Announcements

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.

August 07, 2018 - Regulatory, Telecommunications
If Your Company Offers Streaming Services, You Should Be Aware that States and Localities Are Taking Different Approaches to Taxing Such Services
By: Rebecca M. Balinskas
Many states and localities are concerned that the proliferation of streaming services is shrinking tax revenues previously received from sales of traditional forms of entertainment. Those concerns are not unfounded. The rapid development of streaming services has drastically changed how people watch “television.” It
... ›
August 07, 2018 - Financings, Fintech
Treasury and the OCC Make Significant Fintech Announcements
By: Jeremy R. Mandell
Two key federal government announcements were made on July 31, 2018 related to fintech issues. First, the U.S. Department of the Treasury issued a press release announcing a report entitled “Nonbank Financials, Fintech, and Innovation.” The Report is the fourth and final in a
... ›
July 31, 2018 - Intellectual Property, European Union
IP Protection Post BREXIT Part 2: A Right-by-Right Analysis
By: Wolfgang Schönig, Sana Ashcroft and Robert Grohmann
Progress is being made regarding the protection of intellectual property (“IP”) rights in a post-BREXIT scenario on both sides of the English Channel. With BREXIT fast approaching, the European Union (“EU”) and the United Kingdom (“UK”) have been pushing things forward at the negotiator
... ›
July 30, 2018 - Intellectual Property, European Union
IP Protection Post BREXIT Part 1: A Right-by-Right Analysis
By: Wolfgang Schönig, Sana Ashcroft and Robert Grohmann
Progress is being made regarding the protection of intellectual property (“IP”) rights in a post-BREXIT scenario on both sides of the English Channel. With BREXIT fast approaching, the European Union (“EU”) and the United Kingdom (“UK”) have been pushing things forward at the negotiators
... ›
July 23, 2018 - Blockchain, Financings, Fintech
Payments and Lending: Trends to Convergence in the Indonesian FinTech Industry
Originally, there were no foreign ownership limits for a non-bank company to act as an e-Wallet provider, e-Money issuer or fund transfer operator, leading to an influx in applications from foreign owned providers in Indonesia. On 7 May 2018, Bank Indonesia (“BI”) published a
... ›
July 20, 2018 - Privacy + Data Security, Artificial Intelligence
Managing Corporate AI
By: Stephanie Lynn Sharron
When companies employ artificial intelligence technologies they have to be mindful of the legal and ethical problems those technologies might cause. While the scope of legal concerns surrounding AI technologies’ impact is broad, of particular concern are instances of unlawful bias and discrimination, privacy
... ›
July 16, 2018 - Privacy + Data Security
Putin is Running a Destructive Cybercrime Syndicate Out of Russia
As John Carlin notes in his op-ed for the New York Times , Russia has become “the world’s largest safe haven for cybercriminals.” John, chair of Morrison & Foerster’s Global Risk + Crisis Management Group and former chief of staff to Robert Mueller, explains
... ›
July 13, 2018 - Privacy + Data Security, Litigation, Mergers + Acquisitions
Five Key Legal Risks for Data-Centric Technology M&A
By: Stephanie Lynn Sharron and Erin M. Bosman
Companies acquiring or selling businesses that leverage data through technology face special challenges and risks. Focus and prioritization can assist both business principals and lawyers effectively manage these concerns. This article offers answers to five key questions toward achieving that end. Read the full
... ›
July 11, 2018 - Intellectual Property, European Union
European Parliament Voted 318 to 278 Against the Amendment Proposal for a Copyright Directive for the Digital Single Market
By: Kristina Ehle
On July 5, 2018, the European Parliament rejected the proposed amendments to the new Copyright Directive: Article 11, which attempts to protect press publications from impermissible digital use, and Article 13, which attempts to protect online content from impermissible use by online content-sharing service
... ›
July 06, 2018 - European Union, Telecommunications
Digital Single Market Update: Revision of the European Union’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive
By: Kristina Ehle
The European Union’s legislators have reached an agreement on the revision of the EU’s Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD). The reform aims at providing a uniform legal and market framework for different types of video streaming services provided via the Internet, and a more
... ›