By Andrew Cohen
Jason Schultz ’00 has been a driving force behind the recent launch of “Cyberlaw Cases”, a blog that ranks—and dissects—the 10 most important pending U.S. legal cases involving issues that impact the Internet, databases, and software programs.
Co-director of the Samuelson Law, Technology & Public Policy Clinic, Schultz is one of four people who created Cyberlaw Cases. Other contributors include Wayne State University Law School assistant professor and 2006 Berkeley Law graduate Aaron Perzanowski, UC Berkeley School of Information assistant professor Brian Carver, and Durie Tangri partner Joseph Gratz.
The blog delves into evolving cases that center on issues such as privacy, copyright, trademark and patent issues, and network neutrality. The contributors analyze the cases and weigh their potential impact.
“The law is developing so quickly in these areas and the courts are filled with new cases that are hard to monitor,” says Schultz. “This blog fills a void in that it helps readers focus on where significant decisions will emerge.”
Four main criteria will be used to tabulate the Cyberlaw Cases top 10 list: the importance of a case’s main legal issue to developing the law; its importance in developing technology; the impact the case may have on social policies such as education, health care, and privacy; and how much attention it’s getting in the media and public sphere.
“Our approach is to curate this information in the same way museums curate gigantic art collections,” Schultz says. “There are going to be some incredibly important decisions made by the courts or Congress, and if no one’s paying attention they’ll be made without our involvement.” More information about Cyberlaw Cases is available here.