Unlike other forms of legal principles, internet law is applied according to several different fields such as contract law and privacy law; it’s not a specific solid field of practice. The most famous cases are usually regarding domain names, trademarks, website creation, and internet service providers. Here is a list of the top 6 internet law cases in 2019:
1. High Internet Speed Lawsuit
The music industry recently sued charter communication for not taking any actions against people who illegally download copyrighted songs. They claimed that this internet provider benefits from music piracy and contributes to these behaviors by selling packages with higher internet speeds. This helped a lot of music pirates to steal tons of music easily.
2. ADA Website Compliance
Many companies have been getting sued left and right this past year for not meeting compliance standards according to The American Disabilities Act that requires any business to make accommodations for people who struggle with disabilities. There are also Web Content Accessibility Guidelines (WCAGs) that demand any website owner to build their websites with compliance in mind. 3 accessibility levels start with A for below acceptable, AA for standard, and AAA for exceptional.
3. Beyoncé and Website Accessibility Standards
Beyoncé is one of the most known and loved pop stars for her music, dance moves, and fashion statements. Yet, not many people know of the lawsuit that was filed by Mary Connor. As Mary is visually impaired, she filed a class-action lawsuit against Beyoncé for not being able to access key features as the website didn’t follow WCAG 2.0 AA standards.
4. Winn-Dixie in the Retail Industry
Back in 2017, ADA website compliance cases weren’t as common as 2019. There was a filed lawsuit against Winn-Dixie’s website as it was heavily integrated with physical locations. This is why hiring a lawyer is crucial. Usually, any internet lawyer will advise website owners to make sure that their websites are held to the same standards as physical locations that relate to ADA. Seeking advice from professional internet lawyers will help you avoid fines and lawsuits. Initially, the lawsuit against Dixie’s website was based on the failure of meeting WCAG 2.0 AA.
5. Harvard Lawsuit
Both Harvard and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology were sued for the same reason. Both websites were completely oblivious to the fact that they have to make their content and online courses available for deaf people. The National Association of the Deaf was the one who filed the case against both websites for discriminating against deaf people.
6. Data Privacy Laws Battles
The collection and sale of personal data have led to vicious battles between different states and the use of consumer data. These battles have led to a $5 billion fine against Facebook over several data breaches. While 24 states have considered data privacy legislation, only 3 states enacted new laws.
There are certain basic principles and internet law legislation that you should be aware of if you have a website or any online content. If you are unsure about these principles, you should definitely consider seeking professional help from lawyers who specialize in internet law to avoid fines and lawsuits.
