Commercial Law

Features

It seems that the definition of employer under state law is becoming more restrictive but the definition under federal statutes has become more flexible. The reason is a federal political agenda to empower the National Labor Relations Act to encourage collective bargaining of employees of franchises.

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Two recent speeches by Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) officials likely got the attention of every Chief Compliance Officer (CCO). CCOs would be well advised to carefully review and implement where appropriate the SEC's latest cybersecurity guidance.

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Cloud service providers (CSPs) offer myriad choices to law firms of all sizes who, in return, have become one of the fastest adopters of hosted cloud infrastructure worldwide. Nonetheless, asking the right questions is essential to learning cloud limitations, similarities, differentiators, caveats and benefits. From niche providers to the top five, not everything is as it seems when it comes to what is offered, how it's offered, and the up-front and hidden costs of each.

Features

GoDaddy.com has been the prevailing defendant in two major lawsuits under the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA). In both cases, plaintiffs sought to hold a defendant liable for contributory or secondary infringement rather than "direct" cybersquatting under the ACPA. The principal reason for plaintiffs' lack of success lies in a fundamental misunderstanding of the ACPA.

Columns & Departments

New York Federal Court Dismisses Copyright Plaintiff's Suit Against Former Lawyers<br>Nicollette Sheridan's Retaliation Claim in L.A. Superior Court Needn't First Be Filed with California Labor Commissioner

Features

The successful plaintiff in a design patent infringement case is entitled to recover the greater of the defendant's profits or its own damages, regardless of how the jury desires to apportion the award. Thus, in <i>Nordock, Inc. v. Systems Inc.,</i> the Federal Circuit ordered a new damages trial on the grounds that the amount of defendant's profits assessed by the jury was not supported by the evidence or in accordance with the law.

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When is a graphic design a "work of authorship" that, when incorporated into the design of a useful article, is "identified separately from, and ' capable of existing independently of, the utilitarian aspects of the article"? In deciding that the designs on cheerleader uniforms were more like copyrightable fabric designs than unprotectable garment designs, the Sixth Circuit undertook a lengthy analysis of "separability.

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One of the fundamental principles of U.S. contract law is that a party must have the capacity to enter into a contract in order to be bound. Minors, as a general rule, lack this capacity. As a result, any contract made with a minor might not be enforceable. Yet in certain circumstances, contracts with minors are commonplace. The following identifies some risks, some mitigating solutions and the limitations of those solutions when contracting with a minor.