Report demonstrates new investments in education and science timely

Written by Craig A. on February 25th, 2009

The answers to our problems don’t lie beyond our reach. They exist in our laboratories and universities; in our fields and our factories; in the imaginations of our entrepreneurs and the pride of the hardest-working people on Earth.

President Barack Obama, February 25, 2009

The New York Times has a story on a new report showing the United States has slipped over the past decade when it comes to innovation. The report, by the Information Technology and Innovation Foundation, concludes the United States ranks sixth among 40 nations based on factors such as venture capital investment, scientific researchers, spending on research and educational achievement.

While the United States remains sixth overall, it ranked dead last in terms of improvement in its score from 1999 - the present. It is troubling indicators like this President Obama was drawing our attention to in last night’s speech when he stated "Right now, three-quarters of the fastest-growing occupations require more than a high school diploma. An yet, just over half of our citizens have that level of education."

In light of today’s Information and Technology and Innovation Foundation report, the President’s call for a new commitment to education, research and development, and a new energy efficient economy couldn’t have been more timely. It is indeed "time for America to lead again" and I am confident we will.

Can this be the answer? WOW

If this really works, This could end our dependence on Oil to fuel our cars.

The Captain Having Fun

Stirba today announced that the Supreme Court's unanimous decision today in Pearson v. Callahan

1/21/09 - Stirba today announced that the Supreme Court's unanimous decision today in Pearson v. Callahan, argued to the Supreme Court by Peter Stirba, is likely to have sweeping implications in favor of government officials in the area of qualified immunity in defense of federal civil rights actions.

Top 5 Internet Defamation Law Blogs

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Adrianos Facchetti

Even though things have been going really well here at the California Defamation Law Blog, I even realize that there are plenty of other good blogs about internet defamation out there, and, only a limited number of people interested in learning about defamation. This has been a worry of mine for some time now.

But no more. Today I made a decision to recommend my favorite blogs about online defamation even if I lose a few readers. Bear in mind that some of the following blogs discuss other topics in addition to internet defamation.

Here we go, in no particular order.

1. Technology & Marketing Law Blog - This blog is written by Eric Goldman, an associate professor at Santa Clara University School of Law. This is the first place I go if I want to know the latest on defamation cases related to RipoffReport.com. I also like Eric's coverage of section 230 cases.

2. Citizen Media Law Project - Jointly affiliated with Harvard Law School's Berkman Center for Internet & Society and the Center for Citizen Media, CMLP's mission is to educate others about online speech. CMLP has a great database called "Legal Threats," which has detailed descriptions of current defamation cases, often including the complaint. This is definitely a good site for the pro-defendant point of view.

3. Dozier Internet Law On Defamation - John Dozier is an experienced Internet lawyer and a definite authority regarding defamation law.

4. Internet Defamation Law Blog - The name says it all. I read this blog to stay current on section 230 decisions.

5. Internet Cases - Written by Evan Brown, an Internet lawyer in Chicago, this blog clearly covers much more than defamation. But what's great about it is that Evan writes detailed posts with insightful commentary. His commentary on the Roommates decision was particularly good.

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Tags: Blog Protection 101

Internet Defamation Gets Noticed

Posted on January 13, 2009 by Adrianos Facchetti

Too many bloggers are unaware of the dangers they face when they write a new post or comment on another blog. For reasons I've discussed before, bloggers mistakenly believe that all speech is protected by the First Amendment, when in fact several forms of speech are not, including defamation as an example.

This is why I'm glad that Seth Godin posted "Don't Get Sued," which sheds light on this important problem. Godin writes: "Before you write something negative about another person, you need to realize that the casual nature of your post doesn't protect you from a lawsuit." Well-said. I would add that you should especially be careful when making negative remarks about a business because businesses are more likely to sue you (or least threaten legal action) to protect their reputation.

Tags: Blog Protection 101