Features
Significant UK Court Ruling on Data Protection Liability
The UK's Court of Appeal gave a very important judgment earlier this year in the so-called Vidal-Hall case concerning Google's Internet behavior tracking through a browser. The court found that: first, misuse of private information is now classified as a tort; and, second, financial compensation for distress caused by breaches of the Data Protection Act 1998 may now be claimed, despite there being no monetary loss.
Features
Peering Into Copyright Office's Report on Orphan Works
What happens when a party wants to use a photograph, image, writing or other work that may be subject to copyright protection, but cannot identify or locate the original author to secure permission? The dilemma these "orphan works" poses was the subject of a recent 106-page report by the U.S. Copyright Office. The report has left the creative world abuzz and, in many cases, aghast at the implications of proposed legislation some believe would effectively overhaul the U.S. Copyright Act.
Columns & Departments
Bit Parts
Attorney Fees Award to Victor Willis in Song Termination-Rights Litigation<br>New York Federal Court Supports Descendibility of Lanham Act False Endorsement Claims
Features
NLRB Changes Rules for Determining Joint Employers
The long-awaited decision of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB) in <i>Browning-Ferris Industries of California</i> set forth new guidelines under which a company could be determined to be a joint employer so that it would be subject to collective bargaining.
Features
Restaurant Chain Accuses CT BBQ Restaurant of Trademark Violation
A Bridgeport, CT, restaurant's use of a logo with the letters BBQ against a flame backdrop has an out-of-state restaurant chain fired up.
Features
Ninth Circuit Insulates Corporate Insider from Preference Liability
"A corporate insider who personally guaranteed" the debtor's loan was not liable on a bankruptcy trustee's preference claim when the corporate debtor repaid its lender, held the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit on May 6, 2015. Here's an in-depth analysis of the ruling.
Features
2015 Trends: Balancing Judicial vs. Corporate e-Discovery Practices
The changing data landscape and prevalence of new data sources continues to impact how e-discovery is addressed. I had the opportunity to discuss these impacts with Andrea D'Ambra, senior counsel for Norton Rose Fulbright, as part of a recent webcast. We compared and contrasted findings from Norton Rose Fulbright's Litigation Trends Annual Survey of in-house counsel and Exterro's 2015 Federal Judges' Survey. Following are the takeaways we discussed.
Features
Forum Selection Clause Held Waiver of Removal Right
A forum selection clause in an agreement provides that the parties "irrevocably consent to exclusive jurisdiction and venue of the state and federal courts in the state of Delaware." Does the provision constitute a waiver of a party's right to remove the case to federal court if the other party files suit in a Delaware state court?
Features
<i>Ariosa Diagnostics v. Sequenom </i>
On June 12, 2015, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in <i>Ariosa Diagnostics,</i> affirmed a grant of summary judgment of invalidity of another patent in the biotech space. The decision adds to a long and growing list of patents that have fallen in the wake of the Supreme Court's recent 35 U.S.C. '101 jurisprudence.
Features
Using Digital Tools To Assess and Remedy Online Reputational Damage
The speed with which negative Internet postings spread can cause immediate reputational harm. To remedy this harm, the nature and extent of the damage must be quantified, which is no easy task. This is true whether a defamation lawsuit is pursued or whether a public relations strategy is used. However, new digital tools can now be used to assess and quantify damage caused by these kinds of negative Internet postings.
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