The franchise agreement almost always contains a clause specifying that the franchisee is an independent contractor and that the franchisor and franchisee are not intending to create an employment relationship. But a number of recent decisions from around the country have raised the question: Is a franchisee really an employee of the franchisor, despite the written disclaimer in the franchise agreement?
Franchise Owner-Operator Bound to Franchise Agreement As a Non-Signatory
No Damages Awarded to Franchisee Despite Technical Violations of Registration and Disclosure Requirements By the Franchisor
The vast majority of terms of service (TOS) on websites are unenforceable. Companies spend a great deal of time and money in crafting what they believe to be appropriate TOS, which they hope will provide them with the various protections, safe harbors and advantages needed in dealing with the public or in transacting business. Unfortunately, in most cases those bits will not have any legal bite.
Long-arm jurisdiction over non-domiciliaries is an issue that continues to bedevil practitioners and litigants in the Internet age.
Fifty years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court held that the collection of royalties after a patent's expiration constitutes per se patent misuse. Although criticized by scholars, antitrust agencies and the lower courts, Brulotte has not only endured, it has impacted licensing practices in a number of contexts. All that may change, however.
The collective weight of the new year is upon law firm managing partners, with the season being that of collections, partner compensation and rate-setting. And the latter has proven a bit vexing for firm leaders as they grapple with setting rates in an era where firms span multiple markets and practice concentrations, clients aren't willing to pay the published rates and alternative fee deals are a growing part of firm revenue.
The Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit, in a case of first impression, ruled that when the patent at issue is a standard essential patent (SEP) and its owner is subject to an obligation to license that patent on reasonable and non-discriminatory (RAND) terms, the jury instructions must discuss the specific obligations of that patentee and not RAND commitments in general.
Recently at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit, a lower court ruling that Google Books' digital library isn't copyright infringement came under attack.
As a result of the decrease in spending during the Recession, there is considerable cash sitting on the sidelines. Yet every year, there has been uncertainty hovering over the markets, preventing prudent companies from opening the cash spigot. So how does it look for 2015?
Cookies are either a benign method for furnishing Internet users with relevant advertising or they are the foundation of a pernicious invasion of privacy, lawyers argued in front of the Third Circuit last month.
