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New York Internet Law Questions & Answers
1 Answer | Asked in Business Law, Civil Litigation and Internet Law for New York on
Q: What remedy do I have if a person left a bad review on the BBB website, for my business, but I have never met her?

I am located on Long Island, NY.

This person left a bad review and I have never met or interacted with this person to the best of my knowledge. I requested additional details regarding what the person looked like or the service vehicle (my service vehicle is very distinct) they were... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Nov 4, 2023

In situations like this, your first step should be to reach out to the Better Business Bureau (BBB) and file a dispute against the review. Explain your situation, provide any evidence you have that the review is fraudulent or mistaken, such as your schedule for the day in question, and ask for the... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law and Internet Law for New York on
Q: How can I get my money back for car parts listed on facebook marketplace, paid for with cash app? Parts never arrived.

I sent $3500 to a seller on facebook markert place and paid with cash app. The seller canceled the shipment and has stopped responding. I would like to take legal action to get my money back and have legal fees paid for by them. I am located in New York, they are in Arkansa. I have reported them to... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Nov 4, 2023

If you've been scammed on Facebook Marketplace, there are several steps you can take to attempt to recover your money. First, report the fraud to Cash App, as they may have a process for disputing transactions. Additionally, contact your local police department to file a report; they can... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Copyright, Intellectual Property and Internet Law for New York on
Q: The Skullgirls team has taken a digital product that many people purchased and altered it in very significant ways.

The Skullgirls team has taken a digital product that many people purchased and altered it in very significant ways. They've cut out entire pages from the art book, removed and re-announced voice lines, and drawn over concept art to make it less offensive. The current Skullgirls team, while... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Aug 29, 2023

In California, modifying a digital product post-purchase may or may not violate laws depending on the terms of service or end-user license agreement (EULA) that customers agreed to at the time of purchase. If the terms explicitly reserve the right to make changes to the digital content, the company... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Business Law and Internet Law for New York on
Q: The web host I've been with for more than 20 years just disabled my account because of a dispute with Discover Card.

I put in a dispute about a $100 unexplained fee with Discover, so they deactivated my account without notice. I now have no email on those accounts. Is it legal to do this without notice? I sent in many trouble tickets asking them what the fee was for but never got a solid answer. This is affecting... View More

Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Jul 9, 2023

There are attorneys who specialize in IT matters, but your question remains open for a week. Until you're able to consult with one, from the standpoint of contract law, it could depend on your hosting agreement. It's possible the payment dispute was treated as a breach of the agreement,... View More

2 Answers | Asked in International Law and Internet Law for New York on
Q: Can I drop a website if I own the hosting and domain and the client is not paying?

I am a website designer and a client is not paying for my website design and domain/hosting fees. I paid for the hosting and domain for 2 years and I own both. The client has not paid for anything and we don't have a written agreement.

When I told them that I will take the website... View More

James L. Arrasmith
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answered on Mar 19, 2023

As a website designer, you may have the right to take down the website if the client is not paying for your services, but it's important to proceed carefully to avoid any potential legal liability.

If you own the domain and hosting, you may have the right to terminate the client's...
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2 Answers | Asked in Intellectual Property, Internet Law and Trademark for New York on
Q: I have a question regarding cybersquatting/domain name sales

Hi We have a bundle of domains that are similar to a large corporation/org although the domain names are not trademarked (but are similar/in the same "family" to those that are) They had inquired about purchasing them -they do not like the price and are now suggesting its cybersquatting... View More

Steve Charles Vondran
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answered on Feb 6, 2023

The legality of selling domain names that are the trademarks of other companies is a complex issue and one that has been the subject of much legal debate. In order to understand the law on this matter, it is necessary to look at both trademark law and domain name law.

Trademark law...
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2 Answers | Asked in Intellectual Property, Internet Law and Trademark for New York on
Q: I have a question regarding cybersquatting/domain name sales

Hi We have a bundle of domains that are similar to a large corporation/org although the domain names are not trademarked (but are similar/in the same "family" to those that are) They had inquired about purchasing them -they do not like the price and are now suggesting its cybersquatting... View More

Daniel Michael Luisi
Daniel Michael Luisi
answered on Feb 7, 2023

I agree with Attorney Steve as to the issue of registration conflicting with a prior trademark owner’s rights. Yet, it is probably advisable for you to be proactive, not simply reactive. You should strongly consider filing USPTO trademark registrations for your domains in available product... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Business Law, International Law and Internet Law for New York on
Q: Hello.

I want to create a VOD website for movies. The idea is that it will work as a fundraising site for artists, so That the projects will be presented to customers who will then donate to finance the production of the movie, once it is produced they will receive a copy of the film, to stream in our... View More

Daniel Michael Luisi
Daniel Michael Luisi
answered on Nov 30, 2022

It sounds like a crowdfunding campaign for a creative project in development, where the entrepreneur takes back orders before actually having the inventory to fill the orders. Check out kickstarter as a possible starting point. Many creative entrepreneurs have used it to successfully launch their... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Internet Law and Libel & Slander for New York on
Q: Can I post someone’s full name & DOB on social media? The person raped me in my sleep
Jack Mevorach
Jack Mevorach
answered on Sep 23, 2023

What exactly do you propose to post on social media? Just name and DOB? Or rape allegation also?

Jack

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1 Answer | Asked in Civil Rights and Internet Law for New York on
Q: I have been getting threatened online by the same person that keeps making fake accounts.

If possible, could I do anything about it? This person is my EX friend’s boyfriend, and he says he wants to kill me, he is going to stomp me into the ground, he says he put my address online, and he said he has people looking for me. And I’m going to get what’s coming to me soon.

Marco Caviglia
Marco Caviglia
answered on Sep 4, 2023

Such a threat to kill may be Aggravated Harassment under NYS law as electronic means are being used. Contact the police and have screen shots ready for them.

1 Answer | Asked in Consumer Law, Communications Law and Internet Law for New York on
Q: What are my legal options a company I engaged with to answer an online tax question has exposed my PII?

My Social Security Number, Home Address, Income and work Status are now being displayed on the internet publicly due to a company I engaged with. This information is findable via Google and Search Engines now. The company was providing a legitimate question and answer tax service and operates the... View More

Daniel Michael Luisi
Daniel Michael Luisi
answered on Apr 18, 2023

You may be able to bring a federal data breach law suit, or sue the company under the terms of service (or file arbitration against them). This may help put more pressure on them to honor their contract and federal and state law. Contact a consumer protection attorney to evaluate your case.

1 Answer | Asked in Banking, Business Law and Internet Law for New York on
Q: Stripe hold my money for 18 months already on my social media agency account and I need help releasing the money

About 5000$ in hold

Daniel Michael Luisi
Daniel Michael Luisi
answered on Nov 8, 2022

I would need to review with you the documents on your account dashboard for the reason for the hold. Depending on what my investigation uncovers we may issue a legal demand letter to the Stripe legal department.

1 Answer | Asked in Internet Law for New York on
Q: Is it possible to file a lawsuit against a company for sending an inappropriate email even if they were hacked?

A racial slur was used.

Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Sep 12, 2022

It could depend on the total circumstances and the severity. If you're looking at it in terms of an intentional tort type of setting, the hacking would be raised as an issue. More information is needed, but keep in mind that these types of cases might not be handled on a contingency basis.... View More

2 Answers | Asked in Business Formation, Business Law, Internet Law, Copyright and Trademark for New York on
Q: I have a DBA in NYC (advertising, marketing agency), and want to sell one of our services from a website for just that

Am I protected from having my new site's logo/idea/branding infringed upon?

The new name will be listed as a project of mine/my DBA on both websites.

Samuil Buschkin
Samuil Buschkin
answered on Aug 1, 2022

A d/b/a (doing business as) is simply an alternative trade name for a business. Different states have registration requirements for DBA's. A trademark protection or copyright protection are an entirely different issue. There is a process underlying the registration of a trademark or a... View More

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1 Answer | Asked in Contracts, Copyright, Business Law and Internet Law for New York on
Q: I am hiring a freelance to make an ad about the effectiveness of my vitamins. He says he is a Harvard graduate. If

it turns out he is not, am I liable? He comes from one of the largest freelance firms in US that list his credentials. I am in NYS

Marcos Garciaacosta
Marcos Garciaacosta
answered on Jan 20, 2022

It will depend on what you use his credentials for.

Consult with an attorney.

1 Answer | Asked in Copyright and Internet Law for New York on
Q: Are rewritten articles legal?

It is widely known, that it is illegal, to copy articles 1: 1 from Websites and then publish them under your own name on your blog.

However, what about rewritten articles? To what extent do articles have to be rewritten in order to be safe with the copyrights laws?

Marcos Garciaacosta
Marcos Garciaacosta
answered on Jul 25, 2021

Depends. You need to consult with an attorney.

You can write about the same topics, but the words and order, the creation itself, needs to be unique, in order to be safe.

1 Answer | Asked in Federal Crimes, Internet Law, Small Claims and Trademark for New York on
Q: Can I sue someone if they borrowed around 10k from me and he hasn’t returned it since.I’ve asked multiple times for it.

I have text history of giving him this money but I’m not sure if that’s considered legitimate evidence. This man continuously ghosts me everytime after he promised he would get it to me.

Linda Liang
Linda Liang
answered on Jul 5, 2021

Yes, you can. Text history is a form of proof if it clearly indicates the debt and the other party did not dispute.

1 Answer | Asked in Internet Law for New York on
Q: I am being sued for downloading media from the internet. What kind of lawyer do I need and where can I get one?

They are seeking a judgment for $18,400.

Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Mar 18, 2021

If they are basing their lawsuit on infringement, a starting point could be to reach out to a copyright attorney. Based on other issues, possibly a civil litigation attorney. There is a tab above (Find-a-Lawyer). You could use that, or you could conduct your own independent searches. Good luck... View More

1 Answer | Asked in Copyright, Intellectual Property and Internet Law for New York on
Q: Is it legal to screenshot a Getty Images image I have embedded into my website from that website and then post it?

Getty Images has an embed feature where one can embed a photo into their website for free. If I make a private Google Site, embed a photo, and then screenshot that photo (from the Google Site), is it OK to include it in a non-commercial post on Instagram, or do I have to obtain a license for the... View More

James D. Williams
James D. Williams
answered on Aug 4, 2020

Getty Images is not someone to mess around with. They are incredibly active in copyright infringement suits.

If they give you an embed feature, then they absolutely have terms and conditions on how the license works for that. I can practically guarantee, though will not without actually...
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1 Answer | Asked in Business Law, Communications Law and Internet Law for New York on
Q: Can I post a video from a national morning show on my company social media channels?
Tim Akpinar
Tim Akpinar
answered on Jul 6, 2020

You're asking about media in which the owner can assert certain intellectual property rights. This does involve all the categories you correctly listed, but if you reposted in the Copyright Law category, the attorneys there could probably offer the most meaningful insight. Good luck

Tim Akpinar

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