Presentation to Greater Richmond Intellectual Property Law Association, regarding Copyright and Confidentiality Issues with Cloud Computing

1. Cloudy with a Chance
of Storms
Copyright and Confidentiality
for SaaS and Remote Computing
Chris Gatewood
GRIPLA
@gatewood5000
September
2011
www.thresholdcounsel.com

2. To the Cloud!
• In particular:
– SaaS
– Storage and sharing
• Ease of use
• Scalability
• Internal savings

3. 1: Copyright
Chance of Storms
1. Copyright
2. Confidentialit
y

4. 1: Copyright
Copyright Concerns
• Storage, sharing
• Sharepoint, Dropbox, Box.net
• “lets you bring your
photos, docs, and videos
anywhere and share them
easily”
• “secure, easy way for
businesses to manage
content, share large files and
collaborate online from
anywhere”

5. 1: Copyright
Copyright Concerns
P2P all over again?

6. RIAA1: LimeWire, 2010-2011
v. Copyright
• Infringement and inducement
• Grokster part two
• intended to encourage infringement because:
1. aware of substantial infringement;
2. efforts to attract infringing users;
3. enabled and assisted users to commit infringement;
4. business based on infringement; and
5. failure to mitigate infringing activities

7. RIAA Copyright
1: v. Box.net, 2011
• “Move along, nothing to see here”
• RIAA sent a subpoena to Box.net for identity of users
• 17 U.S.C. § 512, safe harbor under DMCA for ISPs
• An ISP subpoena, like many torrent-type cases
• Box.net is not a target, simply like a Verizon or Comcast

8. 1:Cloud Storage
Copyright
What to watch
• Any new hub for
entertainment content
• How presented, how
used
• Benefits of the Grokster
and LimeWire lessons

9. Traditional Licensing:
1: Copyright
Software
• Business need
• Existing product or
build to
Specification
• Delivery
• Installation

10. Subscriptions: Software as a
1: Copyright
Service
• Business need
• Existing service
• Maybe customized
• Access

11. 1: Copyright
Different Agreements
• Product: License
• Copyright and code
• Service: Subscription
• SLAs
• Essentially a utility
• Remedies

12. 1: Copyright
Confidentiality
• Risk management
• Examine needs and
options
• Not everything
should go to the
cloud

13. Confidentiality
1: Copyright
Concerns
• Security
• Kick the tires, lift the hood
• Fight for real remedies
• Crossed wires
• Look hard at infrastructure

14. Confidentiality
1: Copyright
Concerns
• Contract Terms
• Security
• DIY backup
• Data ownership and portability

15. 1: Copyright
Suggestions
• Cloud is useful, here to stay
• Not a match for everything
• Keep some geeks
• Choose carefully where it
makes sense
• Shop for security
• Beware platform lock-in