How to Defend Rule 30(b)(6) Product Liability Depositions Successfully
Federal Rule 30(b)(6) requires a corporation to designate a witness in response to a deposition notice that describes with "reasonable particularity" the topics upon which the witness will testify. The potential trial implications of a corporate witness' testimony require counsel to understand his client's product, carefully examine the deposition notice topics, help to identify the proper corporate designee(s) to testify, and thoroughly prepare the designee to testify on the notice topics, among others.
'Happy Birthday' Case Built on Prof.'s Article
A federal judge in Los Angeles ruled that Warner/Chappell Music does not hold a copyright to the song's lyrics, upending an 80-year licensing campaign that generated an estimated $2 million per year.
NLRB General Counsel Shines Guideline Light on Employer Work Rules
The NLRB general counsel recently issued a 30-page memorandum setting forth guidance on employers' internal personnel policies to ensure compliance with the National Labor Relations Act. The report is relevant to nearly all private employers, regardless of whether they have union-represented 'employees. We conclude our discussion of the report herein.
Overcoming Challenges In Transferring Technology In Academia and Beyond
University technology transfer offices (TTOs) bridge the gap between innovation and commercialization by identifying ways to protect university-generated innovations from unauthorized exploitation, by obtaining the appropriate protection for such innovations, and by facilitating commercialization of these innovations. For-profit companies worldwide engage in a similar process; however, universities face unique challenges in these efforts.
Employees with Duty to Report Bias Protected from Retaliation
The "manager rule" purports to address a concern that, if counseling and communicating complaints are part of a manager's regular duties, then "nearly every activity in the normal course of a manager's job would potentially be protected activity," and "an otherwise typical at-will employment relationship could quickly degrade into a litigation minefield," according to <I>Hagan v. Echostar Satellite</I>.
