ICLA to launch legal webinars

The International Cycling Law Association is to establish a bi-monthly legal webinar series addressing a variety of legal issues of importance to the global cycling industry.

The first webinar is to be ‘Social Media: Pros and Legal Cons’ and will take place on Monday, November 16th, at 12 p.m. EST (5pm UK time).

The free online program features speakers Chris Matthews, Global Marketing Integrations Manager of Specialized Bicycles; Carlton Reid, Executive Editor of BikeBiz.com; Tom Williams, an intellectual property law partner at Howrey LLP; and Eric Fingerhut, Howrey LLP partner and Founder of the ICLA. The program is being co-sponsored by Howrey LLP.

The ICLA’s program on Social Media will be followed in January, March and May 2010 with webinars addressing ‘Best Practices Related to Patenting Bicycle Related Inventions’; ‘Insurance Coverage’; and ‘Products Liability and Consumer Products Safety Litigation’.

ICLA founder, Eric Fingerhut, said:

“We are pleased to show our value to the cycling industry by delivering this free webinar series. Affordable legal education is at the core of the ICLA’s mission, and this is exactly the kind of empowering programming the industry needs.”

The kick-off webinar will focus on social media and the bicycle industry. While being used positively by many in the bike industry, publishing thoughts, views and statements on social media sites such as Twitter also poses legal risks.

Defamatory statements, trademark infringement, passing off, profile hijacking, rogue employees and false advertising are just some of the issues bicycle companies must now consider when jumping into social media, believes Fingerhut.

To access the free webinar send an email to eric.fingerhut@cyclinglaw.org