Slander (Spoken). Libel (Written).
If a reporter says or writes something that can be considered falsely malicious and causes great monetary, mental and reputation damage to a person or company, they may be guilty of slander or libel. Although it is difficult to prove, you can prepare a letter to send to an editor or news director in advance of publication or ask for a redaction.
Trademark. Copyright - Trademarks (™) are registered words, names, symbols or devices used to identify a product. Copyrights (©) are protections of creative works from unauthorized use If you are going to refer to any copyright or trademark, know the law and follow it properly. Be aware of Creative Commons and Open Data Rights.
Invasion of Privacy – Privacy law differentiates between public figures and private figures – as well as under what situations individuals have the right to withhold information that could be privy to public scrutiny.
Sunshine Laws/Freedom of Information Act – Meetings, records, deliberations, votes, by ad between government officials are available to the public through a FOIA request or Sunshine Laws. There are specific instances when meetings can be closed, but there are very specific mandates and rules that must be followed prior without it falling into the “illegal” category.
- There are other laws to be aware of for more specific areas related to Terumo, such as: Food and Drug Administration Safety and Innovation Act (FDASIA) and other FDA guidance regarding the promotion, using the Internet (including social media), of medical products that are regulated by [the FDA]. Link.
- The Sarbanes-Oxley Act – For publicly traded companies
- Electronic Communications Privacy Act (ECPA) and the Protect Our Children Act of 2008 for data preservation.
FDA Guidance on Social Media for the Life Sciences Industry – The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has outlined expectations for medical device manufacturers use of social media platforms to promote products in addition to correcting misinformation. Link to FDA Policy Guide on Social Media.
Other areas to monitor include: SEC, FTC, FINRA, Lanham Act
