Features

'Standard' Terms Won't Be Read Into Dykstra Settlement With Ghost Writer
In a case brought against former baseball player Lenny Dykstra by a social media ghost writer, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York has offered the additional lesson that a writing other than a formal settlement agreement may constitute an enforceable agreement — even if one of the parties expects that additional "standard" provisions will be added to the agreement.
Features

The Alien Tort Statute
The U.S. Supreme Court will soon decide the long-awaited issue of whether corporations can be liable under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), enacted by the First Congress more than 225 years ago.
Features

Is This Really Patentable?
<b><i>Strategies to Defend Against Patent Claims by Raising Lack of Patentable Subject Matter in District Court Litigation</b></i><p>With the Supreme Court's decision in <i>Alice</i>, parties defending against a claim of patent infringement gained a potential way to find an early resolution to patent litigation.
Features

Copyright Royalty Board Gets E-Filing System
The Library of Congress' Copyright Royalty Board, the panel of three judges who set copyright royalty rates and settle related disputes, announced the launch of an electronic filing and case management system in an effort to streamline its manual and cumbersome case management processes.
Columns & Departments
In the Courts
A look at a case in which the first trader charged and convicted under Dodd-Frank's anti-"spoofing" provision lost his appeal at the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Seventh Circuit.
Features

The Uses of Prior Conduct in Copyright Cases
<b><i>The Lessons of History</b></i><p>In the context of a copyright case, a defendant's prior bad acts and prior conduct are more useful to a plaintiff than is typical in civil litigation.
Features

The Interminable 'Insured vs. Insured' Battle
<b><i>A New Obstacle to D&O Recoveries for Creditors</i></b><p>No matter how meritorious a claim may be, its ultimate value to creditors depends upon one thing — whether there is a viable source to satisfy any judgment obtained, since many D&Os do not have sufficient personal assets to satisfy any significant damages that may be awarded.
Features

Understanding NY's Economic Loss Rule
New York's Economic Loss Rule is purportedly a simple common law principle. However, its evolution and application have proven to be quite the opposite. It can significantly minimize exposure in many cases, and in some instances result in the complete dismissal of a claim.
Columns & Departments
Case Notes
Discussion of a pelvic mesh verdict.
Columns & Departments
Bit Parts
Boots Litigation Involving John Wayne's Persona To Be Heard in California, Instead of Texas<br>Distinguishing Between Burden of Proof for California Statutory and Common Law "Likeness" Violation Claims<br>Interpreting Jury Verdict in Quincy Jones' Music Royalty Case
Need Help?
- Prefer an IP authenticated environment? Request a transition or call 800-756-8993.
- Need other assistance? email Customer Service or call 1-877-256-2472.
MOST POPULAR STORIES
- Protecting Innovation in the Cyber World from Patent TrollsWith trillions of dollars to keep watch over, the last thing we need is the distraction of costly litigation brought on by patent assertion entities (PAEs or "patent trolls"), companies that don't make any products but instead seek royalties by asserting their patents against those who do make products.Read More ›
- Meet the Lawyer Working on Inclusion Rider LanguageAt the Oscars in March, Best Actress winner Frances McDormand made “inclusion rider” go viral. But Kalpana Kotagal, a partner at Cohen Milstein Sellers & Toll had already worked for months to write the language for such provisions. Kotagal was developing legal language for contract provisions that Hollywood's elite could use to require studios and other partners to employ diverse workers on set.Read More ›
- From the PTO to the FDA: What to Consider When Branding Clinical TrialsThe legal implications of branding generally arise initially for companies during the process of selecting a company name and any initial product or service names. For drug development companies, however, careful consideration should also be paid to the implications of branding a clinical trial.Read More ›
- Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar InvestigationsThis article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.Read More ›