Date: Mon, 10 Jan 2000 10:08:17 -0500 From: Jeff Foust Subject: Web-Net Meeting -- Legal Environment of E-Businesses -- Tues Jan 11 The legal profession is playing an increasing role in the brave new world of the Internet and e-commerce. Is the "wild, wild Web" being tamed by the law? What are the legal obstacles -- and benefits -- for a new e-business? Find out as the monthly Web-Net meeting series continues this Tuesday, January 11, with a look at the legal environment of an e-business. We have three speakers planned for the evening: Internet start-ups have to address unique legal issues within a changing regulatory landscape. Warren E. Agin of Swiggart & Agin, LLC will review the legal environment of e-business, outlining the areas on which companies must focus and illuminating recent legal developments. Mr. Agin chairs the American Bar Association's Electronic Transactions in Bankruptcy Subcommittee, is a Vice-Chair of the ABA's Joint Subcommittee on Electronic Financial Services, and chairs the Technology Committee of the Boston Bar Association's solo & small firm section. He is the author of numerous legal articles and addresses on topics of technology and the internet. His book, "Bankruptcy and Secured Lending in Cyberspace," is being published by Bowne & Co. (http://www.swiggartagin.com/book) Darshan Thakkar will bring his experience in Mergers & Acquisitions of many successful e-businesses and present how legal issues to an e-commerce business. He is General Counsel to Software Pundit, Inc. a technical consulting firm in Burlington, MA with offices in Santa Clara, CA and Chicago, IL. In addition to counseling on corporate, employment and contract law, Mr. Thakkar's role involves due diligence of target companies for acquisition or strategic alliances. Prior to joining Software Pundits, Mr. Thakkar was in private corporate law practice where he advised startups and small companies on private placement, pre-IPO corporate finance, and IPO. He is experienced in the purchase and sale of e-commerce, Internet service providers and other high tech companies. Shalom Wertsberger, patent consultant of Saltamar Inc., will talk about patents and how they are an important part of an Internet company. Software and Internet related patents are a new phenomena with important implications for anyone in the trade. They are the fastest growing trend in patenting and sometimes have implications we do not predict (e.g. trying to place a picture on a web site) A good patent portfolio gives even a small company an excellent trading position. In this presentation you will have the opportunity to learn the basics regarding patents: what is a patent, what does it give you, and the basic requirements for obtaining one. While the conversation will center around patents in general, the slant will be towards software related patents, by an experienced software engineer and system administrator. Come and learn how to protect and benefit from your brainchild and most important asset: your idea. The meeting starts at 7 pm in Room E51-345 at MIT's Sloan School of Business. The building is a short walk from the Kendall/MIT stop on the Red Line, with plenty of free parking available. Full meeting information and directions are available from our Web site, http://www.web-net.org. For more information, contact Web-Net director Sudha Jamthe at sudha@web-net.org. We hope to see you there Tuesday night!