A number of Internet laws that aim to protect intellectual property rights online have been proposed in recent months. While only one piece of legislation has passed, proposed bills could have implications for business owners. ACTA: Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement So far, the only recent cyber law to be passed is ACTA, which is really an agreement between nations rather than a law passed by Congress. ACTA allows court orders to be brought against companies that infringe on the intellectual property rights of other firms. Under ACTA, businesses may sue websites ...

Millions of consumers today rely on the use of credit to pay for everyday expenses like vehicles, groceries, and clothes. Credit card debt, in particular, has skyrocketed to over $1 trillion. However, debtors should understand that there is a period of time, known as a statute of limitations (SOL), that creditors can file a lawsuit against the debtor to collect the debt. The Statute of Limitations The SOL is a certain window of time when a creditor can sue a debtor for failing to pay a particular debt. Generally, the SOL begins to run when cause of action accrues. ...

One of the more complicated aspects after a car accident is dealing with the insurance company. Usually within a few days of an accident, you will be contacted by an insurance adjuster who will want to try to settle your claim as quickly as possible. Here are 10 things you should be aware of when dealing with the insurance company: 1. Insurance adjusters are trained negotiators. Regardless of how helpful your insurance adjuster may seem, he or she is not looking out for your best interests. An insurance adjuster's job is to protect the interests of the insurance ...

According to a recent article by Reuters, consumers face a bleak 2013 as both healthcare and food costs are likely to rise next year - with increased tax burdens also looming on the horizon. This is likely the worse time for such news as the economy is still struggling to grow after a disastrous few years. The sluggish economy has taken its toll on almost every area of the financial world, including the decimation of retirement funds and "underwater" mortgages. However, for many people there is help out there in the form of bankruptcy. Many in Arizona have ...

In her book "Living History," Hillary Rodham Clinton said, "Fail to plan, plan to fail." While this advice has general application it is especially pertinent to estate planning. Consider two wealthy men, Sam Walton and Elvis Presley. After their deaths, Walton's family continued to be wealthy while Presley's did not, all because of Walton's estate planning and use of gifting assets. In fact, the Walton heirs paid no estate tax while Elvis' estate handed over 73 percent of its value to the government. With the Tax Relief, Unemployment Reinsurance and ...

Recently, a group of friends' night out at a bar in southwest Atlanta ended in a deadly crash. After allegedly becoming intoxicated, one individual wanted to drive her friend home. The security guard at the bar noticed she was under the influence of alcohol, however, and took away her car keys. Shortly thereafter, the guard gave the keys to another individual in the group of friends, allowing them to leave the bar. According to a passenger in the car, the woman who was given the keys by the security guard drove them a short distance away, before getting out of the vehicle ...

The class action. It is a legal construct, invented years ago, to make it possible for many people who are all dealing with the same issue to join in litigation, thus making it less expensive and hopefully less stressful for themselves. Famous class actions -- like the case against Pacific Gas & Electric chronicled in the movie "Erin Brokovich," as well as the 125,000 plaintiffs who banded together to sue Wyeth Pharmaceuticals for damages caused by the popular diet drug Fen-Phen -- have shined light on this area of the law and proven to the public that single ...

When the parents of a child do not live together -- either because of a divorce or because they were never married -- Georgia courts will step in to determine who will be granted custody. In Georgia, there are two sides to most child custody cases: physical and legal custody. Physical custody refers the parent with whom the child lives most of the time. In most cases, one parent will be granted primary physical custody and the other will be granted visitation and parenting time. Legal custody involves the power to make important decisions about the child's upbringing, ...

Massachusetts requires most sex offenders to register on the state's sex offender registry. Since the state imposes stiff penalties for offenders who fail to comply with its strict registry requirements, it is imperative that those who have served time for sex offenses understand the law and their obligation to register. Who Is Required to Register on Massachusetts' Sex Offender Registry? All Level One, Two and Three sex offenders who work, live or go to post-secondary school in Massachusetts are required to register as a sex offender with the state. Level One offenders ...

Elder abuse is an increasingly common occurrence in the United States. Between 500,000 and one million reports of the criminal behavior filed each year. Now, two online tools allow users to identify nursing homes treat their residents well and those that tend to neglect or mistreat the elderly in their care. Nursing Home Compare and Nursing Home Inspect The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid have made good on a promise to upload the full texts of 15,000 nursing home inspection reports. Prior to this change, users could use Medicare's online ranking tool Nursing Home ...

A study recently published in the trade journal "Computers in Human Behavior" indicates that multi-tasking in any form causes a significant decrease in performance of both visual and audio tasks. The research, led by Zheng Wang, Assistant Professor at The Ohio State University School of Communication, shows that performing more than one visual or audio task at a time causes a marked decrease in each of these skills. This has obvious real-world implications. Many people think that having a chat on their cellphone while behind the wheel is a good way to pass ...

Distracted driving is an epidemic in Oregon, throughout the Northwest and around the country. While old-fashioned distractions like eating, drinking, grooming and changing the in-car music selection (either by switching CDs or using an mp3 player) continue to play a part in causing traffic accidents, high-tech distractions like handheld cell phones, portable GPS units, tablet computers, e-readers and the ubiquitous text messaging are keeping the fatal accident rate tragically high. According to preliminary data released by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration ...

To the family of someone killed in a traffic accident, it is no consolation to say that traffic fatalities are down overall. The same goes for someone seriously injured. It is true that the overall number of motor vehicle accidents has declined in recent years, both in Minnesota and nationally. However, the sad reality is that there are still far too many serious and fatal car accidents in Minnesota every year. Even more troubling is the fact that so many of these accidents are caused by drunk drivers. Road Deaths Decline Overall In 2011, there were 368 road deaths ...

Winter is coming, but in Colorado that doesn't mean that things will be slowing down. Even though the temperatures will drop and the snow will fly, workers will continue to be outside doing their jobs. Still, working during the winter comes with some risks, even for the hardiest outdoor laborers. Exposure to cold weather and slippery conditions has the potential to cause injuries that result in permanent disability. As such, all workers can benefit from reviewing some winter-weather safety tips before the season kicks off into full swing. Work-Related Cold Stress ...

Business owners often fret over the loss of competent and essential employees, fearing that these individuals will take with them business trade secrets and other intellectual property. Fortunately, there are several things business owners can do to protect confidential business information and retain good staff. Three Documents that Protect Business Interests Several documents can help businesses protect and retain their intellectual assets when employees move on: - Proprietary Information Agreements: When part of the hiring package, proprietary information agreements ...

The Boy Scouts of America has a long record of helping boys develop leadership and life skills that allow them to grow into successful young men. However, for all the good it has done, the Boy Scouts also has some questionable marks on its record. Far too many Scouts have been sexually abused by adult leaders in the organization. One only needs to look to the Boy Scouts' recently released "perversion files" to see just how pervasive the problem of sexual abuse really is. Beginning in the 1920s, the Boy Scouts started keeping files of known abusers, ostensibly ...

A new study by researchers at Oregon State University found that interruptions and distractions in the operating room lead to serious surgical errors among novice surgeons. This finding poses a grave threat to the health of surgery patients who may be seriously injured by distracted or interrupted surgeons. The Oregon State Surgical Error Study The Oregon State University study used a surgery simulation program to record the surgical errors of novice surgeons when they were interrupted or distracted during an operation. The surgeons were in their second, third or ...

Many people entrust the care of their elderly loved ones to nursing homes. Unfortunately, there are times when loved ones are subjected to nursing home abuse and neglect. Nursing home abuse can take many forms, including actual abuse and neglect that occurs from poor supervision, inadequate staffing and other factors. But senior citizens who live in nursing homes or other long-term care facilities can be victims of financial abuse as well. Recently, an Atlanta nursing home employee was charged with stealing money from the elderly patients she was hired to protect. The ...

In August 2012, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration issued a ruling, which applies the August 2010 safety standard of cranes and derricks to demolition work and underground construction. The considerable number of fatalities associated with the use of cranes and derricks in construction and the advances in equipment since the publication of the old rule led to new revisions. The safety rule will help protect construction workers from the dangers associated with hoisting equipment. The new rule will streamline safety standards. OSHA will apply the same ...

Winter is quickly approaching this year, threatening to strike soon. In 2010, the Jan. 10 snowstorm wreaked havoc on roadways in Northeast Georgia. Should a similar storm hit this year, drivers need to be prepared. Accidents and injuries can be avoided by taking safety measures to help prevent motor vehicle accidents, including multi-car collisions, during the winter months in Georgia. Preparation - Make sure to check your vehicle's brakes, tires, battery, defrosting and heating system as well as the windshield wipers. Use nonfreezing washer fluid. - Protect your ...

Bank of America and Countrywide find themselves in the crosshairs of the U.S. Department of Justice, which recently filed a lawsuit involving toxic mortgage loans, as Grant McCool and Jonathan Stempel report for Reuters. A toxic asset, generally defined, is an asset whose value has declined significantly. Bank of America, at the behest of parent company Countrywide, is said to have dumped those toxic mortgage loans on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the government-sponsored mortgage companies. This, in turn, caused taxpayers more than $1 billion. What makes this case ...

Storknest.com is excited to announce a contest to determine the new face of its exclusive brand, EcoBundles diapers and training pants. The contest will run from November 1st, 2012, to December 31st, 2012. Storknest.com will announce the winner on January 1st, 2013 on its Facebook page. Interested parents can submit their baby or toddler's photo either on Storknest.com's Facebook page or on http://www.storknest.com. By submitting a picture of their baby, contestants will receive a buy-one-get-one-free coupon for EcoBundles diapers or training pants that they can use ...

Atlanta orthopedics practice Southern Orthopaedic Specialists now has a new name: Ortho Atlanta. The name change goes along with a rebranding effort. The company has also moved its website to reflect the name change, and can now be found at http://www.orthoatlanta.com. Established as Southern Orthopaedic Specialists in 2002, the practice has become well known for its sports medicine practice spine, foot and ankle, hand, total joint and general orthopedic services. OrthoAtlanta has eight locations to serve the Atlanta metro area including Johns Creek, Marietta, Kennesaw, ...

The Hilton Garden Inn Hotel in Columbia SC (Northeast) offers nearby accommodations to guests attending the upcoming University of South Carolina Trojan's homecoming football game where they will play University of Arkansas Razorbacks. The game will be held at William-Brice Stadium on the USC campus on November 10, 2012. Other homecoming festivities that alumni, students, and fans can enjoy include: - Cockfest Pep Rally - November 8 - Homecoming Parade - November 9 - Step Show - November 9 - Game Day - November 10 For event and ticket information, visit www.sc.edu. ...

The Chattanooga bankruptcy lawyers at Clark & Washington believe everyone should have a home to go to for the holidays, no matter what their financial situation is. For Chattanooga residents who are facing foreclosure, filing for personal bankruptcy may be the solution to stop foreclosure and keep you and your family in your home for the holidays. Personal bankruptcy is a difficult decision for many Chattanooga residents, and many fear that it will not help to stop collectors from foreclosing on or repossessing property like homes and vehicles. The Chattanooga bankruptcy ...