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Welcome to the MoFo Tech Blog

MoFo Tech brings together legal insights and in-depth analyses on trends and complex issues shaping the global technology industry, covering fields such as blockchain and distributed ledger, cloud and SaaS technologies, driverless cars, drones, FinTech, computer hardware and software, the IoT, semiconductors, and telecommunications.

September 03, 2019 - Regulatory, Artificial Intelligence, Intellectual Property
AI Patent Policy – Calling All Technology Practitioners
By: Anna Yuan and Karen G Potter Ph.D.
Artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the most disruptive technologies of our era. For many technology companies and startups, AI constitutes the core of their prized products, from autonomous vehicles to pick-and-place robots to voice assistants. With the rapid development of AI comes
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August 12, 2019 - Asia, Telecommunications
New Rule Implementing NDAA Prohibition: U.S. Agencies Cannot Enter Contracts That Use Chinese Telecom Technology
By: Joseph A. Benkert and Charles L. Capito
The latest in a string of U.S. government (USG) actions restricting the use of Chinese technology in the U.S. supply chain is an interim rule issued by the Department of Defense (DoD), General Services Administration (GSA), and National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) implementing the first phase of
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August 07, 2019 - Litigation, Intellectual Property
Preparing for the Increased Globalization of IP Litigation
Morrison & Foerster surveyed intellectual property decision-makers from more than 50 companies with revenues greater than $750 million each. The study showed that, while intellectual-property litigation has decreased by 26% since 2015, the amount that companies spend on intellectual-property litigation is higher than ever.
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August 07, 2019 - Blockchain, Fintech
Understanding Blockchain - What is Cryptography?
In the third episode of “Understanding Blockchain,” Morrison & Foerster’s Susan Gault-Brown and Dario de Martino discuss one of blockchain’s foundational technologies – cryptography. This ongoing series is dedicated to providing an overall understanding of blockchain technology and how companies can use it to
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August 01, 2019 - Privacy + Data Security
Back to School Early: FTC Seeks Comments to COPPA Rule Ahead of Schedule
By: Julie O'Neill
Advancements in technology appear to have spurred the Federal Trade Commission to initiate a review of its rule promulgated pursuant to the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (the “COPPA Rule” or “Rule”) four years ahead of schedule. Last week, the FTC published a Federal
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July 31, 2019 - Intellectual Property, Software
DOD’s Other Transactions: Data Rights & Intellectual Property Simplified
The Department of Defense is actively pursuing “Other Transactions” (OTs) instead of procurement contracts. This allows DOD and its contractors to avoid many of the most burdensome aspects of the procurement regulations. But it also allows for even more confusion than usual about how
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July 30, 2019 - Privacy + Data Security
New York State Enacts More Stringent Breach Notification Law
By: Miriam H. Wugmeister
New York is the latest state to expand its breach notification law with the Stop Hacks and Improve Electronic Data Security (SHIELD) Act, signed into law by Governor Andrew Cuomo on July 25, 2019. A number of the key changes that the law ushers—including
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July 23, 2019 - Tech Talks, European Union, Financings, Fintech
Financial Services Technology Outsourcing: The UK Regulators Flex Their Muscles
By: Alistair Maughan and Sana Ashcroft
It’s all very well to issue regulatory guidance – but it’s what you do to enforce it that really counts. The UK financial services regulatory agencies have imposed fines exceeding $2 million on a UK bank that did not implement enough oversight on an
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July 15, 2019 - Regulatory, Blockchain, Fintech
First Token Offering Qualified by the SEC Under Regulation A
By: John T. Owen and Alfredo B. D. Silva
On July 10, 2019, Blockstack Token LLC (“Blockstack”), a wholly-owned subsidiary of Blockstack PBC, a Delaware public benefit corporation, became the first company to have an offering of digital assets qualified by the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) under Regulation A. Blockstack is
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July 09, 2019 - Privacy + Data Security, European Union
The CNIL Strikes Again – Mind Your Security
By: Alex van der Wolk
The French data protection authority, the CNIL, continues to fine organizations for failing to adopt what the CNIL considers to be fundamental data security measures. In May 2019, the CNIL imposed a EUR 400,000 fine on a French real estate company for failing to
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