Press Release
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Phone: 201-996-1154 FAX: 201-996-1883

For Immediate Release
Press Contact:
Irene Oujo (201) 996-1154
ioujo@pandab.org

 

LIKELY NEW PRIVACY LITIGATION IN 2005 WILL BE A FOCUS OF P&ABS PRIVACY YEAR IN REVIEW TELE/WEB CONFERENCE
On February 16, 2005, privacy guru Alan Westin and Washington expert Bob Belair will pinpoint what the privacy lawsuits mean and the areas to watch for new litigation. Westin and Belair will also examine upcoming federal and state privacy initiatives, and new consumer attitudes. CLE credits may be available.

February 9 , 2005//Hackensack, NJ:While spam and telemarketing account for half of all new consumer privacy court cases in 2004 and early 2005, Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) related cases are beginning to hit the circuit, according to Dr. Alan Westin, President & Publisher of Privacy & American Business (P&AB). He and co-host Bob Belair, V.P. of P&AB and Partner at Oldaker, Biden and Belair, will examine the litigation hot spots of 2004 and project the cases the courts will hear in 2005 as part of P&ABs February 16 Tele/Web Conference, "Privacy Year in Review, Projections and Trends for 2005."

"Spam and telemarketing were the big litigation stories of 2004, but we are tracking some 237 cases involving 331 different companies across the consumer industry spectrum, including healthcare," Dr. Alan Westin said. "Understanding the issues these cases are turning on and what the new breakthrough issues will be in 2005 will be significant for companies strategic planning going forward."

Aside from the 26 new spam and 17 new telemarketing suits, there were six new cases brought in 2004 related to the Gramm-Leach-Bliley (GLB) Act, including two for violations of the FTC Safeguards Rule and two for failure to have privacy policies. A closer look at the GLB Safeguards Rule is available in the latest issue of P&ABs Electronic Newsletter. Visit pandab.org for more information.

Register Today

For 12 years, P&ABs Alan Westin and Bob Belair have reviewed the past year in privacy at its annual national conferences and predicted what lies ahead. This year, on February 16, they will offer predictions at its first Tele/Web Conference on this vital topic. Participants will also receive a special electronic report documenting the experts teleconference presentations.

With this popular P&AB Conference session, Westin and Belair have helped many Privacy Officers and other executives in their job responsibilities, across all industries. P&AB has always focused its privacy work in areas including: financial services, telecommunications, wireless, Internet, direct marketing, healthcare and pharmaceutical.

P&AB Kick-Off

This event will kick off P&ABs two major membership programs for 2005: the Privacy Leadership Group and the Privacy Fellows Program. Benefits for both programs include free participation in the Privacy Year in Review Tele/Web Conference, multiple subscriptions to P&ABs Electronic Newsletter and NewsFlash, and attendance at P&ABs National Conference and meetings.

P&AB Spreads Privacy Throughout Companies

In keeping with P&ABs mission to help spread privacy activities throughout relevant company divisions, P&AB invites other corporate departments to join privacy officers in this Tele/Web Conference. For more information about special group rates to participate in this Tele/Web Conference or to find out how to become a P&AB Member and receive P&AB Member discounts, visit pandab.org or contact Olga Garey at info@pandab.org.

CLE Credits

Participants in P&AB events have received Continuing Legal Education (CLE) credits. P&AB will help Tele/Web Conference participants earn their CLE credits by providing materials, but cannot apply on their behalf.

This virtual event is set for February 16, 2005 at 2:00 PM EST. Details are posted at pandab.org and www.privacyexchange.org.

About Privacy & American Business
Privacy & American Business (pandab.org, www.PrivacyExchange.org, & www.pjobs.org), is an activity of the Center for Social & Legal Research, a non-profit, non-partisan public policy think tank exploring U.S. and global issues of consumer and employee privacy and data protection for business since its launch in 1993.

Always on the cutting edge, P&AB was the first to chart and analyze the rise of privacy from a second-tier concern to a front-burner issue and to provide opportunities in its programs and meetings to assist businesses in understanding the privacy environment as it is evolving. P&AB, a pioneer in recognizing the rise of the Corporate Privacy Officer (CPO), was the first to open its CPO Program in 1999.

The Center and all its activities are led by Dr. Alan Westin, Professor of Public Law & Government Emeritus, Columbia University, and President and Publisher of P&AB; Robert Belair, Partner at Oldaker, Biden & Belair and P&AB’s Vice President; and Lorrie Sherwood, P&AB’s Executive Director.

 

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