As any manager knows, letting employees go is never easy. The process becomes much more difficult when an angry former employee seeks to damage the company's reputation by launching a public campaign of disparaging remarks online and in the media. Left unchallenged, such a campaign can tarnish the company's image among potential investors, customers, and its own employees. By taking proactive measures, however, a company significantly can reduce the chances of falling prey to a smear campaign.

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Copyright Infringement Suit over Dreamgirls Is Dismissed<br>Louisiana Federal Court Lacks Jurisdiction over French Studio<br>Second Circuit Sees Different "Concept and Feel" in Cookbooks Dispute<br>Unauthorized Use of Photo on Fiction Book Violates NY Publicity Right

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Amendment Denied For Malpractice Suit Over 'Bowie Bonds'<br>Malicious Prosecution Suit Is Reinstated Against Manatt Phelps

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COPYRIGHT DAMAGES/STATUTORY 'WORK'<br>COPYRIGHT JURISDICTION/RELATED CONTRACT CLAIMS

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Given that the story lines played out in Superman comic books are full of shadowy figures with dark motivations, it seems fitting that the real world legal fight over who owns the rights to the Man of Steel would feature such a character in a pivotal role. On May 14, Warner Bros. sued Marc Toberoff, the lawyer for the comic icon's co-creators' families, in federal court in Los Angeles, accusing him of engaging in a "scheme" to "enrich himself" by trying to wrongfully seize control of a substantial chunk of the Superman property.

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Talk about winning on a technicality. In a copyright infringement case brought by photographers who sued Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Publishing Co. over the allegedly unapproved use of their photos, Chief Judge Loretta Preska of Manhattan federal district court ruled in May that the works at issue had not been properly registered. Judge Preska threw out most of the photographers' claims in her 24-page ruling.

The U.S. Supreme Court late last month dashed the hopes of the National Football League for baseball-style immunity from antitrust laws, with justices ruling unanimously against the league in a dispute over NFL-licensed apparel.

There is no question that the economy has been rebounding in fits and starts over the past 12 months or so. The real issue, however, is whether some of the encouraging numbers and statistics supporting the general optimism that better times are just around the corner are also gaining real traction in the business community.