Bit Parts
September 02, 2013
Court Decides Production Company's Release Agreement with Michael Keaton Was Signed Under Duress<br>J. Geils Loses Bid to Disqualify Attorney for Band Members That Geils Has Sued<br>Oregon Federal Court Has Personal Jurisdiction over California Lawyer Sued for Malpractice by Radio Show Producers
Franchise Industry Sees Victory in Debit Card Fee Lawsuit
September 02, 2013
U.S. District Court Judge Richard Leon struck down Federal Reserve regulations on debit-card transaction fees on July 31, a victory for retailers that process high numbers of low-ticket transactions. Leon found that the Fed adopted rules that "inappropriately" inflated fees by billions of dollars.
News Briefs
September 02, 2013
Franchise Relationship Law Tabled in CA Assembly <br>New Franchise-Relationship Bill Proposed in PA
Limited Exclusion Orders at the ITC
September 02, 2013
The United States International Trade Commission (ITC) has the authority to stop unfair trade practices, including the importation of products found to infringe a valid U.S. patent. But does that authority automatically extend to downstream products incorporating a relatively insignificant infringing component ' such as an automobile that happens to include an infringing light-emitting diode? And is the ITC required to balance the parties' interests and consider factors such as the value of an infringing component compared to the overall value of the imported downstream product?
Accidental Access, 'Catfishing' and Unsecured Wi-Fi
September 02, 2013
This article discusses several contemporary privacy issues, including: whether accidental access to another's e-mail account constitutes unauthorized computer access; whether the use of a fictitious online identity can lead to civil liability; and whether the account holder of an unsecured home Wi-Fi network can be found liable for infringing activities by third parties using the network.
What You Need to Protect Your Brand In A New gTLD World
September 02, 2013
In order to deal with an expanding Internet, brand owners need to understand how to use a variety of tools to handle the different brand protection and legal challenges that will be presented. For brand owners looking at the New gTLD space, formulating a trademark protection strategy should be viewed as an important tool on an entire tool belt of protection strategies that together can be used as a comprehensive plan.
Making Bitcoins Legit
September 02, 2013
It may be a while before Kathleen Moriarty lets clients pay her in bitcoin, but the Katten Muchin Rosenman partner is doing her part to help legitimize the digital currency derided as speculative and risky by some prominent economists.
Franchise Compliance
September 02, 2013
Every franchise system chief executive encounters situations in which a franchisee has a good reason for not complying with a rule, or in which the infraction is fairly minor. But how can a franchisor be sure about where to draw the line and how strictly to enforce the rules that are set out in the franchise agreement or operations manual?
Joint Defense Agreement Considerations in NPE Patent Litigation
September 02, 2013
Accused infringers in patent litigation, especially against non-practicing entities (NPEs), often form joint defense groups to defend against common claims brought in one or more actions. A written agreement of the joint defense group can make plain the respective rights and obligations of each group member and evidence to the court a requisite alignment of common interest underpinning the group. The following is a selection of relevant considerations to support productive group interaction through appropriate provision in the joint defense agreement.
