Revision Legal is Chicago’s Internet law firm. Our attorneys, admitted to practice law in the State of Illinois and located just outside of Chicago in Michigan, have experience in handling Internet law matters in the Northern District of Illinois, which includes Chicago and the surrounding suburbs. Our Chicago Internet lawyers have handled the following Internet law cases in federal and state court:
Our Chicago Internet lawyers are also experts in transactional Internet law matters. Our attorneys can help you with:
If you seek a Chicago Internet lawyer, contact Revision Legal’s attorneys today at 855-473-8474.
Internet law is not a single practice area — it is the intersection of intellectual property law, contract law, tort law, privacy law, and regulatory compliance as applied to digital commerce and online activity. A Chicago internet lawyer must understand both the substantive law and the technology. Courts in the Northern District of Illinois regularly address cutting-edge questions involving software, websites, social media, e-commerce, and data privacy, and litigating those cases requires attorneys who understand how the underlying systems actually work.
Revision Legal’s attorneys bring that combination of legal expertise and technical literacy to every engagement. Our internet lawyers have handled cases involving custom software disputes, domain name theft, online defamation, social media impersonation, and unauthorized access to computer systems under the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, 18 U.S.C. § 1030.
Copyright infringement is one of the most common claims in federal court internet litigation. Under the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. § 501, the owner of a registered copyright may sue for infringement and seek actual damages, disgorgement of the infringer’s profits, or statutory damages of up to $150,000 per work infringed for willful infringement under 17 U.S.C. § 504. Registration before infringement occurs is critical — without registration, a plaintiff cannot file suit in federal court, and statutory damages and attorney’s fees are unavailable.
We have represented both plaintiffs and defendants in copyright infringement cases in the Northern District of Illinois. We understand the fair use analysis under 17 U.S.C. § 107, the DMCA safe harbor provisions under § 512, and the complex issues of secondary liability that arise when infringing content appears on third-party platforms.
Trademark infringement in the digital context takes many forms: unauthorized use of a trademark in a domain name, use of a trademark in website meta tags or keyword advertising, and outright impersonation through lookalike websites. The Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. § 1114, provides a federal cause of action for trademark infringement, and the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA), 15 U.S.C. § 1125(d), provides damages of up to $100,000 per domain name for bad-faith registration or use of a domain that is confusingly similar to a distinctive mark.
For cases involving domain names outside of federal court jurisdiction, the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) administered by ICANN provides a faster, less expensive alternative. Our attorneys have handled UDRP proceedings and federal ACPA cases throughout our practice.
Online defamation — false statements published on review sites, social media, or anonymous forums — can cause severe reputational damage. The elements of defamation are: (1) a false statement of fact; (2) publication to a third party; (3) that the statement concerns the plaintiff and tends to harm reputation; and (4) fault amounting to at least negligence. In the case of a public figure, the plaintiff must prove actual malice under New York Times Co. v. Sullivan, 376 U.S. 254 (1964).
Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act, 47 U.S.C. § 230, immunizes online platforms from liability for defamatory content posted by third parties. However, Section 230 does not immunize the original poster. We help clients identify anonymous online defamers through subpoenas, pursue defamation claims against those responsible, and obtain injunctive relief requiring takedown of defamatory content.
Data privacy compliance is an increasing priority for businesses operating websites and mobile applications. Federal statutes including the Children’s Online Privacy Protection Act (COPPA), 15 U.S.C. § 6501 et seq., the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA), 47 U.S.C. § 227, and state statutes including the California Consumer Privacy Act (CCPA) impose significant obligations on companies that collect personal information online. Our internet lawyers draft privacy policies, terms of service, and compliance programs that address these requirements.
Technology contracts — software development agreements, SaaS agreements, end-user license agreements, website terms of service, data processing agreements, and platform content licenses — define the rights and obligations of parties in digital transactions. Poorly drafted agreements create exposure and disputes. Our internet lawyers draft and negotiate technology contracts that clearly allocate rights, limit liability, and protect intellectual property.
If you have questions about internet law, contact the internet lawyers at Revision Legal. Call us at 855-473-8474 or complete our contact form for a consultation.
Not all law firms with an internet law practice have the same depth of experience. Internet law is a specialized field that requires attorneys who have handled the specific types of matters — DMCA cases, cybersquatting proceedings, software copyright disputes, data privacy compliance — that your business faces. Before retaining an internet lawyer, consider asking: How many UDRP proceedings has the attorney handled? Has the attorney litigated copyright infringement cases in federal court? Is the attorney current on state privacy statutes like CCPA and CDPA?
Revision Legal’s attorneys have handled internet law matters ranging from platform compliance for e-commerce businesses to federal court litigation in copyright and trademark disputes. We are admitted in multiple jurisdictions and appear regularly in the Northern District of Illinois for Chicago-area clients. Our combination of legal experience and technical understanding of how the internet works gives our clients an advantage in disputes that require both.
Contact the internet lawyers at Revision Legal with questions about internet law or website compliance. Call 855-473-8474 or complete our contact form.
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