On December 20, 2018, the Securities and Exchange Commission’s (“SEC’s”) Office of Compliance Inspections and Examinations (“OCIE”) published its annual examination priorities for 2019 (“2019 Priorities”). OCIE annually publishes its examination priorities to highlight the key areas it intends to focus on in the upcoming year. OCIE examines investment advisers, mutual funds and exchange traded […]

On May 11, 2018, the new Customer Due Diligence Requirements for Financial Institutions (the “CDD Rule” or the “Rule”)[1] are scheduled to come into effect. On April 3 of this year, the promulgator of the CDD Rule, the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network (FinCEN), issued a new Guidance[2] to assist covered financial institutions[3] in understanding the scope of the […]

In our always-online world, websites are a necessary asset that is part of both small and large business’ marketing, sales, and customer service. With the wide variety of content available online, it’s all too easy to click the copy button from page to page or lift a picture from a Google Image search or someone’s […]

As large financial institutions partner with Fintech start-ups to test blockchain technology, it is no surprise that governments are also experimenting with blockchain to see any potential savings in transaction costs when clearing and settling payments.  Recently, the national governments of Canada and the United Kingdom tested the technology. The Central Bank of Canada conducted a trial in conjunction with the New York […]

Igor Oystacher, the now-infamous trader nicknamed “the Russian,” and his proprietary trading firm, 3Red Trading, informed the Northern District of Illinois on October 19, 2016, that the parties agreed to settle with the CFTC on the agency’s spoofing allegations. The settlement announcement came after Oystacher and 3Red failed to convince the court to dismiss the […]

Effective Jan. 14, 2017, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) will be revising its fee schedule. The upcoming changes are set forth in full in this final rule and summarized in this USPTO publication. Most fees will increase, as the USPTO attempts to “align fees with full costs.” At the same time, the changes […]

This article discusses how original dance choreography can be protected from imitation, so that choreographers can protect and profit from their creativity and hard work. Prior to the Copyright Act of 1976 (the “Act”), a choreographer’s right to his or her work was uncertain.  Since the enactment of the Act, “choreographic works” have been expressly […]

When we’re sitting on the couch at home watching TV, it’s easy to forget how much effort and resources went into creating that content. In most circumstances, film production entails a significant investment on the part of the filmmakers and their financiers. These funds, in turn, create jobs and generate revenue. Many state governments have […]

The National Futures Association (NFA) held its first NFA Cybersecurity Workshop on February 2, 2016 in Chicago. The workshop consisted of discussion of NFA Cybersecurity Interpretive Notice to Compliance Rules 2-9, 2-36, and 2-49 entitled Information Systems Security Programs (ISSP) and ISSP policy development. The NFA is requiring CPO’s, CTA’s, IB’s, FCM’s, retail foreign exchange […]

Almost daily, headlines are peppered with reports of hackers breaching the cyber defenses of major institutions and governmental bodies, garnering information that could seriously compromise not only the financial well-being of countless individuals but also the financial stability of the nation. Even governmental bodies such as the U.S. Office of Personnel Management are susceptible to […]