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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.

June 05, 2019 - Privacy + Data Security
CCPA: California Assembly Passes Additional Bills to Amend the CCPA
By: Nathan D. Taylor
Prior to the California Legislature’s May 31, 2019 deadline to pass bills out of their chamber of origin, the California Assembly passed six additional bills that would amend the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA” or “Act”). The California Senate now has until September 13, 2019
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June 04, 2019 - Blockchain, Financings, Fintech
Nevada Resident Sentenced for Fraud and Unlicensed Money Transmission in Case Involving Bitcoin
By: Marc-Alain Galeazzi
A Nevada resident, Morgan Rockcoons, was sentenced in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of California to 21 months in prison for wire fraud and unlicensed money transmission. In connection with the sentencing, Rockcoons will also be required to forfeit $80,600 in illicit proceeds.
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June 03, 2019 - Privacy + Data Security
CCPA: One Step Closer to Excluding Employee Data
By: Nathan D. Taylor
California is now one step closer to excluding information relating to employees from the scope of the California Consumer Privacy Act (“CCPA”). On May 29, 2019, the California Assembly passed Assembly Bill 25 (“AB 25”), which would narrow the CCPA’s definition of “consumer” to exclude, among
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May 29, 2019 - European Union
Youth Protection in Germany: Online Age Checks and Daytime Blackouts Ahead?
By: Andreas Grünwald and Christoph Nüßing
Last week, German regulators decided to no longer accept the widely used “JusProg” software as a sufficient means for online service providers to comply with statutory youth protection requirements. The decision is effective immediately, although it will most likely be challenged in court. If
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May 23, 2019 - Regulatory, Hardware, Software, Telecommunications
Commerce Issues Narrow License for Certain Transactions with Huawei
By: John E. Smith, Joseph A. Benkert and Charles L. Capito
The Department of Commerce Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) has issued a 90-day temporary general license exempting a set of transactions from the Entity List designation of Huawei Technologies Co., Ltd. (“Huawei”) and its affiliates worldwide, which was effective May 16, 2019. The
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May 21, 2019 - Asia, Financings, Fintech
Where Disruption Meets Regulation
By: Gordon A. Milner
A wide range of businesses in Southeast Asia from traditional retailers and financial institutions to start-ups are harnessing new technologies and entering into new commercial partnerships to offer financial products and services regionally. MoFo’s Jake Robson, Gordon Milner and Nicholas Davies discuss how companies
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May 20, 2019 - Artificial Intelligence, European Union
Big News for Small Mobility: Germany Opens up to E-Scooters
By: Andreas Grünwald, Christoph Nüßing and Theresa Oehm
Germany is about to pass a new law that will officially allow e-scooters on public roads. The new law, adopted today, will give people more choices for transportation and allow for modern, green and clean mobility in cities. To date, e-scooters have been forbidden
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May 17, 2019 - Hardware, Asia, Software, Telecommunications
Chinese Telecom Companies Under Fire: Commerce Moves to Cut Off Huawei From U.S. Technology, With More Restrictions Coming
By: Joseph A. Benkert and Charles L. Capito
The U.S. Department of Commerce (Commerce) has added Huawei Technologies Co. Ltd. (Huawei) and its affiliates to the Bureau of Industry and Security (BIS) “Entity List,” a move that effectively cuts off Huawei from directly or indirectly acquiring U.S.-origin hardware, software, and technology. These
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May 16, 2019 - Blockchain, Fintech
Understanding Blockchain - What is the Difference Between Public, Permissioned and Private Blockchains?
In this episode of “Understanding Blockchain,” Morrison & Foerster’s Susan Gault-Brown and Dario de Martino discuss the differences between each blockchain structure. Susan and Dario cover public, private, and permissioned blockchains and how the objectives of a given project might determine which structure is
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May 08, 2019 - Financings, Fintech
Could Strong Consumer Authentication Weaken Consumer Demand?
From 14 September 2019, certain electronic and remote payments must be subjected to two-factor, or “strong customer authentication”, under regulatory standards covering the European Economic Area relating to the second EU Payment Services Directive, which took effect in January 2018. Retailers are uncertain whether
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