Features

Changes in Lot Number: When Does a Purchaser Have a Duty to Inquire?
Block and lot indexes prevalent in New York City were designed to make title searches simpler than those necessary under the grantor-grantee index system prevalent in many other areas of the state and country. Suppose, however, block and lot numbers change over time. To what extent are purchasers on notice of deeds recorded under a block and lot number different from the one prevalent at the time of purchase?
Columns & Departments
Real Property Law
Constructive Trust Does Not Require Transfer In Reliance Failure to Obtain Subdivision Approval Does Not Make Title Unmarketable Accounting Necessary When Property Is Purchased With Wrongfully Appropriated Funds,br> Church Documents Establish That Synod Did Not Wrongfully Take Local Church's Property Allegations of Fraud Insufficient to Extend Statute of Limitations on Foreclosure Action Bona Fide Purchaser Prevails Over Mortgagee of Erroneously Discharged Mortgage
Columns & Departments
Development
Landonwner Entitled to Nonconforming Use Status Public Trust Claim Reinstated
Columns & Departments
Landlord & Tenant Law
Tenant Not Entitled to Recover Consequential Damages for Second Hand Smoke Tenant Failed to Establish Constructive or Actual Eviction Failure to Send Statutory Notice Subjects Apartment to Rent Stabilization Overcharge Claim Dismissed Because DHCR Had Primary Jurisdiction
Columns & Departments
Co-ops & Condominiums
Purchaser Entitled to Return of Downpayment When Co-Op Failed to Consent
Features

The Madrid System Turns 30: The Pros and Cons of Using the Madrid Protocol in the United States and for U.S. Based Companies
This summer, the Madrid System turned 30 years old, and as two more countries prepare to join the Madrid Protocol we look at how the Madrid System has grown as it enters full adulthood.
Features

Exploring the Nebulous Boundaries of Trade Dress
Now that we are in the digital age, questions have been raised about the trade dress of websites and apps.
Columns & Departments
IP News
Penn State Files Trademark Lawsuit against Sports Beer Brewing Company Can OSU Trademark the Word "The"?
Features

Analysis of Warhol Art Fair Use Ruling
The U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York held that a series of silkscreen paintings and prints by Andy Warhol based on a photograph of music legend Prince taken by Lynn Goldsmith constituted a transformative fair use.
Features

Lawyers Win Contingency Fee Fight Against Estate of Blues Icon's Son
There have been disputes over rights to the two existing photographs of blues icon Robert Johnson as well as over who was his rightful heir. The latest court decision involves a contingency fee agreement originally entered into by a law firm hired by Johnson's son, who died in 2015. The case offers an example of what rights counsel may gain from such an arrangement following the death of the signatory client.
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- Abandoned and Unused Cables: A Hidden Liability Under the 2002 National Electric CodeIn an effort to minimize the release of toxic gasses from cables in the event of fire, the 2002 version of the National Electric Code ("NEC"), promulgated by the National Fire Protection Association, sets forth new guidelines requiring that abandoned cables must be removed from buildings unless they are located in metal raceways or tagged "For Future Use." While the NEC is not, in itself, binding law, most jurisdictions in the United States adopt the NEC by reference in their state or local building and fire codes. Thus, noncompliance with the recent NEC guidelines will likely mean that a building is in violation of a building or fire code. If so, the building owner may also be in breach of agreements with tenants and lenders and may be jeopardizing its fire insurance coverage. Even in jurisdictions where the 2002 NEC has not been adopted, it may be argued that the guidelines represent the standard of reasonable care and could result in tort liability for the landlord if toxic gasses from abandoned cables are emitted in a fire. With these potential liabilities in mind, this article discusses: 1) how to address the abandoned wires and cables currently located within the risers, ceilings and other areas of properties, and 2) additional considerations in the placement and removal of telecommunications cables going forward.Read More ›
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