The (Final) Anti-Counterfeiting Trade Agreement (ACTA): Ruthless or Toothless?

This paper will discuss several provisions of ACTA and its intersection with U. S. copyright law. Section II will discuss general provisions of copyright law, section III will address the various international intellectual property law treaties, and section IV will discuss three main areas addressed by ACTA: criminal liability, internet service providers, and technological protection measures. Section IV will also discuss how these areas conflict with or advance U.S. copyright law

One Buffalo in Texas: Legal and Ethical Issues in Native American Gaming Operations

There are three federally recognized Native American tribes in Texas: the Alabama-Coushatta, the Ysleta del Sur Pueblo, and the Texas band of Oklahoma Kickapoo. The Kickapoo tribe is the only one allowed to operate a gaming center within the state of Texas, due solely to a federal law that the federal government passed thirty years ago. The Alabama-Coushatta and Ysleta del Sur Pueblo tribes are some of the only tribes prohibited from operating gaming operations under the Indian Gaming Regulatory Act. The result is detrimental to these tribes and the Texas economy. This paper will examine the history of the tribes, the litigation between the tribes and the state, and the legislative efforts which have attempted to rectify the exclusion of the tribes from the Indian Gaming Regulatory Agency. Finally, ethical considerations will be examined, and the very recent U.S. Supreme Court decision will be discussed

Legal Issues in College and University Internship Programs

This paper will examine five legal issues which have proven problematic for college internship programs: 1) unpaid student interns; 2) illegal alien students; 3) students with felony convictions; 4) foreign students on student visas; and 5) employer noncompete agreements. In each instance, the authors will briefly examine the legal issues present and make recommendations for how college and university internship programs may avoid legal problems related to these issues

Ruffled Feathers at Hubbard Poultry Company

This case has a labor law and product liability focus and is suited for a human resource, employment or business law class at the undergraduate level. This case is based on an actual incident; the names of the workers and company have been changed

A Survey of Copyright Law

This paper examines the persistence of state copyright laws, and the extent to which they still exist in light of federal copyright law to further understand how those state laws will be affected by possible preemption. Specifically, the scheme and penalty of unauthorized duplication and bootlegging statutes are examined from all fifty states. We further address areas where the Copyright Act would preempt these state laws

A Survey of State Copyright Law

This paper examines the persistence of state copyright laws, and the extent to which they still exist in light of federal copyright law to further understand how those state laws will be affected by possible preemption. Specifically, the scheme and penalty of unauthorized duplication and bootlegging statutes are examined from all fifty states. We further address areas where the Copyright Act would preempt these state laws

Should Pharma Companies Waive Their COVID-19 Vaccine Patents? A Legal and Ethical Appraisal

Pharmaceutical companies, like many other types of companies, are incentivized to create, manufacture, and distribute new products, in part due to the legal protections of patent law. However, the tension between patent rights and the public good has been heightened as pharma companies developed new vaccines to combat the COVID-19 pandemic. Wealthy governments paid well for vaccines and received ample supplies, while low- and middle-income countries struggled to obtain access to any vaccines. Some countries called for pharmaceutical companies to waive their patent protections for vaccines in order to facilitate the worldwide manufacture and distribution of COVID-19 vaccines. This paper will examine the rationale of patent protection and patent waiver issues, then compare these concepts with ethical constructs and a Jewish perspective

Financial Literacy and Credit Cards: A Multi-Campus Survey

In America, credit cards on campus have been a disaster, leaving students buried in debt before graduation, often with little hope of paying off the debt before high fees and interest double the amount. This research details a multi-campus survey of current American college students and their use of credit cards. In the current project, we surveyed business students across five campuses in the United States (n=725) in fall, 2009. We found significant differences between students on their knowledge of credit cards and several demographic factors. We conclude by discussing the implications for further research in this area