Porter Wright continues its tradition of providing cutting-edge information about how technology affects your business with the 2014 Technology Seminar Series, beginning June 18. This year’s sessions are:

Social media in litigation: a shield and a sword

June 18

The worlds of social media and litigation have collided. Social media evidence is used in employment discrimination lawsuits, in divorce and custody cases, in criminal cases – and intellectual property cases are won and lost based on the information disclosed on social media sites. Like it or not, social media is an aspect of litigation that is here to stay. Sara Jodka, Colleen Marshall and Jay Yurkiw will walk you through how social media affects the way companies prepare for and engage in litigation, including the good, the bad and the ugly. This session will provide guidance about how you can make sure that your company’s social media use will not get the company into hot water. Presenters also will share helpful insights regarding what to do about social media when litigation is filed and identify the biggest social media in litigation hazards.

What the dot? Protecting your IP rights in a digital society

July 16

What do you get when you put together intellectual property, technology and social media? All too often, the end result of this concoction is a legal battle. This seminar will explore issues such as the impact of ICANN’s new generic top-level domain (gTLD) program and what it means for your web-based branding; whether companies that share news and information through social media are relinquishing IP rights; who, if anyone, owns all the user-generated content flying around cyberspace; and the latest on LinkedIn profiles, phishing scams and how you can protect yourself and your business online.

Preventing data leaks through workforce management

Aug. 13

In this Technology Age, businesses control large amounts of data. Though most businesses now have many technological safeguards in place, the risks do not just come from outside hackers or cybercriminals. Instead, studies show that a company’s own employees, whether intentionally or not, create one of the bigger risks of data leakage and loss. The consequences of data leakage also are greater than ever – whether the data relates to the company’s confidential business or trade secret information, its human resources information, or its customer information. Seminar speakers will explain that unless companies understand how to spot their data vulnerabilities, and properly train and supervise their workforces to guard against data leaks, even the most advanced technological cyber defense systems will not work.

Advertising, contests, sweepstakes and privacy — know how far is too far

Sept. 10

Social media is everywhere, and many businesses are hatching plans to leverage it to grow popularity, customer base and revenue. And though you might think your hashtag contest or Facebook page is brilliant — if the FTC disagrees, it could cost you. Are you familiar with the numerous rules dictating how companies can portray themselves, and converse with current and prospective customers in a traditional context, on mobile devices and in social media? This seminar will cover issues that every business with a marketing plan should be aware of, including FTC and state regulations governing advertising, contests and sweepstakes, website privacy notices and more.

If you’d like to learn more about our upcoming seminar series, contact Porter Wright.