while others specialize in one specific form. The latter are one form websites. One might think that larger websites are more credible while another might conclude that the one form website is more specialized. The fact of the matter is, it does not matter where you obtain the form as long as you do your research about the website and it's trustworthiness. This can be done by Googling reviews about the website in question as well as by testing the website's customer support reliability by contacting them for information. Some websites offer form samples for free which provides user with an idea of what they are getting.

There are Pros and Cons to buying legal forms online. Some of the Pros include:

- Saving Money

- Saving Time

- Ease and convenience (Especially when forms are downloaded instantly after purchase)

There are also disadvantages to buying legal forms on the internet, some of which include:

- Unprofessionally drafted documents

- The lack of guidance or instruction on how to complete the forms

- Not having the software (such as Word or Adobe) in which the document is formatted

For the aforementioned reasons, Online users have to be browse multiple websites in order to make the most educated decision. As well, it is imperative to thoroughly investigate the credibility and reliability of the website before making the purchase. Whether it is temporary guardianship form or a bill of sale one must exercise due diligence and good judgment because if the form were poorly drafted, it may be legally invalid and therefore useless or worse it may have negative legal ramifications on its user.

A comprehensive resource of business and personal

Companies are using email disclaimers in many instances, the most common reason is to attempt to safeguard confidential information. This may be information that a company holds or information that is intended to be sent to a particular recipient, for a specific purpose or even just information about the company itself.

Similarly, these disclaimers are used when any type of advice is being given for a specific purpose through electronic means. For example, a disclaimer may be used to limit liability where the information should not be passed on to a third party and relied on but there is potential it may be. By using a disclaimer for the transmission of this type of information it lets the recipient know the extent to which it can be used and when it may not be. In many instances a standard email disclaimer will state that if an email was sent to the recipient in error, that person is required to delete the email and not use or pass on any of the information contained in the email. This is used to avoid and safeguard against the wrongful dissemination of confidential information.

Another important reason to use email disclaimers is that a company will not be able to control what is sent by their employees; therefore a disclaimer should appear at the bottom of every email to try to protect the company for emails sent by their employees. An email disclaimer is a standard inclusion on emails for most companies and will outline that the contents of the email are not necessarily the views of the company. This essentially tries to distance the company from the sender, even if it is an employee and means that if there is a misrepresentation or any other type of inappropriate conduct, it is the sender whom is personally liable and not the company.

In other situations an email disclaimer may be used to ensure that the recipient knows the extent of the authority that a company provides to the employee as sender of the email. For example a disclaimer can state that any emails sent by a specific person cannot form a contract. From this, email disclaimers can be very broad or customized for specific purposes. Employers and companies can tailor email disclaimers to specific employees, specific information provided, who may rely on the contents of the email, how it may be used, and many other caveats rather than having a general disclaimer for all employees. The nature of the employee's role and risk involved in emails will determine whether the use of a unique or general disclaimer is appropriate. Lastly, the nature of the company and what is communicated by email will also determine how the email disclaimer is framed and what it needs to contain to be tailored and effective for its particular use.

Want to know more? Click here for Free information on Email Disclaimer. Australian legal agreements and forms from http://Legal123.com.au.

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A website disclaimer is a method used to limit the liability of the owner of the website. Providing a disclaimer is an approach that can be used to ensure a website's information is not improperly relied upon. A clear example of this is where a disclaimer states that although the website endeavors to provide up-to-date information, the website makes no guarantee or warrantee that the information posted and contained on the website is always accurate and therefore should not be relied upon. If anyone is to rely on the website's information the site will not be held responsible for any loss or other result. A disclaimer will also state that information on the website may at any time, be changed or updated, without notice.

By providing this type of disclaimer, a website ensures that website visitors cannot sue based on any particular information on the site or reliance on the information on the website. Therefore, the website disclaimer is essentially, is a method used to limit the liability of the website owner as they cannot be in control of how the information on their site may be used or how that information may be interpreted. A disclaimer can be used on any company or business' website, and although most websites endeavor to have the correct and up-to-date information (as it is commercially desirable to do so), posting a disclaimer will protect the website in the event of any error.

Another important aspect of website disclaimers is when a website provides links to others sites or articles, there will be a disclaimer providing that the expression and content in these linked sites is not necessarily the views of that of website or company. An obvious example of this is a news site where authors post articles, in these instances it is very clear that the articles posted are the opinion of the authors (whom are separate from the news website) and a website disclaimer re-enforces this. A disclaimer tries to ensure that any type of representation or opinion may not be that of the site and also protects instances where the website provides a link to any other sites and their content. In most instances the website providing the link has no control over the content of the referenced site. As a result, it is essential to post a website disclaimer to protect your site from making any representations outside the scope of your control.

Want to know more? Click here for Free information on Website Disclaimer. Australian legal agreements and forms from http://Legal123.com.au.

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The phrase 'cyber warfare' appears as if it is ubiquitous at present. With the recent shocking Stuxnet attack, and attacks on a range of government sites across the globe, a number of observers have warned that we are heading into a new era of conflict.

Some critics, on the other hand, argue that this couldn't be further from the truth. It is reasoned that a number of the IT companies who are warning of the threat of cyber warfare are the ones who stand to benefit more than any other in the event of governments around the world decide to take concerted action.

Further, many people believe that there are a number of countries which already have the cyber equivalent of nuclear weaponry (and the group is believed to be pretty similar to those who possess actual nuclear weaponry) and the likelihood of them becoming engaged in a war of mutual cyber extinction seems fairly remote.

Research released last month, on the other hand, reveals that in the UK cyber crime is a truly worrying issue. More than

The new EU e-privacy law comes into force on the 25th of May 2011. Once enacted in the EU member states, this directive will have a significant effect on websites that require users to accept cookies. So, what does this change mean for internet users and what are laws designed to accomplish?

New laws are aimed at 'informed consent' for users who enter a website and download cookies. Currently cookies are downloaded automatically from certain websites without a users' knowledge. The purpose of this is to allow users who frequent websites to do so quicker by storing information on a users' computer. This information is stored on the web browser without the consent of the user of the computer.

In other instances, cookies are used to track the behavior of users, not necessarily for the benefit of the user, but for purposes that may be seen as a hindrance to users such as advertising. This tracking then leads to the user receiving advertising specifically aimed at their internet use and interests. This somewhat unwelcome tracking of information of private information is what the new EU directives aim is to stop. The directive will force the EU member countries to enact laws for websites to gain the users explicit consent before they download a cookie from the website.

Many have criticized this new directive and believe that it will be detrimental to EU websites as it will divert traffic to non-EU member websites and secondly will be very difficult and costly for the EU websites to implement this directive. This has lead to many companies with websites threatening to move their sites to US based providers which would then ultimately impact EU web providers.

Although this is the first directive and internet regulation of its kind, American counterparts have had it on their agenda for some time and have been putting pressure on the industry to self-regulate before levels of distrust and malpractice compel the government to step in. If the new directive does lead to companies changing to internet providers in non-EU countries, it seems that it is likely that there would be increased pressure for other countries to conform and this could be the beginning of the first world-wide internet regulation. This directive could possibly signify changes that will in the next few years have an effect on an enormous amount of websites and internet regulation around the world.

Want to know more? Click here for Free information on Website Privacy. Australian legal agreements and forms from http://Legal123.com.au.

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Since home computer systems have grown so popular, there have been more men, women, and children that become the targeted victims of cyber bullying. This is an extremely frustrating and sometimes frightening problem that can quickly be solved when a reverse email look-up is performed by an experienced private investigator. The California cyber bullying laws that have been enacted can also be of great help to people that are experiencing this type of harassment.

The Education Code Sections 32260 through 32262, it simply refers to the partnership formed between Law Enforcement and Schools. This partnership is comprised of the Attorney General and the Superintendent providing instruction to students of the Public School System. This is a partnership that is commonly known as the Interagency School Safety Demonstration Act of 1985. As a form of protection of all students this is one of the California cyber bullying laws that consists of the following:

Policies and programs shall be put in place that is required to carry out Article 5 provisions, starting with Section 32280. The administrators of safe school programs, all activities, procedures, and training that are conducted in accordance with this chapter.The cooperation of other state and federal agencies of other states when it comes to the matter of safety in schools.While attending classes on any of the campuses of the California School System, it is the right of each and every student to be ensured that the campus will be peaceful, secure, and safe. Without each of these elements, it is practically impossible for students to benefit from the specific educational programs they are a part of. This is precisely why this chapter of the California Cyber bullying laws was developed.

Legislature's intent is for the agencies that serve California's youth, school districts, law enforcement agencies, and county offices of education to all work together. They are encouraged to create and use various types of programs of in-service training, interagency strategies, and different kinds of activities that are geared towards reducing issues with bullying and other problems that often occur within the school system. California cyber bullying laws in this section refer to bullying that occur with the use of various types of electronic devices. This would include home computer systems, mobile phones, pagers, home telephones, and video recorders.

If one of your children has been experiencing the trauma that cyber bullying can cause, you are urged to review the valuable information contained in the Education Code Sections 32260 through 32262 of the California cyber bullying laws. Another helpful step to put a halt to this type of situation would be to have a reverse email look-up performed by a professional private investigator.

Copyright (c) 2011 Opperman Investigations Inc.

Ed Opperman is President of Opperman Investigations Inc. If you need help with a cyber stalking investigation visit http://www.emailrevealer.com.

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In our younger days, we have all done things which we ended up regretting. We have wronged people, we caused them upset. Guilty as charged. But no one can turn back the wheels of time and usually life goes on and people move on do to better and greater things.

But what if suddenly, almost out of the blue 10, 20, 30 years on, an image from the past decides to make a reappearance in our lives with the sole purpose of destroying everything that we have worked for; our family life, our business, our achievements, our good name and our reputation? You see, before the days of the internet, unless we had left behind a forgotten son or daughter we have been, relatively easily, being able to put the past behind us. It would have been almost inconceivable for someone, especially from another country to make a comeback into our lives and systematically destroy us. Now things appear to have changed, quite dramatically with shadows from the past being able to haunt us almost to the grave through the latest technology, with a click of a button.

Frank Backerfield (not his real name), a successful English entrepreneur who is very famous in the entertainment industry, has recently discovered that an image from the past has made a nasty reappearance with the sole purpose of completely destroying him. You see, when Frank was a bit younger, he used to be, let's say, something of a playboy. He used to travel around the world, telling lots of rich women that he loved them when actually he just wanted to spend some good time with them. Apparently he left a number of broken hearts on the side of expensive hotels, expecting them to foot the bills and forget about him almost as quickly as they fell in love with him. At the time, neither of the parties involved believed that they would ever meet each other again and to be frank, most of the women that he engaged with, did not have any desire to even hear his name again.

After a number of years of messing around, Frank decided he had enough and that time had arrived for him to go 'straight'. With the little bit of money that he had he started a small night club that he managed to run so well, that within a couple of years it was earning him a fortune. He then moved to open 4 more clubs in and around London until he become an established and very respected figure within the UK entertainment industry. Frank even got married to a lady from Middlesex, Clair, and they both lived in harmony with their 4 children in a lovely country home in a small village in Essex.

But then, one day, Frank received a phone call from a trusted friend, asking him if he happened to know a lady by the name of Laura Park, from Canada. The name did ring a bell but no matter how hard Frank tried to remember where he heard of this name before, he was unable to recollect specific details. The trusted friend then advised Frank to do an internet search of his name. It had been ages since Frank used the internet. Normally his wife, Clair, or one of his assistants would deal with the internet stuff for him because Frank was a very busy man who hated wasting time going online.

So Frank did a search on Google and to his astonishment he discovered that a Laura Park had written several blogs and even published a book (available on Amazon) about 'How My Life Was Changed Following My Short Encounter With The Fraudster Frank Backerfield'.

In her blogs, and in the book that she had self published, Laura Park had described her encounter with Frank some 25 years ago and how she claims he allegedly deceived her to sleep with him and to leave her ex husband and two children, just to be dumped by him within a fortnight. In her internet publications Laura Park has described Frank as a living monster; a person who must not be trusted, as a fraud and as a ruthless conman. She declared very openly her intention to destroy him and her personal commitment to turn everything Frank had ever created into ashes.

Unbeknownst to Frank, Laura Park's campaign had gone on for a number of years. She posted personal videos on YouTube, MSN and other websites which host videos. She created tens of blogs and websites and told her 'story' in every possible forum on the internet.

But it was not until Google had changed its algorithm that her blogs started to appear everywhere on the internet against the search of Frank Backerfield's name.

Initially Frank decided to ignore this campaign and to continue his focus on his business instead, but as the inquisitive telephone calls from friends, family and business associates started to increase and as the pressure from his wife, Clair started to grow, he decided that he needed to do something about this matter. His business started to suffer and he could not stand the thought of him being labelled as fraudster, in front of the whole world.

Well, fixing this was not going to be very easy. This woman clearly set herself on a mission and as it appears, was now devoting her life to destroying him no matter what. She was living outside the jurisdiction of the English Courts and was posting all her lies through websites which were located outside the UK. To add to this, the quantity of the defamatory material was so great and a major clear up was required, which was not going to be easy and would not come cheap.

way to deal with this menace was to take a very systematic approach by starting off the cleaning operation from scratch. As there was very little point in trying to persuade Laura Park to stop her campaign, it was decided to obtain injunctions against the internet service providers who hosted the material which she has posted. Once an injunction was obtained, the next step would be to enforce it across the world by using process servers and local lawyers who would serve the injunction on all the parties involved. This way, one by one the posts would be removed and the hundreds of internet links which point to these posts would become inactive and eventually be removed by the search engines' Spiders. At the same time, a defensive Search Engine Optimisation strategy would ensure that the vacuum which was left by the disabled links was filled with plenty of articles, blogs and information about Frank Backerfield.

From this point onwards, Frank Backerfield's kept an eye on his online reputation to ensure that any new postings by Laura Park about him or his company was being removed, using the injunction which has already been obtained. Frank's reputation could be completely restored within 3-4 months and will never be destroyed again in such a way.

Yair Cohen is a leading UK online defamation and internet solicitor. Yair is a partner with the niche internet law firm Bains Cohen. The firm is renowned for its innovative approach to resolving client's online reputation problems and for the exceptional level of client and customer care that it practices.

Yair Cohen is believed to be the first lawyer in the United Kingdom to have obtained court injunctions against Google, YouTube and other main internet service providers to force the companies to remove defamatory content from various blogs and websites. Yair's main strength is in his superior knowledge and understanding of the law in the context of the new realities which the internet presents. The secret to his success in removing defamatory websites is in his unique ability to combine vast amounts of technical knowledge with a unique and creative way of applying it to the law and to business reality.

Visit Bains Cohen Solicitors http://www.bainscohen.com
Visit Yair Cohen's blog http://www.yaircohenuk.com

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Broadly, illegal activity involving a computer may be called a cybercrime. With the advent of the Internet, cybercrime has exploded - not surprising with over one billion people using the Internet worldwide. There is no shortage of potential targets, and victims and perpetrators can be separated by oceans.

The anonymity of the Internet allows for low costs and leaves few traces, and cybercriminals may be either solo operators or parts of larger schemes, possibly even affiliated with organized crime. Ironically, technology makes it easy to create fraudulent online material that looks identical to the Internet marketing Web pages of legitimate entities.

The increase in Internet activity has brought more prosecution. Because of the facelessness of those committing these crimes, it is easy for law enforcement investigators to use circumstantial to prosecute the wrong people.

Unified Law Enforcement Action

The Internet Crime Complaint Center (IC3) is a joint program of the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), the U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ's) Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), and the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting law enforcement in its fight against "economic and high-tech crime."

The IC3 is a clearinghouse for complaints of cybercrime and related civil law violations. Complaints filed with IC3 online are reviewed by analysts for forwarding to local, state, federal or international law enforcement, or civil agencies with jurisdiction to investigate and prosecute potential cybercrimes.

Rising Rates

The IC3 released its 2009 report on cybercrime in March and the findings show an explosion of illegal online activity. For example, the number of complaints filed with IC3 in 2009 was up over 22 percent from 2008 numbers. Monetary loss connected to online fraud almost doubled to about $560 million compared with $265 million the year before.

Online criminal complaints increased substantially again last year, according to the report. The IC3 received 336,655 2009 complaints, a 22.3 percent increase from 2008. The total loss linked to online fraud in 2009 was $559.7 million, up from $265 million in 2008.

This growth has placed great pressure on law enforcement to "do something" about the problem. This usually means the police arrest more people and prosecutors prosecute more. The increased pressure on law enforcement can lead to a "rush to judgment," such that false accusations are levied at innocent people.

Common Types of Financial Cybercrimes

Identity theft: Someone can steal your identity by using personal information like your social security number (SSN), driver's license number or credit-card account number to commit fraudulent transactions such as opening credit or bank accounts, taking out loans or making large purchases. The Internet can be the vehicle both for pilfering of personal information, and for using it to commit online misrepresentation and theft. Such crimes can severely damage credit ratings.

Internet fraud: The Internet can be used to commit many illegal acts involving fraud. E-mails, chat rooms and websites are used to conduct a variety of fraudulent schemes. Fraud may be used to approach individual victims online, engage in fraudulent business activities or deal deceptively with banks and other financial institutions.

Incomplete transactions: In any exchange of goods or services for money, the parties must act in good faith and rely on each other to complete the transaction. Unfortunately when things are bought over the Internet, either party can get burned. The seller can keep the money and not send the item, or the buyer can keep the item and not pay for it. Many variations on this theme are carried out every day in cyberspace.

Online auction fraud: Auction sites commonly concern allegations of economic fraud. Auction websites conduct virtual auctions for a variety of items and are extremely popular with the public. Unfortunately, fraud can occur in several ways, such as:
A seller may never send the item to the winning bidder after receiving paymentA seller may send an inferior, damaged or knockoff productA buyer may submit a high bid to hold off other bidders and withdraw it at the last minute so a low bid by an associate is successfulA seller may arrange for someone to drive bids higher

International cybercrime: Schemes international in scope include invitations to enter foreign lotteries, and money offers in exchange for assistance with money transfers into the United States or into overseas accounts for supposedly sympathetic causes. Nigeria is often associated with these dangerous offers, specifically called 419 schemes in reference to a section of the Nigerian Criminal Code.

Phishing - Phishing is an attempt to get personal information by using an e-mail that appears to be from a trusted source such as your bank, asking that sensitive data be sent by return e-mail. Phished e-mails are often sent en masse.

Spoofed websites - Those with technical expertise can create professional-looking websites for fake charities designed to obtain personal information in the process of collecting donations.

Protect Yourself from Overzealous Prosecution

With the wide variety of cybercrimes and the enormous increase in their frequency, law enforcement is under pressure to prosecute anyone it suspects of cybercrime. The novelty of methods used to commit cybercrimes often means that many law enforcement entities - with little investigative experience - are not prepared to fully investigate these cases. It is in this context that mistakes are often made in determining whom to charge with a given cybercrime.

If you believe that you are being investigated for committing a crime via computer or the Internet, consult with an experienced criminal lawyer immediately, as soon as you suspect the problem. Your criminal defense attorney can monitor any investigation by authorities and help you launch your own if necessary, employing critical computer and internet fraud experts. Don't go it alone. Get the legal and other professional help you need at an early juncture.

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Generally all websites should have terms and conditions. This will decrease the risk of the owner of the website's liability for damage claimed to have been suffered by a visitor to their site, in a number of ways.

With a website being accessible to anyone, a website owner has no control over who accesses the site or how the information on the site is used. Not only do terms limit liability of the site owner they also, in most instances, form a contract with a user or visitor to your website. Essentially every website that provides any type of goods or service should include terms and conditions governing the payment or delivery of that good or service and in the instance of sale of a product or service on a website, the visitor or customer should be required to click to accept these.

Website terms and conditions are essential for a number of reasons. First with the commercial reality that when there is business online, and with potential clients anywhere in the world, by having terms that are clearly outlined, the governing law will be on the website owner's terms and according to their country jurisdiction so there will be no ambiguity despite location of any buyer of goods or services. Another important note following this is that regulations differ from one country to another so the website owner will need to ensure their terms and conditions comply with the laws in their country.

When a website is providing any type of goods or services, it is absolutely essential to outline how and the terms upon which the goods and services will be provided; this may be as simple as conditionss of shipping or as complex as outlining specifics for a security trading account. These terms and conditions will also need to outline the extent of the website's liability for these goods and services. A common example of this is when goods are provided, the website will be responsible for them while in their possession, but at the time of shipment onwards it is then the buyers responsibility. Other related terms of sale would also be included in the conditions of this type of transaction such as, for example, terms of return of goods, if any, and warranties on the goods or services.

With the worldwide accessibility of websites and website owners being willing to do business with any customer, websites owners should attempt to minimize any possible risks that are posed no matter how foreseeable and wherever possible through strongly worded website terms and conditions.

Want to know more? Click here for Free information on Website Terms and Conditions. Australian legal agreements and forms from http://Legal123.com.au

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I am on the lam. Running for my life. I feel like pinching myself because it is surreal. Is this really happening? How can it be that my life has been so disrupted by one person?

What is worse, is that this is the second time in 15 years that I have had to do this. Sell everything I own. Change my name. Leave town. Start my life over from square one. New friends, new loves, new work, new everything. This just doesn't happen to people. Why can't I stop it?

I am writing this article because I want other victims out there to know how far these kinds of games can be taken, and what to do from the very start. Because at the very start I didn't take this serious enough and it spun out of control so fast and so horrendously.

Cyber stalking and cyber bullying are on the rise. And if you get on the other side of a really sick and sadistic person, as I did 15 years ago, your life can become a nightmare of epic proportion. Cyber stalking and cyber bullying usually flip back and forth between online and offline harassment. Take care if you think somebody is victimizing you online. Online abuse can become offline abuse very quickly, and the opposite is true as well.

I have made so many mistakes throughout the course of my ordeal. If you think that you are a victim of a cyberstalker or cyberbully perpetrator, please read the following and take the necessary action.

Don't ignore the first signs of stalking, bullying and harassment.

This was my biggest mistake. The minute I began having trouble with these people I should have slapped a restraining order on them. Even though I could not prove they were doing anything, a restraining order would have shown them that I was not going to put up with their stuff, and also if I were to get evidence, the consequences would have been more harsh for them. Nobody wants a criminal record, and so it's a good idea to let them know you mean business.

Don't think that they will stop. They will not stop until you stop them.

This has taken a long time for me to learn. I put up with vandalism, harassment and degradation of my character for 3 years before my first time moving, thinking the perpetrators would have moved on to attempting to have a life of their own, and I was wrong.

Then, after 5 or 6 years of thinking the ordeal was over, I allowed myself to be vulnerable to it yet again, and that is why I am in the position I am in today.

This personality type will not stop for anybody or anything. They are mentally disordered, do not forget that. They do not think like you and I or anybody operating within the realms of normal behavior.

If your trouble continues, move and do it fast.

If a restraining order doesn't work and you cannot stop them, move immediately, quietly, and do not tell anybody when or where you are going. Get a P.O. Box at least 2 zip codes away from where you are living. Do not forward mail through the U.S. Post Office. Contact the people you receive mail from and give them the P.O. Box.

Also, these days there is virtual mail. There are a lot of services out there, so pick one that suits you, and don't tell anybody that you are doing it. I made the mistake of thinking that the people working at the service would not give out my information. I gave the address out to one of the perpetrators and the service was compromised. So if you sign up for virtual mail, keep in mind they are not as solid as the U.S. Post Office, and can be compromised. Keep the information to yourself.

Don't give your cell phone number to anybody.

If your stalker/bully is clever like mine, she will infiltrate your social circle somehow to find out where you are. There is a product on the market which allows these types to install software onto their computer, put your cell phone number in, and then your perp will have access to your phone conversations and text messages. More frightening, they can track your movements through the GPS feature on your phone. They do not need access to your cell phone to do this. They can't access your email, but any access to private conversation, texting or your whereabouts is heinous and violating.

Get a land line or VOIP through the computer, change your cell phone number and use the cell for emergencies only. Sorry. It's terrible to have to give up that cell, but if you are in serious trouble, you just have to do it.

Computer security.

When going through your emails, do not click on any links from anybody who you are not familiar with. There is a way for perpetrators to send an email with a link that if clicked will install a software on your computer, without your knowledge, that will give them access to your emails. Be very careful with this, it is all too easy to absent-mindedly click on a link that can cause you a lot of cost and trouble.

Visit www.thejoythieves.com to find out about the cyberstalker/bully personality type and what they are capable of.

Written by Connie Brill. Find out more at http://www.thejoythieves.com

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During the course of your life there are many different occasions where you may well need the assistance and the expertise of an attorney. It may be that you need them to represent you in a criminal case or you may need someone to seek compensation for you after you have had an accident. Whatever it is that you need your attorney for it is absolutely paramount that you find the very best lawyer that you can for the money that you have to spend. If you are not sure how or where to find a lawyer it can be a rather tricky process. Obviously, every law firm claims to be the best and to have the most competitive rates for their work but who can you trust? It is an extremely difficult question to answer but there are some steps that you can take to help you make the correct decision.

How to find the best lawyer for your requirements

There are a number of different ways that you can attempt to locate the perfect attorney for your case. Obviously, you can ask friends and family members that have had experience with attorneys who they have used in the past and they may well be able to point you in the right direction. Unfortunately, this luxury is not always an option for most people so you will need to find a lawyer by yourself. As there are so many different lawyers and law firms to choose between this can be a rather long and drawn out process if you are not entirely sure where to search. The internet is undoubtedly the best place to locate high quality attorneys for any type of case in the shortest amount of time. Here you will be able to find numerous websites and blogs that will provide you with information and facts about all of the various lawyers that are on offer to you. Obviously, there is a vast amount of information for you to read and take in. Due to this fact it is better to seek out the websites and blogs that have attorney videos on them. This type of site is relatively new to the market but they are extremely useful. These sites give you the option to watch lawyer videos of lawyers that practice all types of different law. Watching a video is far quicker than actually reading about every lawyer and it is also a lot more informative. The attorney videos give you a real feel for whether you can trust the attorney and most important of all whether you feel that you can get on well with them during the course of your case.

Choosing the best lawyer for your case

There are many deciding factors to consider when you are trying to find a lawyer. However, the most important ones are the previous case histories of the attorney in question. Obviously, you want one that has been successful in the large majority of their cases. Also, you need a lawyer that is within your price range, budget is extremely important as some lawyers can be very expensive.

Viewmylawyer.com attorney video directory and lawyer finder hosts lawyer videos and has free law library where consumers can go to find free legal information and find a lawyer find a lawyer.

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A website privacy policy and confidentiality policy are the same type of policy and the terms may be used interchangeably. These policies are required on most websites to comply with Australian laws.

The law outlines that anytime personal information is being collected online, any visitors to and users of the site, must be aware of what information is being collected, why and how it is being collected as well as how and where it is being stored. This may seem straightforward in many cases, but this measure is in place to attempt to prevent the misuse of information and to ensure a website user is fully aware that their information is being collected.

A privacy or confidentiality policy is normally found directly on a website or through a link to a dedicated page outlining this important policy. Essentially, it is recommended that every website have a privacy policy.

When entering information into a website, customers and visitors will want to be sure that they know exactly what this information will be used for and how it will be retained. Ensuring you have a privacy policy on your site assists this and gives confirmation to visitors that any information sent or given to a site will not be used for any unwanted or unknown purpose. Privacy policies must even go further than this and outline how data is stored, essentially forcing website owners to securely store personal information.

By owning or running a business website you need to be aware of the significance of misuse of personal information and your requirements as a website owner. It is quite apparent that this legislation is in place to prevent both the inadvertent and intentional misuse of information such selling email and other addresses which may be used to send spam mail to email addresses and also to ensure the safety and secured storage of information such as credit card details.

Implementing these policies is not a change from the typical practice of most websites. It can instead be interpreted as a codification of a websites current practice.

Generally, as both a safeguard and anytime information is received from a website visitor in any way, it can still be used for whatever purpose a website wishes, provided that the privacy policy first outlines what the purpose/s are in the policy on their site and, in some instances, gives the visitors the opportunity to 'opt out'. Users must have the option to review this policy when visiting the website and if they do not agree with it, they can choose not to use the site. This privacy policy option must be available prior to them giving any of their details and if they choose to opt out, the website owner cannot use any of their details.

When publishing any privacy policy, a website will need to ensure that they consider all the ways in which they gather and store information collected from a visitor to their site and outline its exact use. In many cases this collection will be very obvious but in other instances, it may be less direct. However collected, a website privacy policy needs to be written, clear and easily available to website visitors to ensure compliance with Australian legislation.

Want to know more? Click here for Free information on Website Privacy. Australian legal agreements and forms from http://Legal123.com.au.

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are normally won on grounds of privacy and human rights. They are particularly difficult to digest because our embedded sense of justice, which accepts judicial restriction on our freedom of speech whenever the truthfulness of the intended publication is questionable, finds it difficult to logically accept similar restrictions on our freedom of speech when the intended publication is likely to contain truthful information.

We have been brought up to believe that telling lies is wrong, but now it appears the creators of the super injunction are telling us that telling the truth is wrong too. At any other time, this unhealthy mixture of moral messages could have been seen as a massive blow to our democratic system as well as to our personal and social values. However, the on-going democratisation of our world through the internet, which finds its underlying philosophy in the algorithms of the Google search engine, which basically says - 'let the community decide what is useful, important or even truthful', has already started to repair any damage to our moral values by insisting that truthful information should be published, if not by a newspaper then by regular Twitter users, if not in the UK, then outside the jurisdiction or the enforcement power of the local Courts. The democratic nature of the internet has made enforcement of worldwide impossible and Parliament needs to act fast to close the gap between what the public accepts as morally wrong (ie telling false stories) and the heavy penalties which the judicial system is willing to impose on those who are responsible for the publication of true stories.

In the rapidly evolving world of the internet, new laws have unintended and unforeseeable consequences which means that judicial attempts to protect one's privacy are resulting in the forced exposure of the lives of innocent parties. Because Parliament has got the resources to properly assess and develop new law, in the circumstances perhaps it is best to ensure that in future, the law is developed more through Parliament and less through the Courts.

In the meantime, for the simple reason that publication of material on the internet could be done from the most remote parts of the world, and by people who might care very little about what our judges think, will suffer death by a mob and sooner or later, either the courts will simply stop granting them or celebrities will realise that in the fast moving internet world, these will bring them more harm than good.

Yair Cohen is a leading UK online defamation and internet solicitor. Yair is a partner with the niche internet law firm Bains Cohen which has previously obtained injunctions against Google, YouTube and other main internet service providers.
Visit Bains Cohen Solicitors http://www.bainscohen.com
Learn more about online defamation by Visiting Yair Cohen's blog http://www.yaircohenuk.com

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Local country compliance is a question that many website owners may consider when their website deals with international clients, users and visitors to their website. This question cannot be given a definitive answer as its difficult to control access to your website, however general guidance can be suggested.

One of the most important regulations to consider with respect to other country laws and your website is your Privacy Policy. With respect to internet regulation and laws concerning the collection of information, it's the case that some countries will have no or little regulation. Other jurisdictions, particularly English speaking jurisdictions such as Singapore, the US, much of the EU and Canada do have privacy and security regulation which are similar laws to Australia.

With the nature of privacy over the internet, concerns will be the same in many countries so laws and requirements will be similar. Australia has a strict privacy policy requirements and so following Australia's policy will usually be a safe bet that if you will comply generally with most countries internet privacy requirements, however, you should always confirm this locally.

In many instances, a website will be doing business with visitors from the country of their home site. However, as a website owner, you cannot control where your visitors come from nor which countries and visitors view your website. You are best to have a strong privacy policy that has the potential to cover anticipated countries you may be likely to be doing business with.

When creating a privacy policy the safest bet is for a website to create their policy within the scope of the jurisdiction that they are in, as there is really no way of knowing or even controlling who will visit the site. Having a clearly outlined, strong and visible privacy policy that states exactly what information may be collected, the purpose, and security measures in place to ensure it is kept safe is generally the best approach.

Furthermore, if a website is engaging in the sale of a product or service with a customer from another country, the privacy policy and the terms of sale should clearly state that the sale of the product or service is governed by the laws of the country where the website is located. This is the best approach in terms of risk management; if a problem arises with the goods or services, then it will be determined by, and any action will occur in the courts of your jurisdiction or country in most instances.

Want to know more? Click here for Free information on Website Privacy. Australian legal agreements and forms from http://Legal123.com.au.

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Victims of online reputation attacks and online intimidation should take their cases to the High Court instead of reporting them to the police.

In a recent court case where a hospital administrator became the first man in the UK to be jailed for stalking a woman by blogs, the authorities have sent a strong message to all those who wrongly believe that the internet is a lawless land where stalking, bullying, harassment, defamation and blackmail are a fair game and have demonstrated that online harassment shall not be tolerated in our society.

In a case which was heard by a Magistrate Court in Manchester it was alleged that a 38 year old man continuously attacked his female victim by using no less than 35 website blogs in which he repeatedly insulted her, causing her upset and reputational damage. The man also used emails to harass his victims as well as social networking sites such as Facebook.

It is not surprising at all that it took the authorities 18 months before the man was finally jailed. By this time, his victim must have been completely destroyed mentally and emotionally. Her confidence must have been shattered and her trust in people would have been replaced with cynicism and weariness. Had this hate campaign been conducted offline, I have no doubt that the authorities would have acted much quicker to bring it to a halt.

By the time the offender was jailed, he had already appeared in court on a number of occasions. On one occasion, after he admitted harassment, an order was made against him to refrain from mentioning his victim's name on any websites. Again, it appears it took some time before this very limited court order was made and even longer, before breaches were dealt with.

It is very likely, that had this been a case of domestic harassment, where more traditional methods of harassment were being used, the victim would have been relieved from her pain much, much earlier. It seems that the police, the Crown Prosecution Service and the Magistrates' Courts are not yet ready to effectively deal with these sorts of online harassment cases. The civil courts however are much quicker to act in response to online harassment cases with injunctions being granted within days rather than months and years. Victims of online harassment should be wise to take their cases to the High Court where solicitors can obtain a much more comprehensive injunction on their behalf within 48 hours. There is no need for victims of online harassment to suffer for such a long time before the harassment is stopped.

Despite him being jailed, large number of the defamatory blogs that the offender had created against his victim still remain active and is visible to the entire world to view. It is likely that a properly prepared High Court injunction would have ensured that the blogs and websites were removed by the internet service providers and that once such an injunction was granted, it could last for life, preventing anyone from taking part in the publication of material which is prohibited by the court order.

During his online campaign of harassment, the offender boasted of being so skilled in IT that he could set up and manipulate blogs about his victim quicker than they could be deleted.

It is not unusual for IT skilled individuals to blackmail their victims by making threats to destroy their victim's reputation unless certain demands being met. The police have seemed to so far, failed to recognise the fact that this form of blackmail is a criminal offence, mainly out of ignorance and lack of resources. These sorts of threats should be taken very seriously and perpetrators of such online threats should be told about the civil as well as the criminal implications of their actions.

Yair Cohen is a leading online defamation solicitor in the UK - http://www.BainsCohen.com.

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