AGs Push Congress To Regulate AI But Not Preempt State Laws

By Brian Steele

Nearly half the attorneys general in the United States implored Congress in a letter Thursday to "immediately" regulate the artificial intelligence industry and prohibit federal action from preempting state laws, telling U.S. House and Senate leaders that national security is at stake.

Letter attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Plaintiffs Bar Says $243M Tesla Verdict Doesn't Hurt Innovation

By Mike Curley

An association of plaintiffs attorneys is urging the Eleventh Circuit to reject Tesla Inc.'s appeal of a $243 million verdict against it in a fatal crash suit, saying products liability law and punitive damages don't hinder or put a "tax" on innovation, but rather encourage it by creating an incentive to create better, safer products.

Brief attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Apple Pay Antitrust Class Wins Cert. In Wallet Monopoly Suit

By Hailey Konnath

A California federal judge Wednesday certified a class of thousands of financial institutions in a suit accusing the company of monopolizing mobile wallet technology for its devices, even though some of the lead plaintiffs said they weren't going to pass transaction fees off to consumers.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Tata Ordered To Pay $15M In Fees In Trade Secret Case

By Elliot Weld

A Texas federal judge has ordered Tata Consultancy Services Ltd. to pay $15.3 million in attorney fees to Computer Sciences Corp., saying that amount accounts for a reasonable rate and that Tata should be "thankful" the court wasn't ordering it to pay for fees incurred from document review.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ex-Google CEO's Rape Accuser Can't Undo $12M Arb. Loss

By Craig Clough

A California judge on Thursday told a woman who accused former Google CEO Eric Schmidt of sexual assault that he will not vacate a $12 million arbitration award in Schmidt's favor, saying she appeared to have ignored the arbitrator's orders just like she disregarded his own, and asking, "Why did you do that?"

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

PACER Experiences Outages Of Some Court Dockets

By Matt Perez

PACER, the online public repository of federal court documents, experienced technical errors on Wednesday and Thursday preventing some users from accessing certain court dockets.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Squires Grants 5 Patent Review Bids, Rejects 6 Others

By Ryan Davis

In his latest round of decisions, U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has granted five petitions seeking reviews of patents, while turning down six other requests: three for discretionary reasons and three on the merits.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

Calif. Bill Deals Blow, But Not Knockout, To Tracking Suits

By Allison Grande

A California bill awaiting the governor's signature is poised to reduce the swell of litigation under the California Invasion of Privacy Act, but the narrow scope of the pending lawsuit ban leaves open other avenues for plaintiffs to target the widespread use of website tracking technologies.

1 document attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bipartisan Senate Bill Aims To Tighten Telecom Cybersecurity

By Christopher Cole

A bipartisan Senate bill filed Thursday would aim to ramp up cybersecurity in the telecom industry by creating a system for providers and suppliers to voluntarily certify that they meet security standards.

Bill attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Issa Copyright Bill Looks To Combat Foreign Website Piracy

By Elliot Weld

A California lawmaker has introduced a bill that would allow U.S.-based copyright holders to seek federal court declarations that foreign websites are engaged in copyright piracy and then to have the sites blocked in the U.S.

Bill attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FCC Warns Broadcasters To Comply With Renewal Guidelines

By Aneeta Mathur-Ashton

The Federal Communications Commission has warned broadcast licensees to comply with renewal processing guidelines, but nevertheless directed the Media Bureau to process five pending applications that failed to prepare their compliance records properly.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

TikTok Loses Bid To Trim Kids' Data Privacy Suit In Calif.

By Rae Ann Varona

A California federal judge on Thursday refused TikTok's bid to trim claims from a proposed class action alleging that the platform exploits the private information of users under 13, saying at a hearing that the question of whether previous TikTok settlements bar the plaintiffs' claims should be saved for later.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Nintendo Wins $4.5M Default Against Reddit Moderator Archbox

By Ben Adlin

An Arizona resident and Reddit moderator known as archbox must pay $4.5 million to Nintendo of America Inc. for allegedly making and distributing illegal copies of Nintendo Switch video games, according to a default judgment handed down Wednesday by a Washington federal judge.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Capital One, Influencers Get Final OK In Alleged Fee Theft Suit

By Sydney Price

A Virginia federal judge has granted final approval to a settlement under which Capital One will pay influencers commissions and nearly $4 million in attorney fees and costs to settle claims that it siphoned commissions away from participants in its affiliate marketing program.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Google, Ex-Engineer End Suit Over Pregnancy-Loss Firing

By Ben Adlin

Google LLC and a former software engineer who sued the company over allegations that she was wrongfully fired for taking time off following the unexpected loss of a pregnancy agreed to dismiss the worker's lawsuit with prejudice, according to a Western District of Washington filing in the case Wednesday.

Order attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

EPA Cuts Deal To Partially Settle U. Of Calif. Grant Fight

By Dorothy Atkins

University of California researchers urged a California federal judge Wednesday to preliminarily sign off on their proposed deal to resolve claims against the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency in broader litigation challenging the Trump administration's termination of thousands of UC grants.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

PSI Marine Settles Boat Mooring TM Case Ahead Of Trial

By Brian Steele

Dueling manufacturers of dock and boat mooring equipment have settled a trademark infringement suit ahead of a planned jury trial in February, Connecticut federal court records show.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Squires Undoes 2024 PTAB Invalidation Of EagleView Patent

By Adam Lidgett

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office Director John Squires has thrown out a two-year-old Patent Trial and Appeal Board decision that found claims in an EagleView Technologies patent on measuring roofs to be invalid.

Decision attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup

ITC Takes On Patents, Trade Secrets In Large Decision Drop

By Dani Kass

The U.S. International Trade Commission issued a flood of decisions this week on investigations in which imports are being evaluated to see if they infringe patents or misappropriate secrets, including three cases where it will reconsider holdings from administrative law judges.

17 documents attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ill. Justices Say Uber Can't Arbitrate Wrongful Death Suit

By Y. Peter Kang

The Illinois Supreme Court ruled Thursday that Uber can't compel arbitration of wrongful death claims arising from a fatal crash, finding that a widow's separate user agreement with the company did not apply to the estate's wrongful death claims.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Court Urged To Trim TM Claim From Fake Google Charger Suit

By Elliot Weld

An accessories company has asked for dismissal of part of a suit brought by Google accusing it of trademark infringement by selling counterfeit charging devices with an imitation of Google's logo, arguing that the registrations don't cover the types of cables at issue.

Motion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Match Group Hit With Del. Suit Over Dating App Safety

By Jarek Rutz

A Match Group Inc. stockholder has sued the dating app company in the Delaware Chancery Court for access to board records, saying it wants to investigate whether directors adequately monitored reports of sexual assault and other violence involving users of Tinder, Hinge and other Match-owned platforms.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Grammarly Owner Sued Over 'Last Chance' Discount Emails

By Corey Rothauser

The company behind Grammarly has been hit with a proposed class action in Washington state court alleging it sent marketing emails that falsely warned customers discounts were about to expire, then extended the sales or offered similar deals soon afterward.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Expedia Hit With Smoke Detector Suit Over Deadly VRBO Fire

By Rachel Riley

A Massachusetts family has accused Expedia of negligently listing VRBO vacation rental properties without smoke detectors after an apartment they booked in the Dominican Republic caught fire, leading to the deaths of four family members, according to a Washington state court lawsuit.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Brief

Insurer Ends Coverage Suit Over $20M Cable Damage Case

By Danielle Ferguson

Great American Insurance Co. has agreed to drop its lawsuit seeking a declaration that it does not have a duty to defend a Washington-based buoy installation company against claims over damages to an underwater electric cable that could cost more than $20 million to replace.

Notice attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

PE Funds Use AI To Tailor Strategies Amid Heavy Competition

By Al Barbarino

Almost all U.S. private equity firms expect artificial intelligence to fundamentally change their investment strategies, according to a new BDO survey, as funds apply the technology across every stage of the deal cycle, from deal sourcing to diligence.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Enterprise AI Biz Valued At $6.4B After Latest Funding

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

Enterprise-focused artificial intelligence company Island on Thursday revealed that its valuation soared to $6.4 billion after it closed its latest funding round with $400 million in tow.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Real Estate Tech Co. Can Access $3M Of Ch. 11 Financing

By Vince Sullivan

Bankrupt real estate technology company House Canary received interim approval Thursday in New Jersey court to access Chapter 11 financing being provided by an existing lender, freeing up $3 million in liquidity as the business pursues a 60-day plan confirmation track.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Congressional Probes Raise Legal, 'Reputational' Risks

By Phillip Bantz

An array of companies and executives may face investigations over their dealings with the Trump administration if Democrats take control of Congress, raising the possibility that some may refuse to comply. But experts say holding out hope for a mass pardon or expecting the Justice Department not to pursue contempt charges is a risky bet.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FTC Eyes Tech Cos.' Profits In Fight Against Online Scam Ads

By Sarah Jarvis

The Federal Trade Commission said Thursday it wants input on whether it should update rules for preventing impersonation scams online, homing in on ad optimization tools that have helped scammers net billions from consumers while allowing tech companies to "internalize the revenue but externalize the risk."

Proposed Rule attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Holland & Knight Hires Defense Lobbyist As Partner In DC

By Jack Rodgers

A former U.S. Department of Defense senior official, who has more than 15 years of national security, economic security and government affairs experience as an attorney, lobbyist, regulator and diplomat, has joined Holland & Knight LLP, the firm recently announced.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

What Greek Tragedy Teaches About Mediating AI Disputes

While ancient Greek writers could not have anticipated modern arbitration, their tragic plays illustrate new and familiar questions for mediators dealing with artificial intelligence disputes, including the functional differences between adjudication and resolution, says Giuseppe De Palo at JAMS.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

FCC Robotics Restrictions Raise AI Compliance Risks

A recent "covered list" update from the Federal Communications Commission places restrictions on foreign-produced advanced robotic devices’ ability to obtain new authorizations, creating a framework that is poorly suited to continuous artificial intelligence updates, and raising several transactional and contractual challenges, says Kim Larsen at Stinson.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Wireless Patent Suits Offer Lessons For Data Center Industry

As the data center patent litigation wave begins to crest, the industry can gain insight into what's to come by looking to the wireless and telecommunications industries, giving operators and suppliers concrete reasons to revisit their agreements and establish clear allocations of patent risk, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Series

Playing Bid Whist Makes Me A Better Lawyer

As a child, I viewed bid whist as a family tradition and a source of friendly card game competition, but as a lawyer, I see it as a tool that has helped me cultivate skills like communication, teamwork, risk assessment and composure, says Keyonn Pope at Riley Safer.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Litigation Spending To Keep Climbing While Biz Risks Mount

By Ryan Boysen

Big companies will increase their litigation budgets yet again next year, as navigating legal risk is now an essential element of achieving strategic business goals, according to a new report.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Seyfarth Failed To Guard Client Data From Hack, Suit Alleges

By Lauren Berg

Seyfarth Shaw LLP on Thursday was hit with a proposed class action in Illinois federal court accusing it of failing to protect its current and former clients' personal information after the Chicago-based law firm this month disclosed a recent data breach.

Complaint attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

New Eastern La. Judge's 5th Circ. Bid Goes To Full Senate

By Courtney Bublé

U.S. District Judge Anna St. John of the Eastern District of Louisiana, who was confirmed to her current post in March, is one step closer to being elevated to the federal appeals bench.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Fla. Judge To Get Reprimand For Remark On Shooting Attys

By Madison Arnold

The Florida Supreme Court on Thursday ordered a public reprimand of a state district court judge for "intemperate and caustic" comments about shooting attorneys during a hearing.

Opinion attached | Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

5 Circuit Splits To Watch At The High Court

By Katie Buehler

The U.S. Supreme Court has been deciding fewer and fewer cases over the past three decades, with its caseload reaching a historic low just last term. While attorneys believe several factors have contributed to that trend, they say one of the most consequential is the court's apparent declining interest in resolving circuit splits. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Trump's Antitrust Pick Advances Amid Independence Worries

By Courtney Bublé

President Donald Trump's pick to lead the antitrust division at the U.S. Department of Justice advanced to the Senate floor on Thursday, despite Democratic concerns about agency independence.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Sen. Hyde-Smith's Opponent Seeks Blue-Slip Transparency

By Courtney Bublé

Four years ago, Scott Colom — the son of the first African American elected to the chancery bench in her region of Mississippi — was nominated for a federal judgeship. Now he's running for Senate against the senator who blocked his confirmation.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Ed. Dept. Committee Sidesteps ABA Accreditation Issue

By Ryan Boysen

A key U.S. Department of Education committee on Thursday declined to weigh in on whether an American Bar Association council should remain a federally recognized accreditor of law schools, a day after the panel deadlocked on different proposals over the hot-button issue.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »