{ Daily Archives }

November 17th, 2006

Deal Flow: Week Ending November 13, 2006

from the wanabe venture capitalist

Fundings:
- BlackArrow raises $14.75mm for non-skippable ads
- Brightcove seeking $55mm 3rd round
- Pluck raises $7mm
- SodaHead gets $4.25mm for adult social networking
- Mascoma takes on $30mm for possible gasoline alternative
- AboutUs, Inc. takes on $1mm for business wikis

Acquisitions:
- AOL acquires Relegence
- Zhongsou to acquire Ccoo.cn
- Answers.com acquires FAQFarm for $2mm
- Motorola acquires push e-mail firm Good Technology

New Funds:
- Valhalla Partners raises $260mm 2nd fund
- Benchmark Europe raises $500mm fund three

2006 11 17

Legal

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Craigslist: Intenet meets civil Rights

Craigslist

The internet is often the source of unforeseen outcomes and effects, and this is a perfect example. This article discusses how Craigslist was sued for allowing users to post discriminatory housing adds. I never even thought about this possibility. (I guess this is the SF bubble that I live in). But even more interesting, is the effect of the 1996 Communications Decency Act (CDA) as compared to the numerous Federal Fair Housing statutes and regulations.

The Chicago Lawyers’ Committee for Civil Rights Under Law sued San Francisco-based Craigslist in February, claiming that during a six-month period, the site published more than 100 housing ads in Chicago that violated the federal Fair Housing Act.

Those ads included such declarations as “Non-women of Color NEED NOT APPLY” and “African Americans and Arabians tend to clash with me so that won’t work out.”

The 1968 Fair Housing Act bars housing discrimination, and newspapers and other publishers of ads deemed discriminatory can be held liable for violating the law.

But the 1996 Communications Decency Act (CDA), in an attempt to promote unfettered free expression online, shields web forums from liability for ads and opinions posted by their users.

full story here

2006 11 17

Legal

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