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Recently the first Year 2000 (Y2K) related lawsuit was filed by a Michigan grocer. The grocer claims in its lawsuit that the cash register computer system responsible for processing credit card transactions froze everytime an expiration date of Year 2000 or beyond was scanned. The lawsuit filed against the the computer system manufacturer and the local service provider asks for $100,000 in damages and tens of thousands for lost business. Some experts predict that this lawsuit is just the tip of the iceberg, with an expected $1 trillion in lawsuits to be filed as the Year 2000 approaches. The presentation by two attorneys familiar with Y2K litigation summarizes and theorizes --somewhat tongue-in-cheek-- about the likelihood of litigation and the ultimate liability arising from the Year 2000 problem. The presentation uses sharks and piggy banks to symbolize the likelihood of being sued (the sharks) versus the likelihood and magnitude of actual legal/monetary liability (the piggy banks).
Dan Hassett is a member of Williams, Mullen, Christian & Dobbins' Intellectual Property Law Section, where he focuses his practice on technology licensing, computer law, trademarks and corporate law. Mr. Hassett's current practice includes general representation of companies and individuals in the technology marketplace. Typical client projects include venture formation, capitalization, commercial finance, strategic alliances, mergers and acquisitions, and contracting for technology development, distribution and licensing. Representative clients include Internet service providers, Internet commerce participants, software developers and computer systems integrators. Mr. Hassett also advises associations and companies on the registration, development and licensing of trademarks, logos and certification programs, as well as domain name protection. Previously, Mr. Hassett was with the law firm of Galland, Kharasch, Morse & Garfinkle in Washington, D.C. He is admitted to the District of Columbia and Massachusetts Bars. Prior to joining that firm, he was with Rackemann, Sawyer and Brewster in Boston, Massachusetts. Mr. Hassett is a member of the Computer Law Association, the Information Technology Association of America, and the D.C. Bar Association. He received his law degree in 1989 from the University of Texas and graduated cum laude from Providence College in 1984. |