Advice-of-Counsel Affirmative Counterclaim Defense to Remain in Case Brought over Use of "Twilight" Marks
Former Litigation Attorney's Handling of Case Doesn't Relieve Film Company of Liability for Judgment
Motion to Disqualify Counsel Is Denied in Suit Involving Process for Selling Concert Recordings
e-Discovery is a much more robust field than when it started, and that expansion can be seen in the growth in the number of different tools, ways they can be combined and options that can be used throughout each stage. It's a burgeoning field, but the pool of talent has not always kept up with expansion, and it remains a difficult industry to enter without experience.
The power of big data was dramatically illustrated in the wake of the Boston Marathon bombing. Within 24 hours, investigators had compiled more than 10 terabytes of data related to the incident. By meticulously combing through it all, they were able to identify suspects in relatively short order.
Attorneys for Viacom International Inc. told the Delaware Supreme Court in oral arguments in July that their client did not breach the implied covenant of good faith and fair dealing when it failed to renegotiate an agreement with Electronic Arts Inc. (EA) to distribute the video game Rock Band, thereby reducing the earn-out payments to shareholders of the game's developer, Harmonix Music Systems Inc., which merged with the Viacom entertainment conglomerate in 2006.
The Federal Circuit's en banc decision in CLS Bank Int'l v. Alice Corp. was roundly criticized as a "nightmare," further cementing the impression that the court was confused and in conflict over the requirements of patent eligibility under 35 U.S.C '101.
Supreme Court Ruling Makes It More Difficult To Arbitrate Claims
On June 17, 2013, the U.S. Supreme Court held in Federal Trade Commission v. Actavis, Inc. that so-called "reverse payment" settlement agreements should be analyzed under a rule-of-reason analysis under which the court weighs the pro- and anti-competitive effects of such agreements on a case-by-case basis.
A California district court has denied cross summary judgment motions in a case that has implications for fair use analysis under copyright law and DMCA litigation.
In the wake of the U.S. Supreme Court's decision in United States v. Windsor, a Pennsylvania federal judge has ruled the wife, and not the parents, of a deceased female Cozen O'Connor partner is entitled to her profit-sharing benefits.
In the last day of its October 2012 Term, the U.S. Supreme Court handed down two historic decisions that were immediately hailed as victories for supporters of same-sex marriage.
