Photo Courtesy of Jade Gao via Getty Images What is Shein and Temu?E-commerce platforms have become a go-to destination for trendy and affordable clothing. Among the numerous online shopping websites, Temu and Shein have emerged as popular choices for fashion enthusiasts across the globe. Temu, a China-based company, was launched in the United States in September 2022. They offer a wide range of fashion products, including clothing, accessories and shoes for men, women, and children. Shein, another e-commerce platform, has rapidly gained popularity. Based in Singapore, this fast-fashion company has rapidly expanded into one of the largest online retailers for clothing, accessories, and beauty products, reaching approximately $45 billion in…

The social media website X, alongside its controversial owner Elon Musk, has recently entered a turbulent legal period across the world. Since August 31, 2024, it has been banned in Brazil after Musk opted to close X’s offices there rather than comply with a Supreme Court order. Meanwhile, in the European Union, the European Commission published preliminary findings discerning that X was in violation of the Digital Services Act (DSA). This paints a concerning picture of X’s longevity in international markets.  Musk bought X, at the time known as Twitter, in 2022. Since then, the platform has been enmeshed in a variety of legal and financial turmoil, the most recent…

The apprehension surrounding novel technology and the impact of it is not new; especially in cases where this introduction has had the tumult that Artificial Intelligence has endured. AI has served as an unnecessary boogeyman in the public consciousness. There is undoubtedly a potential unlike any other in this developing technology, yet we keep it at arm’s length. On the other hand, there is some warranted concern with such a powerful tool, but not from the tool itself. Like with any sea change in publicly available innovation, there will be those who abuse the gap between what is possible, and what has been legislated against. Inevitably, bad actors will use…

On April 1, 2024, the Syracuse University Journal of Internal Law and Commerce held their annual banquet for Volume 51. We spent time reflecting on our successful year, as well as discussing our vision for many more years to come! Additionally, we presented awards to individuals who displayed exceptional dedication to the Journal this past year. Congratulations to allow of our recipients. Award Recipients 2L of the Year: Sarah Smith 3L of the Year: Jennifer Arinze JILC Award: Michael Homme and Jessica Buffamonti L. Frederick E. Goldie Award: Andrew Castelletti, Leah Dawit, Eduardo Kreimerman Meyohas, and Lisa Phair Notes Selected for Publication: James Whitlow, Dana Krinsky, Emily Alexander, and Kurt…

Trademark is vital to the success of a business, protecting the recognizability and distinctiveness of a business’ name and preventing imitators from siphoning cash away from the original firm. But sometimes, quibbles over names, likenesses and branding can verge on absurd and drag on for years. The name Iceland has become synonymous with cold, fish and volcanic activity, making news with the latter recently. Situated on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and over the meeting of two tectonic plates, Iceland is renowned for its seismic and volcanic activity, as well as its bitter cold winters. When thinking of the name “Iceland,” most of the world rightfully associates it with the country above,…

With the dramatic development of technology, artificial intelligence has grown so big that it now transcends almost all areas of industries. Especially in the art industry, AI has emerged as a powerful collaborator in art as its algorithms generate intricate compositions and digital masterpieces. Following this trend, such attributions of AI-generated artworks have raised questions regarding ownership and protection issues, alarming awareness of the relationship between such works and copyright law. Companies like OpenAI and StabilityAI started to release AI-enabled text and image generators beginning in late 2022. Initially, the Copyright Office was not prepared to decide on these works’ eligibility as copyrighted works until 2022, when author Kris Kashtanova’s…

The on-going debate of whether student-athletes should be considered as employees continues to linger. One area particularly looked upon in consideration is the introduction of Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL) laws that allow student-athletes to profit from their personal brands. In recent years, the landscape of college-level sports has vastly transformed in accordance with the continuous growth in new NIL laws. However, there is one class of student-athletes whose accessibility to these sizeable opportunities has been specifically handicapped, and that is international student-athletes. Twelve percent of D-I athletes are international student-athletes who continue to face unique legal implications that intertwine visa regulations, work authorization, university policies, and tax considerations. Differential…

We have all heard the phrase, “once something is on the internet, it’s there forever.” Though this may be true, a new concern is not that an item is available in an easily accessible digital format, but more, who can say they own this digital format. As the world progresses and we change the way we trade, buy, and own items, a new way of owning and protecting digital objects has emerged. This new way is through Non-Fungible Tokens. Non-fungible tokens (NFT) are a new form of digital ownership. According to Forbes, NFTs are “a digital asset that can come in the form of art, music, in-game items, videos, and more.…

Beneath the surface of bustling global trade and commerce, there’s a subtle yet unmistakable signal: the approach of a global economic slowdown, a phenomenon reshaping more than just market trends. This deceleration, as projected by the UN’s World Economic Situation and Prospects report for 2024, indicates a growth rate dwindling to just 2.4%. Yet, this figure is more than a cold statistic; it vividly portrays the deep-seated imbalances in a system that often tips the scales in favor of capital over labor. The numbers tell a story, not just of markets and economies, but of the lives and struggles of those who form the backbone of these systems​​. In developing…