legal

Sued for job ad text - 'only H-1s apply'

Both our immigration law and enforcement are pathetic in this country and job boards find themselves in the middle. Doesn't make sense to block highly skilled workers from coming here while letting anyone who can wade through the Colorado river come in and stay. Doesn't make sense to legislate but not enforce and the $45,000 fine is a joke. Story at Computerworld:

DOJ settles H-1B job ad case for $45,000
Complaint filed by Programmers Guild over H-1B-only job ad

• Add new comment
• Read more

Is it legal to use your competitors name in meta tags? In CPC advertising?

Search engine watch is reporting a new ruling that would make it illegal to use hotjobs, careerbuilder, or your direct competitor's name in the meta tags of your job board.

The 11th Circuit Court of Georgia ruled the use of others' trademarks in meta tags infringes trademark laws, according to North American Medical Corp. v. Axiom Worldwide, Inc.

• 1 comment
• Read more

Craigslist not liable for discriminatory ads

Great legal news for job boards!  We regularly see and screen out job postings that violate EEOC laws.  We've been doing this ever since we received an ominous warning from some very official government agency many years ago.  The ads we see are sometimes quite amusing.  One of these days I'll post some of the wacky things we get.

CHICAGO - Craigslist should not be held liable for discriminatory housing ads posted on the popular Web site, a federal appeals court ruled Friday.

The decision by the 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a win for San Francisco-based Craigslist, an online network of classified ads and forums on which more than 30 million notices are posted every month, according to the ruling.

• Add new comment
• Read more

Target.com Sued For Discriminating Against the Blind

The Feb. Inc Magazine issue has a very interesting article about a company called Criterion 508 that helps businesses become compliant with a law requiring federal contractors to make their websites accessible to the disabled.  

Is your website accessible?  Like me, you probably never thought about it before.  But it doesn't sound too difficult.  Look at the trouble Target.com is in over this issue:

Can You Legally Bid on Your Competitor's Name With CPC Advertising?

Yes, you can with Google AdWords. But, should you? If you receive a cease and desist letter, you may decide it's not worthwhile, BUT look at this -- a federal court just dismissed a lawsuit against Google over the practice of allowing companies to buy cpc ads that are displayed when people type in the name of a competitor.

Until now, most advertisors may have assumed that while Google wouldn't assume responsibility for policing trademarks, it was still unwise to use them in ad campaigns. However, the language in this news story suggests the Federal court has ruled there IS NO trademark violation.