Tag Archives: legal

Global Project Launched to Crack Down on ‘Ndrangheta and Mafia Crime

INTERPOL has launched the Cooperation Against ‘Ndrangheta (I-CAN) project, a joint initiative with Italy to combat the increasingly insidious and global threat of mafia-type crime.

Funded by the Italian Department of Public Security, the project will focus on the ‘Ndrangheta which is the most extensive and powerful criminal organization in the world.

Present in 32 Countries, 17 of which are European, the ‘Ndrangheta is supported by its enormous financial power built mainly on drug trafficking, corruption and the diversion of public funds through fraud and rigged contracts.

“We need a global approach to counter a global threat. We have promoted a targeted project with INTERPOL for a global attack to eradicate it, involving the State Police, the Carabinieri and the Guardia di Finanza,” said Prefect Vittorio Rizzi, Deputy Director General of Public Security.

Whilst the project will initially be focusing on specific countries, the ultimate goal of the I-CAN project is to enhance the ability of law enforcement worldwide to more effectively identify and combat mafia-type organizations.

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Court Ruling on Celebrity Photos Raises New Copyright Risk for Websites

Apr 10, 2017

When a gossip site posted a photo of a pregnant-looking Beyoncé, it probably didn’t anticipate the fallout: A major copyright decision that could imperil the site’s business model and undermine a legal defense used by other websites that depend on user content.

The decision, handed down Friday by a federal appeals court in California, came as a defeat for LiveJournal, which hosts the popular blog called “Oh No They Didn’t,” a forum for users to upload news about celebrities and chat about them.

The ruling came after a paparazzi operation called Mavrix, which the court describes as “specializing in candid photographs of celebrities in tropical locations,” sued Live Journal for copyright infringement over the Beyoncé photo and 19 other photos.

Full Read – http://fortune.com/2017/04/10/dmca-ruling-livejournal/

Is a nanny cam legal in California?

Q We have a few concealed cameras placed in our home so we can keep track of what is happening while away. This is in part because our 6-year-old has different baby-sitters. Is there anything illegal about the cameras?

— B.K., Rancho Palos Verdes

A It is legal to have a video-only recording of activities inside your home. You are not required to let anyone know, nor does it matter if the camera is hidden. But that video must be utilized for a reasonable purpose. It cannot be an overt invasion of someone’s privacy. For example, we are all entitled to a reasonable expectation of privacy, such as when we are taking a shower.

Under California law, it is potentially illegal if such a camera also records audio. It is not lawful to record an oral communication through use of a hidden camera or device if a person has not consented to it.

Q Is there no invasion of our privacy posed by all these video cameras outside on buildings?

— C.D., El Segundo

A If you are out in public, such as walking on a sidewalk, you are pretty much fair game. Further, the video cameras do not physically intrude into your sphere of privacy. Thus, making a claim for invasion of privacy because of an outdoor video camera, while you are out in public, would be quite challenging.

It is a different situation, for examples, if you are in a bathroom facility, inside a hotel room or in a changing room at a clothing store. The nature of your activity, and your location, are factors to evaluate if you believe your right of privacy has been wrongly invaded.

Full Read – http://www.dailybreeze.com/general-news/20170131/ask-the-lawyer-is-a-nanny-cam-legal-in-california

Dennis Rodman facing criminal charges in July hit-and-run, prosecutors say

by James Queally Contact Reporter

Former NBA superstar Dennis Rodman was charged with causing a hit-and-run crash, lying to police and driving without a valid license after police say he drove the wrong way down the 5 Freeway in Santa Ana earlier this year, prosecutors said.

Rodman, who rose to prominence for both his bad-boy image and his role on several of Michael Jordan’s championship Chicago Bulls teams in the 1990s, is due in court early next year.

He was charged with four misdemeanors: causing a hit-and-run accident with property damage, driving across a highway divider, giving false information to police and driving without a valid license, according to a news release from the Orange County district attorney’s office.

Rodman, 55, could face up to two years in prison if convicted, prosecutors said. He will be arraigned in January.

Full Article – http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-dennis-rodman-charged-20161121-story.html