Litigation

This edition of the Quarterly State Compliance Review looks at some legislation of interest to corporate lawyers that went into effect between Jan. 1, 2014 and April 1, 2014. It also looks at some recent decisions of interest, including three from the Delaware courts.

Copyright Registration Prerequisite Not Met
Teller Prevails in Infringement Suit Over Signature Magic Trick

This article suggests specific ways to help make your product liability trial successful.

Entertainment trade publications often compile special issues and sections that include tribute ads commemorating celebrated individuals and events. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit weighed in on the practice in the context of free speech regarding an ad in a special issue of the consumer imprint Sports Illustrated.

The Supreme Court of Mississippi decided that the estate of the sister of blues legend Robert Johnson waited too long to file suit to obtain royalties and fees from two rare photos of Johnson.

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit upheld the constitutionality of Washington's publicity rights law in a trademark dispute over the rights to singer and guitarist Jimi Hendrix's name and likeness.

Aereomay turn out to be one of the most important copyright decisions since enactment of the Copyright Act of 1976, with potential wide-ranging ramifications for the television industry and the fast-growing cloud computing industry.

Food companies will be watching closely a Supreme Court case this spring that could establish the fate of private causes of action challenging food labeling. While the case focuses on federal law, it also has implications for state causes of action. In particular, the class action bar has been prolific in its challenges to food labels, and this case could affect the future viability of such actions.