GALA's New Edition of Advertising Law: A Global Legal Perspective Now Available
The Global Advertising Lawyers Alliance (GALA) is a network of the leading advertising lawyers in the world. Coming from firms in more than 90 countries, members have the local experience that will help your campaign navigate the legal minefield successfully. Advertising Law: A Global Legal Perspective is a global legal compendium of the laws related to advertising and marketing around the world. Venable partners Melissa Steinman and Angel Garganta contributed to the chapter on advertising law in the United States.
DOJ Reverses Course on State-Regulated Online Gambling
The regulatory framework for online gambling took a wild turn when the Department of Justice Office of Legal Counsel (OLC) announced its view that the Wire Act applies to all forms of gambling—not merely sports betting. This marked a 180-degree reversal from the stance the OLC took just seven years earlier, write Venable attorneys Kathleen Sheridan, Andrew Bigart, and Michael Blume. Four states—Delaware, Nevada, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania—currently allow online gambling. The OLC's follow-on announcement gives now-unlawful online gambling businesses 90 days to bring their operations into compliance with federal law before Wire Act enforcement will begin under this newly expanded view.
NY AG Finds Use of Bots, Sock-Puppets Illegal
Astroturf was again in the news last week, and not because the big game (whose name we can't mention) was played on synthetic turf. Rather, the Office of the Attorney General of New York announced it reached a precedent-setting settlement with artificial engagement company Devumi LLC and related companies over the selling of fake followers, likes, and influencer messaging (a/k/a "astroturfing"). According to the press release, write Venable attorneys Len Gordon and Matthew Renick, this is the first finding by a law enforcement agency that the sale of fake social media engagement and the use of stolen identities to perpetuate such online engagement is illegal.