The “Social Web” has been growing at a
break-neck speed over the past few years
and all can agree that it has become an
undeniable aspect of Web 2.0.
Facebook, Myspace,
LinkedIn, YouTube and
Twitter, to name only a few, are not
only effective and readily available
communication and marketing tools, but
what’s more, they are an inexhaustible
source of information on the customers,
competitors and even employees for any
company wishing to use these sites.
The legal implications of using social
networks however are countless and span
a wide spectrum. Whether a company is
releasing or collecting information,
promoting a business or its products
directly or through users, or even
hiring employees or seeking information
about them, using social networks is not
without risk. In each of these cases,
the company must consider the legal
implications of its usage of social
networks, be it with regards to its
intellectual property, trade secrets,
image and reputation or even the privacy
of social network users.
The purpose of this Gowlings
presentation is to identify the
principal legal implications a company
must consider when using social
networks, with a particular focus on
marketing, and to provide an overview of
means for limiting the consequences
likely to occur, all through the use of
scenarios representing situations
encountered in daily life.
Room:
Cartier 2
Time:
14h25
Biography:
Jean-Philippe Riverin is an associate in
Gowlings’ Montréal office, specializing
in business law. Jean-Philippe acts as a
legal counsel for numerous companies
involved in different kinds of
commercial transactions. During the last
years, Jean-Philippe has been
particularly active with companies
mainly involved in the technology
sector. He taught entertainment law at
the University of Sherbrooke in 2008. To
learn more:
Jean-Philippe Riverin’s Bio.
