Law firm attorneys and professors have dominated the legal blog landscape ever since legal blogs came into existence. But more and more in-house counsel are taking the plunge into cyberspace, including Sun Microsystems GC Mike Dillon and Microsoft attorney David Rudin.
It's no surprise that technology giant Google Inc. is getting in on the in-house blog bandwagon. Google's senior copyright counsel William Patry pens "The Patry Copyright Blog," a comprehensive collection of all things copyright, which he started in 2005 while in private practice. Maintaining the blog after moving in-house has not been a problem.
"Google policy permits blogging, so that's very helpful," Patry says. "Also, in private practice I got into the habit of not discussing matters I'm involved in, and I follow the same policy now that I'm in house."
Patry posts almost daily, updating readers on new copyright laws, court cases and copyright trends. His posts are long, but the added detail and commentary separates Patry from the blog pack. And his clever wit makes even the mundane world of statutory construction enjoyable.
"Copyright has become very politicized, and I wanted to provide a forum where people could go to for a healthy substantive debate," Patry says. "I permit anonymous posting of comments so that those whose positions would otherwise prevent them from participating can."
