Welcome to the fourth and final issue of The Richmond Journal of Law & Technology's seventh volume! As we close the year, I am proud to report that, in 2000-01, The Journal has experienced unprecedented growth and increased recognition. Our articles are now read by over 33,000 people in 70 countries around the world. Over the past year, our articles have also been cited in a number of cases and used in university classrooms. Further, our CLE symposium, held on March 2, 2001, was a tremendous success, drawing 90 practitioners from across the state.
In addition, we recently introduced a beautifully redesigned website that is a huge technological leap forward and takes full advantage of the medium in which we publish. The new site is the result of months of hard work by Technical Editor Andrea Johnson, Associate Technical Editors Paul Fritzinger and Darren Bentley, and Editor-in-Chief Dharmesh Vashee. Most importantly, our new logo and site were made possible by Philip Barbato, a talented graphics design contractor who had the patience and creativity to brilliantly implement our ever-changing vision.
Finally, The Journal now has an Alumni Advisory Board comprised of former Editors and staff members that has proved to be a valuable resource for advice, suggestions, and support. The availability of this pool of interested alumni can only serve to strengthen The Journal's ability to achieve its future goals. As I leave my position, I am confident that the accomplishments and success of the current Editorial Board will enable the next Editorial Board to continue our tradition of excellence.
Returning to the matter at hand, our final issue covers a broad range of fascinating topics that I know you will find timely and informative. In this issue, we present articles on encryption, legislating Internet gambling, construction of patent claims, and fraud in online auctions. Professor Greg Sergienko originally published with us many years ago in our second volume. Since his article was published in 1996, the Supreme Court has spoken to the issue of cryptography and his article, United States v. Hubbell, Encryption, and the Discovery of Documents, provides an excellent analysis of the Court's standing on this issue. Adrian Goss, an Australian practitioner, offers an incisive take on the issue of Internet gambling in his article, Jay Cohen's Brave New World: The Liability of Offshore Operators of Licensed Internet Casinos for Breach of United States' Anti-Gambling Laws. On a related note, it may interest our readers to know that almost 20% of all submissions to this publication, including that of Mr. Goss, now come from abroad.
Issue 4 also presents two exceptional student works. Mary Calkins examines the efficacy of the feedback model used by the popular only auction site eBay in her comment, My Reputation Always Had More Fun Than Me: The Failure of eBay's Feedback Model to Effectively Prevent Online Auction Fraud. Daniel Melman explores an issue of vital importance to the realm of patent law in Post Markman: Claim Construction Trends in the Federal Circuit.
I hope you find the articles in Issue 4 worthwhile and engaging. As the outgoing Editor-in-Chief, I am proud to have been a part of an incredibly successful chapter in the decorated history of this publication. This position has been educational, though challenging, exciting, yet equally as demanding as it is rewarding. Ultimately, the stellar final product, and the supportive feedback we receive from you, the reader, provide the greatest rewards for me and the other members of our Editorial Board.
I thank you for reading our articles during the past year, and hope you will continue to do so in the future. The standard of excellence that The Journal has set for itself is sure to continue in the next year, as we prepare to begin the publication cycle for Volume VIII with our new Editorial Board. I wish them the best of luck as they prepare to take over under the able direction of the incoming Editor-in-Chief, Paul Fritzinger. As productive and successful as this past year has been, I, along with my successor, have every reason to believe that 2001-02 will be another banner year for this publication.
I welcome your comments, suggestions, submissions, and general feedback at jolt@richmond.edu. Thank you for reading, and for your continued support of our publication.
Dharmesh Vashee
Editor-in-Chief
April 16, 2001