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New Zealand’s new internet piracy law draws fire

New Zealand has just passed a major anti-online piracy law, drawing a mixture of outrage among netizens and praise from online copyright proponents and the European Union.

The Copyright (Infringing File Sharing) Amendment Bill allows for three strikes against people who illegally download copyrighted material: internet service providers (ISPs) will give three written warnings before penalties including internet disconnection for up to six months and fines of up to $NZ15,000 can be incurred.

The EU Commission said the law was in line with international best practice.

New Zealand is targeting the EU as a key trading partner, and Privacy Commissioner Marie Shroff said the new law was “a key step towards obtaining a formal legal finding from the European Commission that New Zealand is a safe destination for European companies to send personal data for processing.”

“The finding will be significant for cross-border trade and will open doors for New Zealand business,” she added.

However, New Zealanders came out against the law for the way in which it was passed (under urgency without the usual level of debate), the lack of clarity in the legislation, and for what many see as harsh punitive measures that could see innocent people punished. Creative Freedom Foundation director Bronwyn Holloway-Smith said that disconnecting internet access was “unnecessary and it’s disproportionate”.

ISPs say they will help police the new law but are concerned about who will pay for the cost of providing users’ information to copyright holders.

The latest law is a watered-down version of one withdrawn in March 2009 that would have made ISPs responsible for dealing with people accused of breaches, even if the assertion was unproven.

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Protecting Your Cash in Divorce

If you find yourself in the beginning stages of a divorce there is no doubt you have a lot on your mind and it’s important to stay focused on some of the things that you can control. One of those things is your money. Your spouse might be interested in making a very civil financial split, but there are others who aren’t that kind. Regardless, you cannot take your money for granted or you might end up on the losing end, no matter what the judge rules.

The first thing you should do is make a document listing every financial asset the two of you have. You have to make sure that there are no surprises when you go to negotiate your money. You have to be right and fair and make sure you are doing your due diligence.

This might include keeping a close eye on everything your spouse spends. Everything you do will help you in making sure that you get a fair settlement in court. You’ll want to write down any activity that isn’t agreed upon by you and your spouse, especially if it’s coming from a shared income and a shared account.

You will want to make copies of your banking statements and also make sure that you are photo copying tax statements. Of course you’ll want to look into talking to a tax accountant and a divorce lawyer so you can be given completely sound advice.

Getting divorced isn’t easy, but doing it with a messy financial debate will make it harder. Do yourself a favor and protect yourself from the beginning—it will help soften the blow.

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The Difference Between Spending Bills And Regular Bills

The Wisconsin controversy has brought a new awareness to the subject of the spending bill. By stripping the spending bill of its spending, they passed a law even with the missing Democrats. What Wisconsin did was bring to light the difference between a spending bill and a regular bill without the spending clauses.

A spending bill is exactly what it sounds like. A bill created for the sole purpose of spending taxpayer dollars. By law, the spending bill must originate in the House of Representatives. The only exception to this rule is that of the budget which is handed down by either the President or the Governor of the State.

A regular bill is a piece of legislation that either adds a new law or refutes an old one. It does not direct the use of taxpayer money. Thus, it escapes the stricter rules that are associated with a spending bill. For most cases, this means that a simple majority is needed in both houses and the Governor or the President has to sign it to become law.

For a spending bill, the voting process is much different. Instead of the simple majority, you need a quorum. That means that a certain amount of people have to be present to bring the spending bill up for a vote. That is why the Wisconsin bill could not get passed when the Democrats in that state went missing. By stripping it of its spending, they no longer needed that extra person.

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Costs Associated With Court Judgements

Most people don’t realize it but a court judgement can carry a heavy price. There are many overlooked fees associated with just going to court. Unfortunately, many are finding out the hard way exactly how much courts cost. It also explains why seemingly rich people can declare bankruptcy shortly after a judgement.

One of the obvious and most hefty price tags comes with the lawyers. Most lawyers work on an hourly fee. This hourly fee includes all of the work put into your case before even stepping foot in a court room. You can easily rack up thousands of dollars without realizing the amount of work that is going toward your case.

Another price tag comes if you arrested. Usually, that is in the process of making bail. In some cases, even ten percent is quite unaffordable. You also lose money in the process of not making bail because of lost time at work.

Getting a court judgement against you will automatically add to the overall court bill. Usually, there is a fine associated with other penalties. Depending on the severity, the fine can be from a couple of hundred to millions of dollars.

Finally, there are just basic court costs. Usually, this is laid upon the guilty party and can include the fees for the lawyers of the other side. Even something as small as a traffic ticket gets hit with court costs.

Even winners in the court room sometimes lose when it comes down to it.

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Handling Rapid Growth in your Small Business

Many small businesses experience rapid growth soon after their formation. When this occurs, it’s definitely a good thing but the speed at which the growth occurred can sometimes be overwhelming.

Yes, rapid growth shows that your small business is successful, but it also brings its own unique set of problems and issues including such things as hiring additional employees.

This is when you may need the services of a lawyer. He can write up contracts to present to employees as well as keep you informed as to the different labor laws that apply to your small business.  You may want to engage a lawyer who’s in the practice of business law. By using online resources such as canada 411, you can locate lawyers who can help you with your hiring process as well as other professional help like human resource personnel or a payroll company.

Hiring people may seem simple on the surface: you advertise the open positions, receive applications and resumes, make the best choices from them and offer the job. However, there’s quite a bit more to the employment process than just those simple steps and it often entails some legal issues.

You want to make sure your lawyer is local, as business law matters vary from state to state, and in some cases from county to county. A local lawyer will be knowledgeable in the state and municipal business laws and can advise you on how to handle the employment process as it pertains to your small business and its location.

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Getting The Most Out Of Your Consolation

Oftentimes, lawyers will offer a one time consolation on legal issues for free. Lawyers can be intimidating especially if this is the first time you have to see one. Just like lawyers have to do the prep work for their legal cases, you have to do the leg work for presenting your case to a lawyer. Just be sure to check that the lawyer you are seeking this consolation from has worked in the area of law that you are enquiring about.

One of the most important things you will need is documented proof to back-up what your saying. This will give you something solid that you can place into the lawyer’s hands for perusal. However, you don’t want to hand over the originals just yet. For an initial consolation, use copies instead of the real thing to minimizing your chance of losing the document or leaving it behind. They may at some point ask for original documentation. But you only want to give that document up after you have officially hired them.

Another thing to have handy is a list of questions that you want to ask the lawyer about. This will keep you on track with the conversation and not waste any precious consulting time. It will also help you to remember what you wanted to ask because lawyers can be intimidating.

Finally, have something to take notes with.

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Paying for a Lawyer

If you are in need of a lawyer then you probably know they can charge a lot of money. However, there are some ways that you can save money or find one who will volunteer to work for you.

Ask around your family and friends and if anyone you know has recently become a lawyer. You never know is a distant relative has taken the bar, but in the event that they have you can use that to your advantage and have them represent you. While you may not be able to get them to work for free, as they have to make a living to, you may be able to get them to cut their fee.

There are many lawyers that volunteer their time. Lawyers that offer these services are located in organizations like Legal Aid. However, to hire one of these lawyers your income has to be pretty low to qualify to use one. If your income is not low enough to qualify for free legal aid you can always contact the bar association of your state and see if they have and prgrams  in which a lawyer can be referred to you for as little as fifty dollars and hours. While that may sound like a large sum, it is not compared to what lawyers usually charge.

Check to see if a local university has a programs similar to the one listed above. Many times law students are so broke from student loans they need to start making money very badly. The students may not have a lot of expeience but it is a great way for them to learn and you to hire a lawyer at a fraction of the cost.

Another option is to take out a loan. While this may not be ideal situation is one that many people can not avoid. You can ask family and friends for money but that is usually a very messy and complicated way to go. Banks will allow you to take out a personal loan which you can use to pay a lawyer.

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Laws Passed After Horrendous Crimes

Sadly, many of these laws were put in place after it was to late to make a difference for the lives of the victims. However, these are in place today to provide protection for those who needed it before.

Many people have heard of the Amber Alert. You can join an Amber Alert texting service in your town that will update you if a child is missing. The Amber Alert was signed in April 2003 and signals when a child has been abducted or is suspected of being abducted. A message detailing the specifics of the event will be placed over then television, radio, and any electric traffic board. If you are anywhere within a certain radius you will hear of the event.

The Adam Walsh Child Prorection Safty Act mandates that there is a national data base for convicted child molesters. The law reqires that sex offenders keep their wereablouts current on a regular basis. Parents can access this sight at any time. The act was signed into law in 2006.

While there are many new laws that protect children, Kristen’s Law signed in 2000 is for adults. Sadly, Kristen was only eighteen when she was last seen. When her parents reported that she was missing it was one twenty three days past her birthday which made her an adult. Because she was an adult there were not funds available to help search for her like there would have been if she were a child. This law makes missing adults a priority as well.

The Matthew Shepard Act was signed in 2009 and is one of the newest laws. This law expands previous laws made about hate crimes to include things like crimes driven by a person’s name, gender, pr sexual orientation. This law was created for Matthew Shepard who was badly beaten and murdered in a horrendous way because he was gay.

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How to Pick the Right Lawyer

Depending on the legal situation that you are in and why you need legal representation you will need a certain type of lawyer. Like any other large, financial decision you will want to consider things carefully and will you will need to shop around. Ask friends and family if they would recommend anyone or if they have used anyone before. If you would rather not talk about the circumstances, ask the people you are interviewing if they have any references.

It will be important to ask the lawyers that you are considering a few questions. You will not required to pay for this time with them and they will expect it of you so do not feel bad for take up their time. Make sure that they have experience in the field that you need help with. If you were convicted of a DUI then you need a lawyer that specializes in DUIs, not a lawyer that deals with divorces.

Ask them how much experience they have with legal issues like the one you are presenting them with. They should have plenty of experience. You should also ask them when they last handled a case like yours. If it was years ago you might reconsider. Ask if the last case that they worked that was similar to yours was resolved well. Did it go to trail or was it settled out of court. It is also acceptable to ask if they won their case.

Do not spend more than fifteen minuets to a half hour speaking with them. They have things to do and they are not your counselor. That should be enough time to get a feel for if you life them.

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What to Consider When Hiring a Lawyer

There are many things that you want to consider when hiring a lawyer. This person will know very intimate details about you as person and they will probably see you at your worst. Make sure that you have hired someone that you feel comfortable with and who you feel will represent you the best that they can. Remember that you want to win your case, so do not just hire someone on the fly. Hire someone who makes you feel like a winner.

First you need to consider your lawyers credentials. It is perfectly acceptable to shop around for a lawyer. Hiring a lawyer is not only a difficult decision but it is one of the largest expenses you will ever be making so make sure you think they are worth the money. Ask about your lawyer’s history with cases like yours. Every case is different and yet, surprising the same so they should have an idea about how to handle your case. Ask about the out come of most of their cases and how they feel about your case.

However, you should be weary of a lawyer that garuntees results. There is no telling if you will win your case. Your lawyer should be able to detail the strengths and weaknesses of your case but they can not and should not predict and outcome.

You need to also consider if you and your lawyer work the same way and will be able to get along. You will be spending a lot of time with this person. You will exposing secrets and talking about intimate details of your life with this person. You need to make sure that you feel comfortable with them.

If you are very organized person and you lawyer is not, you might need to reconsider. Their unorganized mess will drive you crazy before you even begin the trail. You should also make sure that you understand what is expected of you. If your lawyer is not clear or you feel lost in the trial process you will want to reconsider.

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