Secured Lender Primes Earlier Federal Tax Lien
January 31, 2015
The Fourth Circuit, recently held in a split decision that a lender's unrecorded lien primed an earlier unrecorded federal tax lien on a Chapter 11 debtor's real property. The case reassures secured lenders unaware of a borrower's preexisting tax lien, however, as it protects them against the government's nondisclosure.
Franchising in Russia
January 31, 2015
While international franchising always brings a host of issues and complications, importation of franchise concepts into Russia highlights some critical issues and some lessons for international franchising in a broader context.
e-Commerce Website Methods Are Patent Eligible
January 31, 2015
On Dec. 5, 2014, a divided Federal Circuit panel held that claims directed to systems and methods of generating a composite Web page combining certain visual elements of a "host" website with content of a third-party merchant were "necessarily rooted in computer technology in order to overcome a problem specifically arising in the realm of computer networks," and, therefore, were patent-eligible. However, the court cautioned that not all claims addressing Internet-centric challenges are patent-eligible.
Supreme Court Rules Trademark Tacking Is a Question of Fact
January 31, 2015
Priority of use is a hallmark of trademark law. Over the years, lower courts have recognized a doctrine called "tacking," under which a trademark owner may "clothe a new mark with the priority position of an older mark." The key to the tacking doctrine is that the new trademark must "create the same, continuing commercial impression" as the old mark. In <i>Hana Financial</i>, the U.S. Supreme Court considered the question and settled the circuit split, holding that tacking is a question for the jury.
Ethics and Obligations Regarding Global Big Data
January 31, 2015
It is a basic tenet of professional responsibility that lawyers obtain sufficient proficiency to ensure competent representation of their clients. The challenge in today's world of Big Data and corporate globalization and outsourcing of IT infrastructure is that the level of technological proficiency required is not always clear. Understanding your obligations and establishing defensible processes will be necessary to fully demonstrate competence in discovery should an issue arise.
'Independent Covenant' Language
January 31, 2015
It is a defense that has become perfunctory in restrictive covenant litigation ' "my former employer is barred from enforcing the restrictive covenant because it committed a prior breach of the agreement!" When such a defense is raised, an injunction hearing that should focus on the former employee's wrongful post-employment conduct instead often digresses into a hearing at which an argument about what compensation agreement existed and whether the former employer breached that agreement takes place instead.
Bounties for Wandering Whistleblowers
January 31, 2015
Last year, a number of important new developments, judicial and otherwise, expanded the rights of individuals, even those based overseas, to assert whistleblower rights under the Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 (SOX) and the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Report and Consumer Protection Act of 2010. This article explains what you need to know.
Net News
January 31, 2015
In This Facebook Threats Case, No Wait for High Court <br>Judge Gives Go-Ahead To Facebook Privacy Suit<br>Appeals Court: No Privacy for Facebook Photo In Slip-and-Fall Case
Asymmetrical Reporting
January 31, 2015
As the regulatory state continues to grow with every passing year, businesses' obligations to provide information to, and file reports/forms with, local, state, and federal governmental agencies increases. Each filing also represents justification to the IRS to audit a business (to the extent that justification is needed).
Information Security
January 31, 2015
For the past few years, considerable public discussion about the need for law firms to address information security, or InfoSec, issues with their clients. InfoSec can hardly qualify as the next big thing. However, the Sony story has brought the issue front and center and, as we get further into 2015, we can be sure that the issue will only grow.
