Features
PROTECT Act Upheld; Questions on Protected Speech Arise
The problem of child pornography on the Internet has long bedeviled Congress. But the legislature has floundered between the First Amendment's protection of speech and the self-evident evils involved in child porn's production and consumption, leaving a trail of laws invalidated by the High Court. The most recent legislative iteration ' the PROTECT Act, upheld on May 19 by the Supreme Court in <i>United States v. Williams</i> ' raises new and intriguing questions about the relation of sexual and political speech.
Features
Court of Appeals Affirms Owner Occupancy Rights Under Rent Stabilization
In its June 3, 2008, decision in <i>Pultz v. Economakis</i>, the New York State Court of Appeals unanimously ruled that there is no limit on the number of rent-stabilized units an owner can attempt to recover for owner occupancy. The ruling was a major victory for rent stabilized landlords, and a sharp rebuke to tenant advocates who claimed that multiple recovery for owner occupancy violated the letter and spirit of the Rent Stabilization Law. Indeed, the case continues a recent trend of favorable Court of Appeals decisions for landlords.
Features
News Briefs
The latest news from the franchising world.
Features
Franchisor's Non-Compete Upheld In New Jersey
A franchisor of tax preparation franchises was entitled to a 24-month injunction beginning from the time of the former franchisee's compliance with a non-competition covenant. <i>Jackson Hewitt Inc. v. Childress</i>, Bus. Franchise Guide (CCH) ' 13,849 (D. N.J., Jan. 22, 2008). The permanent injunction was ordered when the court granted the plaintiff franchisor's motion for summary judgment.
Features
FTC Releases Franchise Rule Compliance Guides
Perhaps you've heard: On Jan. 23, 2007, the Federal Trade Commission adopted the comprehensively revised FTC Franchise Rule ('The Amended Rule') and released the 'Statement of Basis and Purpose' ('SBP'), which clarified the Amended Rule's requirements and prohibitions. Compliance with the Amended Rule has been optional since July 1, 2007, and became mandatory on July 1, 2008.
Features
When Is a Settlement Binding?
On April 5, 2007, the Court of Appeals voided a decade-old court-ordered stipulation that had settled a contested litigation over a rent-stabilized apartment. The landlord in <i>Riverside Syndicate Inc. v. Munroe, et al.</i> 10 N.Y.3d 18, was allowed to renege on a settlement on the theory that the stipulation violated public policy and unlawfully waived the tenant's rights. The ramifications of this ruling are extraordinary. A party to a court ordered settlement can reap the benefits for as long as is opportune (the court ruled that there is no applicable statute of limitations).
Features
'Loss' in the Air Will Not Do
Sky-high loss enhancements are increasingly scrutinized in a post-<i>Booker</i> world. Drawing on civil securities law, recent decisions in several circuits endorse an approach holding a defendant responsible for only the portion of victims' losses that was proximately caused by the offense. Some courts' critical analyses bode well for future sentencings.
Features
Airing a Board's Dirty Laundry
The fallout from Hewlett-Packard's ('HP') controversial boardroom leak investigation has led to a variety of actions ' including an investigation by the California Attorney General's office and Congressional hearings on the practice of 'pretexting' ' a tactic employed by Hewlett-Packard to gain the confidential phone records of board members. Despite the considerable press attention devoted to the incident, it is an otherwise under-the-radar action by the SEC that could have the greatest long-term impact on corporate governance and compliance.
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