Computer Law Association

The Computer Law Association, Inc., was formed in 1973 to fill the need for mutual education by lawyers concerned with the unique legal considerations related to the evolution, production, marketing, acquisition, and use of computer communications technology. The association is committed to providing lawyers and law students concerned with the legal and practical aspects of computers, computer services, and computer communications with a forum for an exchange of ideas and an in-depth examination of related problems. The association's meetings are open to nonmembers for the purpose of fostering useful interdisciplinary dialogue.

Over the years, the association has sponsored a wide variety of programs, covering such areas as the use of the computer as a litigation tool; privacy issues related to data banks; competition in the computer and communications industries; contracting for computer technology; computer communications issues, particularly the Federal Communications Commission's second computer inquiry and the proposed legislation affecting Telecommunications; the effect of the Copyright Act of 1976 (17 U.S.C.A. § 101 et seq.) on computer technology and the work of the National Commission on New Technological Uses of Copyrighted Works (CONTU); federal, state, local, and international taxation of computer-related properties, transactions, and activities; electronic funds transfer systems; liability for computer usage; computer technology in the next decade; contracting in the computer industry; marketing of software by nonsoftware specialists; negotiating contracts for custom software; and emerging national information systems, such as the national Securities markets, E-Mail, and Cable Television.

The association holds semiannual conferences and publishes transcripts of the meetings. It amended and adopted new by–laws in 1995. Its members are lawyers and law students.

Web site: <www.cla.org>.

Cross-references

Computer Crime; Copyright.