Subscription Information

This page was last revised on January 1, 2003.

On January 1, 2002, the Tech Law Journal Daily E-Mail Alert (TLJ Alert) became a subscription based product. The basic rate for a subscription is $250 per year. There is a price scale that rises to $2,500 for subscribers with 12 recipients of the TLJ Alert. The price schedule, starting on January 1, 2003, includes a fixed rate of $2,500 for subscribers with any number of recipients, provided that they are all employed by the subscriber, and have one e-mail domain.

Also starting on January 1, 2003, paying subscribers are required to enter into a contract, which is both a subscription information form, as well as substantive legal terms and conditions. First, there is the Subscription Form and Contract for firms, companies, groups, and other entities. Second, there is the shorter Subscription Form and Contract for persons subscribing individually.

Free one month trial subscriptions are available. Also, free subscriptions are available for journalists, federal government officials, Congressional staff, and court personnel. (No contract is required for free subscribers.) TLJ has terminated the practice of offering free subscriptions to law students and state government officials, because of past infringement problems.

The TLJ web site remains a free access web site. Copies of the TLJ Alert are published in the web site at least one month after original distribution by e-mail to subscribers.

What is the Tech Law Journal Daily E-Mail Alert?
The TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert is a daily e-mail that contains news about legislative, judicial, and regulatory developments affecting the Internet, computing, and communications. It is sent out at around 9:00 AM ET, Monday through Friday. There are about 250 issues per year. It consists of text formatted in HTML. Most issues range in size from 40 to 60 KB.
Who Publishes the Tech Law Journal Daily E-Mail Alert?
The TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert and the TLJ web site are written and published by David Carney. It is a one person operation, organized as a sole proprietorship. It is also an independent operation. There are no affiliations with any political party, political group, company, or trade group. The sole source of income is from the sale of subscriptions.
Why Did Tech Law Journal Converting to a Subscription Basis?
Tech Law Journal is a business. The original business plan was to provide free products, but generate revenue from advertising. This plan did succeed. Revenue from banner advertising on the web site did not generate a sustainable income, and was discontinued. Hence, it was a matter of either charging subscribers, or ceasing publication.
Why Charge $250?
Pricing the TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert was a very difficult decision. No marketing studies were conducted. No economists were retained. $250 was selected simply because there were about 250 issues per year. This comes to a price of $1 per issue.
Who Reads Tech Law Journal?
Most subscribers to the TLJ Daily E-Mail Alert subscribe have online biographies in the web sites of their law firms or other sites. Most can be identified by a quick Google search. Copies of their appellate briefs, speeches, articles, Congressional testimony, or other works are published online. Hence, it is easy to characterize the subscribers:

1. Lawyers in large law firms who focus on technology related fields of law, especially, copyright, patent, other IPR, antitrust, e-commerce, telecommunications, and trade.

2. In house legal counsel in tech companies, companies that engage in e-commerce, and companies that hold or develop intellectual property.

3. Other employees of tech companies, especially corporate officers, and government relations personnel.

4. Employees of trade groups, interest groups, and public relations firms involved in technology related policy making.

5. Government officials and staff, mostly from Capitol Hill, and certain federal agencies, such as the USPTO, FCC, DOJ, and DOC.

6. Technology and telecommunications journalists.

There are also some systems administrators and other IT professionals, law librarians, law professors, and employees of brokerage firms, banks, insurance companies, and other financial institutions.

Subscription Rate.

The basic subscription rate is $250 per year for a single recipient. TLJ published about 250 issues in its first year. Hence, this amounts to a price of about one dollar per issue.

Method of Payment.

Please submit a check, cashiers check, or money order made payable to David Carney. Tech Law Journal is a small business. There is not now a mechanism for accepting online subscriptions and credit card payments. This is to keep costs, and the subscription rate, down.

For foreign subscribers, please submit payment  denominated in United States Dollars.

Mail payment to David Carney, P.O. Box 4851, Washington DC, 20008.

Rates for Subscribing Entities with Multiple Recipients.

The subscription rate is $250 for the first recipient, $225 each for recipients 2 through 5, $200 each for recipients 6 through 10, $175 each for recipients 11 and 12. However, once the subscription fee reaches $2,500 (the price for 12 recipients) the subscriber may have the TLJ Alert sent to an unlimited number of recipients. However, all recipients must be employees, partners or shareholders of the subscriber, and all must have e-mail addresses at a single e-mail domain. Also, the subscriber must provide TLJ with the names and e-mail addresses of all recipients; delivery will be made solely by TLJ. The table below lists total subscription prices for entities with multiple recipients.

Number of
Recipients		 Total
Price
1 250
2 475
3 700
4 925
5 1150
6 1350
7 1550
8 1750
9 1950
10 2150
11 2325
12 2500
13+ 2500

Subscription Form and Contract

Starting on January 1, 2003, TLJ requires paying subscribers to enter into a subscription contract. Two standard forms can be downloaded and printed out. First, there is the Subscription Form and Contract for firms, companies, groups, and other entities. Second, there is the shorter Subscription Form and Contract for persons subscribing individually. These provide TLJ with subscription information. They are contain terms and conditions regarding permissible and prohibited uses of the TLJ Alert.

Free One Month Trial Subscriptions.

To qualify for a free one month trial subscription, you must provide your name, employer, and an e-mail address. Moreover, the user name and domain must correspond to your name and employer. For example, an address such as gxz9k34x9@yahoo.com will not qualify. The purpose of this requirement is to prevent abuse of the free subscription offer.

Free Subscriptions.

In addition, two general groups qualify for unlimited free subscriptions.

Journalists. Journalists who write about technology, the Internet, computing, communications, regulation, law, the Congress and/or the Courts also qualify for free subscriptions. Only persons who are engaged full time in original coverage qualify. Also, this offer does not extend to anyone engaged in, or writing on behalf of any entity that is engaged in, lobbying, advocacy, political campaigning, or public relations. This free subscription offer extends to the editors, publishers, and opinion writers at entities that employ covered journalists.

To receive a free subscription, you must provide your name, employer, and e-mail address. Also, the e-mail address must correspond to your name and employer.

Federal Government Officials. Free subscriptions are available for federal judges, law clerks, other court personnel, Members of Congress, their staff, committee staff, General Accounting Office staff, and federal government officials.

(In practice most such subscribers work for Representatives, Senators, Congressional Committees, the USPTO, FCC, FTC, DOJ, NTIA, TA, or federal appeals court judges.)

To receive a free subscription, you must provide your name, employer, and e-mail address. The e-mail address must correspond to your name and employer.

TLJ Web Site.

There continues to be a Tech Law Journal web site. The TLJ Daily E-Mail Alerts continues to be published there. However, they are published on at least a one month delay. Hence, the web site will remain as a research resource, but not as a source of up to date news.

E-Mail Monitoring.

Starting in 2003 new practices and policies will be introduced to identify and deal with persons and entities that violate the rights of authorship and proprietary rights. For example, starting on February 1, 2003, use of the TLJ Alert will be monitored. See, Memorandum regarding "E-Mail Monitoring", and Memorandum regarding "Disclosure of Information to Third Parties". See also, Privacy Policy.

Answers to Other Occasionally Asked Questions

1. Tech Law Journal is not incorporated. It is a business name used by David Carney. David Carney is the sole proprietor.
2. Tech Law Journal is not a minority owned business.
3. Tech Law Journal does not accept credit card payments.
4. Neither Tech Law Journal, nor David Carney engage in consulting or the practice of law.
5. The subscription list is not for sale.
6. Tech Law Journal does not carry advertisements.