When a U.S. District Court shot down Naruto the macaque’s copyright claim over one of the internet’s most disputed photographs, it looked like it might be the legal end of the road for the world’s most embedded wildlife photographer. Yet the case has been appealed, with one prominent primatologist arguing that Naruto and other animals “can be the authors of valuable works of art.” [More]
lawsuits
Feds Accuse 1-800 Contacts Of Badvertising
By 8.8.16
The Federal Trade Commission filed a lawsuit today against 1-800 Contacts, accusing the online lens retailer of making agreements with more than a dozen competitors to not compete with each other for online search ads, resulting in lens buyers paying higher prices. [More]
Do You Have A Constitutional Right To Shop At Home Depot?
By 8.5.16
It’s not uncommon for a retailer to ban shoplifters from ever stepping foot on the premises again. However, a California man convicted of stealing from a Home Depot says that being barred from going back to the store — or any other Depot in the state — is a violation of his rights. [More]
Racketeering Charges In Luxury Brands’ Lawsuit Against Alibaba Dismissed
By 8.5.16
While a lawsuit filed against e-commerce platform Alibaba and 14 of its sellers by French luxury goods maker Kering continues, a federal judge has dismissed part of it. The judge has ruled that the parent company of Balenciaga, Gucci, Puma, and Saint Laurent failed to prove that Alibaba and its vendors worked together in an enterprise to sell knockoff designer goods at at super cheap prices. However, the allegations that the site allowed knockoff items to proliferate remain. [More]
Doll Creator Taking Hasbro To Court Over “My Little Pony” Designs Files Another Lawsuit
By 8.4.16
A doll creator who’s already going to court with Hasbro for allegedly stealing her designs for new versions of My Little Pony and other toys filed an additional lawsuit this week. [More]
Just In Time For Football, New York Changes Law To Legalize DraftKings, FanDuel
By 8.3.16
The nearly year-long legal battle between the state of New York and daily fantasy sports (DFS) sites DraftKings and FanDuel has all but come to an anticlimactic end today, with Governor Andrew “Not the one from TV” Cuomo putting his name to a new law that explicitly legalize certain DFS contests within the Empire State. [More]
Judge Shreds Uber; Says Company Can’t Prove Riders Are Giving Up Right To Sue
By 8.2.16
Uber, like a large and growing number of companies, has a clause in its terms of use that prohibits customers from suing the company or joining together in any sort of class action against the ride-hailing service. However, a federal judge recently scolded Uber over this contractual gamesmanship and deemed this particular clause unenforceable because the company can’t prove that users actually agreed to these terms. [More]
Washington State Suing Comcast For “Deceptive” Service Protection Plans & Fees
By 8.1.16
Accusing the nation’s largest cable company of “engaging in a pattern of deceptive practices” affecting nearly 500,000 people who signed up for a plan intended to cover most service calls, the Washington state attorney general’s office has filed suit against Comcast. [More]
Getty Will Fight Photographer’s $1B Lawsuit For Selling Her Public Domain Images
By 8.1.16
After a photographer who’s allowed thousands of her images to enter the public domain filed a $1 billion lawsuit against Getty Images for allegedly threatening her for using her own photos, the photo agency says it will investigate the complaint, and “vigorously defend” if need be. [More]
Sony, Ghostface Killah Must Face Copyright Lawsuit Over Use Of ‘Iron Man’ Cartoon Theme
By 7.29.16
The composer of the theme song used in the 1966 cartoon version of Marvel’s Iron Man won a minor victory today, with a federal appeals court ruling that Sony Music and rapper Ghostface Killah must face the composer’s claim that they violated his copyright by sampling the 50-year-old ditty without his permission. [More]
Man Planning To Sue After Arrest For “Meth” That Was Actually Krispy Kreme
By 7.29.16
It was a case of mistaken identity. Orlando Police thought they’d identified methamphetamine in a man’s car, when really, it was just the flaky remains of the Krispy Kreme doughnut glaze he’d enjoyed earlier. He’s now planning to sue the city for the arrest that stemmed from that mistake. [More]
If Your Kid Made Unapproved App Purchases Using Facebook, You Could Get A Refund
By 7.27.16
It’s so easy to buy apps and then buy even more stuff within those apps, even a kid can do it. Which is exactly why a court has ordered Facebook to refund parents whose children made unapproved app purchases while using the social media network. [More]
Yelp Explains Why It’s Flagging “Questionable Legal Threats” In Reviews
By 7.26.16
A couple months ago, while writing an update to the ongoing saga of the Texas couple being sued for writing a negative Yelp review about their petsitter, we noticed that Yelp had flagged the petsitter’s page with an alert that this particular review was being challenged in court. Now the company is going a step further, flagging reviews that have led to “Questionable Legal Threats.” [More]
Why Queen & George Harrison’s Estate Probably Can’t Sue Over Having Their Songs Played At RNC
By 7.22.16
Regardless of your political leanings, you’ve probably heard this week that a number of prominent bands were unhappy to find out their music had been used without their permission at the Republican National Convention. However much these artists may not like having their famous tunes used for political purposes, they may not be able to do much about it. [More]
Justice Dept & 9 States Officially File To Block Anthem/Cigna, Aetna/Humana Mergers
By 7.21.16
The rumor mill yesterday has been borne out today, as the Department of Justice has officially filed a pair of lawsuits to block the mega-mergers of health insurers Anthem and Cigna. [More]
Panera Suing Former IT Exec And His New Employer Papa John’s Over Trade Secrets
By 7.20.16
It’s tough out there for food chains who are trying to attract customers with the newest, the freshest, the healthiest, and the tastiest menu items. That intense rivalry is why many companies require non-compete clauses in employees’ contracts, to keep trade secrets, well, secret. [More]
Lawsuit: Passenger Injured After United Airlines Failed To Provide Wheelchair Assistance
By 7.20.16
A United Airlines passenger has filed a lawsuit against the company, claiming that she fell down an escalator and was injured after the carrier failed to provide her with wheelchair assistance as promised. [More]
Fitbit Must Face Lawsuit Over Sleep-Tracking Claims
By 7.19.16
Marketing for a number of Fitbit wearable fitness trackers claims that these devices can “monitor your sleep trends,” but now the company must face a class-action lawsuit alleging that Fitbits do nothing of the sort. [More]
