8th Circuit Adopts Fair Housing Council CDA Analysis.

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When Cozy Kitten Cattery spotted what it felt was defamatory comments concerning their business on complaintsboard.com it raised their hackles and the fur started flying.  After a series of complaints were filed in state and federal courts, the district court dismissed the complaint against InMotion after raising, Sue Sponte (on its own), the issue of whether 47 U.S.C. 230 of the Communications Decency Act shielded InMotion as the ISP which hosted the offending website. (on its own), the issue of whether 47 U.S.C. 230 of the Communications Decency Act shielded InMotion as the ISP which hosted the offending website. Noting that the case was the first opportunity for the 8th Circuit Court of Appeals to hear a case involving Section 230, the court adopted the reasoning of of the 9th Circuit that it interpreted as holding that CDA immunity did not apply to websites that are designed to encourage or facilitate defamatory, or other wrongful speech, however, CDA immunity does apply...
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Tax Deductions for Creatives

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As Tax day approaches its important to take into account targeted deductions that benefit Creatives. One such deduction is the Domestic Production Activities Deduction (AKA Section 199 deduction) which was meant to encourage U.S. job creation. The deduction was created in 2004 as a part of the American Jobs Creation Act of 2004 and is one of those nice benefits that is targeted at small businesses operating as sole proprietors, partnerships, LLC, or S Corps. So What? For many creative based businesses, this deduction may provide a significant deduction on gross income, based on the amount of W-2 wages spent in the production of their work. The deduction specifically singles out wages paid out in the sound recording, software (including websites), and film (excluding porn) industries, as well as producers of personal tangible items (clothing, books, etc.) for an additional tax credit against profits. What to do? Simple - if you are engaged in one of these categories, had a profit, and paid W-2...
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