Legal Niches

Early this week, stock market investors were emboldened by news of several potential corporate deals in the works.  However, one of those potential deals is still very uncertain - Yahoo (YHOO) again rejected Microsoft's (MSFT) $44.6 billion bid to purchase the company.  Microsoft has give Yahoo a three week deadline to agree to a takeover or face a proxy fight and has entered into talks with News Corp. (NWS) about a making a joint offer to purchase the company

(Links:  Deal news could lift stocks, Yahoo says "No" to Microsoft, again, Big rally on Wall Street at CNN Money and Murdoch And AOL Join Fight Over Yahoo at washingtonpost.com)

"Scientists in Switzerland have developed a lightning-fast replacement to the internet that would allow feature films and music catalogues to be downloaded within seconds."  The so-called "grid" system is 10,000 times faster than current broadband connections and is "[t]he latest spin-off from Cern, the particle physics centre that created the internet.  "[T]he grid could also provide the power needed to send sophisticated images; allow instant online gaming with hundreds of thousands of players; and offer high-definition video telephony for the price of a local call."

(Link:  Superfast internet may replace world wide web at Telegraph.co.uk)

Virginia is the first state to require public schools to offer Internet safety courses for students of all grade levels.

(Link:  Virginia first state to require Internet safety lessons at SilliconValley.com)

E-Commerce Law Briefs is a weekly feature appearing each Friday afternoon on E-Commerce Law. Each week, E-Commerce Law Briefs will provide a brief summary and commentary on recent legal news affecting e-commerce businesses.