Amazon Gets NY's NLRB Fill-In Law Blocked For Now

By Hailey Konnath

A New York federal judge issued a preliminary injunction blocking a law allowing the Empire State's labor board to adjudicate private sector unionization matters and labor-management disputes, ruling that Amazon is likely to prevail in its challenge of the measure.

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

Analysis

High Court's $1B ISP Case May Define Digital Liability Norms

By Ivan Moreno

Monday's U.S. Supreme Court arguments in a $1 billion copyright case filed by music companies against Cox Communications offer justices the first chance in decades to define business liability for customer piracy online.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Squires Says AI Gets No Special Treatment In Patent Process

By Dani Kass

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office on Wednesday replaced Biden-administration guidance on the role of artificial intelligence in inventorship with its own, but attorneys say very little changed.

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

Intel Prevails As Judge Finds Ex-Philips Patents Abstract

By Ryan Davis

A Delaware federal judge has ruled that two patents on transferring content, which were originally issued to Philips, are invalid for claiming only abstract ideas, handing a victory to accused infringer Intel Corp.

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

Databricks Attys Warned Not To Coach IP Suit Witnesses

By Dorothy Atkins

A California federal magistrate judge on Wednesday warned attorneys representing Databricks in a group of writers' copyright lawsuit over AI training that they cannot discuss deposition testimony with witnesses during breaks other than for privilege reasons, but she rejected the writers' accusation that defense counsel had improperly coached witnesses.

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

OpenAI Says ChatGPT Can't Be Blamed For Teen's Suicide

By Y. Peter Kang

OpenAI hit back at allegations that its ChatGPT artificial intelligence chatbot aided and abetted a California teen's suicide, saying the boy's misuse of the platform caused his actions, according to documents filed in San Francisco County Superior Court.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

9 News Outlets Latest To Sue Microsoft, OpenAI For IP Theft

By Lauren Berg

The Virginian-Pilot, Los Angeles Daily News, Hartford Courant and six other regional news outlets joined a long list of authors and publishers who accuse Microsoft Corp. and OpenAI Inc. of willfully infringing their copyrighted works to train their generative text products.

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

RealPage Sues Over NY Rental Pricing Software Law

By Matthew Perlman

Property management software company RealPage sued New York's attorney general in federal court, alleging a recently passed state law to prevent building owners from using software to collude on residential rental rates is unnecessary and violates the First Amendment.

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

Analysis

Calif. Privacy Agency Gaining Steam Ahead Of 5th Anniversary

By Allison Grande

California's data privacy regulator has taken several notable steps in recent months, including handing down its first penalty upward of $1 million and finalizing long-awaited rules on topics such as cybersecurity audits and technologies that use artificial intelligence, and the groundbreaking agency shows no signs of slowing down as its fifth anniversary approaches. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Interview

For Covington's Adrian Perry, Music Is A Family Affair

By Theresa Schliep

Despite having a famous rock star dad, Covington & Burling LLP partner Adrian J. Perry wasn't all that interested in being a musician as a young child, but he knew as early as 6 years old that he wanted to be a lawyer.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Roundup

Up Next At High Court: ISP Liability & State Subpoena Suits

By Katie Buehler

The U.S. Supreme Court will return Monday for the first week of its December oral argument session, during which the justices will consider whether internet service providers can be held liable for contributing to their customers' infringing activity online and whether the subjects of state subpoenas are required to first challenge them in state court. 

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

AGs Urge Congress To Reject Trump's Ban On State AI Laws

By Rachel Riley

Attorneys general from 32 states are urging Congress to preserve their ability to pass laws regulating artificial intelligence, contending that the Trump administration's renewed proposal to insert a moratorium into a federal spending bill would leave states powerless in the face of AI-powered scams, harmful chatbot hallucinations and other emerging dangers.

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

NTIA Can't Block BEAD's Nondeployment Funds, Dems Say

By Christopher Cole

U.S. House Democrats say a Trump administration policy to withhold funds that states haven't used directly for broadband deployment projects runs afoul of the law creating a $42.5 billion plan to end the digital divide.

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

FCC Releases Details Of LPTV Reg Makeover

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission has unveiled the plans it will be voting on next month to shake up the regulatory regime for low power TV broadcasters, including setting up a formal method for the stations to specify their community of license.

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

FCC Aims To Compel All Providers To Act Against Robocalls

By Nadia Dreid

The Federal Communications Commission is launching another volley in the ongoing battle against robocalls, this time with an order that would mandate that all voice service providers, not just newly authorized ones, follow anti-robocall regulations.

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

USCellular Urges Justices To Uphold FCA Suit's Dismissal

By Christopher Cole

USCellular pressed the U.S. Supreme Court on Wednesday to uphold a D.C. Circuit decision tossing two whistleblowers' claims alleging spectrum auction fraud, calling their arguments for review of the lower court's decision "misleading."

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

NetChoice Fights Georgia Law On Parental Consent, Ads

By Kelcey Caulder

Internet trade group NetChoice is urging the Eleventh Circuit to continue blocking the enforcement of a Georgia law that would block social media platforms from allowing minors under 16 from creating accounts without parental permission.

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

Honeywell Faces New Tariffs After Trade Court Reverses

By Dylan Moroses

Honeywell will face 7% duties on various imports after a trade court granted the government's motion for a rehearing and reversed a ruling that supported the company's tariff classifications, according to a recent U.S. Court of International Trade opinion.

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

USPTO, DOJ Tell ITC To Limit Exceptions In Netlist Case

By Theresa Schliep

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has joined the U.S. Department of Justice's Antitrust Division to urge the U.S. International Trade Commission to keep exceptions to its exclusion orders narrow, making the statement in Netlist's case accusing Google and Samsung of infringing its computer memory technology patents.

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

Ill. Judge Trims DraftKings Sports Betting Promos Suit

By Celeste Bott

An Illinois federal judge refused to dismiss outright a proposed class action claiming that DraftKings's advertisements fuel gambling addiction, but trimmed a few claims from the suit, finding several of the lead plaintiffs failed to specify when they saw the ads in question.

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

Yale Wins Discovery Pause In Student's AI Cheating Suit

By Brian Steele

A Connecticut federal judge has agreed to pause discovery while she considers Yale University's request to dismiss a lawsuit brought by a student who was accused of using artificial intelligence to cheat on a final exam.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Cyber Co. Says Mich. Atty's Recusal Bid Based On Speculation

By Emilie Ruscoe

A Michigan attorney's attempt to have a judge recuse from a payment dispute launched by a cybersecurity firm "is a waste of the court's time," the company has said, because her bid is based on speculation over the judge's work in a federal prosecutor's office.

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

Apple Accused Of Cloaking Conflict Minerals From Customers

By Lauren Berg

Apple tricks consumers into believing that it responsibly sources the key minerals used in its phones, computers and other tech products, when in reality it sources cobalt and coltan from companies that commit human and labor rights abuses, International Rights Advocates alleges in a lawsuit filed in Washington, D.C.

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

Investors Say Synopsys Hid Risks Before $35B Deal

By Katryna Perera

Shareholders of Synopsys Inc. have launched a class action in California federal court alleging the chip software design company concealed concerns about its pre-designed semiconductor components business segment before it acquired Ansys for $35 billion.

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

Brief

IBM, Workers End Pension Fight Over Mortality Data

By Grace Elletson

IBM and a group of workers have agreed to close a proposed class action claiming the technology giant paid retirees less than they were owed in pension payments by using outdated mortality data to calculate their benefits, according to a filing in New York federal court.

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

Nukkleus Exec's SPAC Begins Trading After $150M IPO

By Jade Martinez-Pogue

A special purpose acquisition company led by the CEO of defense company Nukkleus began trading publicly on Wednesday after raising $150 million in its initial public offering built by three law firms.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Robinhood, Susquehanna Eye Prediction Market Expansion

By Aislinn Keely

Robinhood Markets is planning to beef up its prediction market offerings by partnering with Susquehanna International Group to acquire and stand up a regulated derivatives exchange and clearinghouse.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Byju's Gets OK For Settlement Tied To $533M Clawback

By Clara Geoghegan

A Delaware bankruptcy judge on Wednesday approved a settlement that education technology group Byju's said provides key information on what happened to $533 million in missing money as it works to recover the funds in Chapter 11.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Bonus Spotlight

Magic Circle Firms Enchant Associates With Top-Tier Bonuses

By Tracey Read

U.S. associates at Linklaters LLP and Clifford Chance LLP have a lot to be thankful for this holiday season, as the Magic Circle firms Wednesday became the latest to match the BigLaw standard for this year's associate bonuses.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Analysis

After Big Win For 2 Trump Foes, A Third Faces 'Tougher Job'

By Phillip Bantz

The recent dismissal of federal criminal charges against New York Attorney General Letitia James and former FBI director James Comey does little to help President Donald Trump's ex-national security adviser John Bolton, whose defense in a classified-materials case presents a thornier set of legal and factual issues, experts say.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »

Split 6th Circ. Shields Baker Donelson, Not City Councilman

By Matt Perez

In a published opinion, the Sixth Circuit has found that Baker Donelson Bearman Caldwell & Berkowitz PC is shielded by qualified immunity as outside counsel for the city of Nashville in litigation over the law firm's firing of a city election commission chair and member of the firm.

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

Foley & Lardner Hit With Malpractice Suit Over Chancery Loss

By Rose Krebs

Foley & Lardner LLP has been sued in Delaware Superior Court by three officers of a now-defunct food recycling company who say the firm was negligent when representing them in a Chancery Court case that led to a $1.6 million judgment against them and another officer.

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

DOJ Asks Court If It Can Release Epstein Files Under New Law

By Lauren Berg

The U.S. Department of Justice is seeking a New York federal court's permission to publicly release the files related to the investigation of late sex offender Jeffrey Epstein, clarifying Wednesday that it wants to release search warrant results, travel and financial records, police reports, and other materials.

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

Keesal Young Poaching Suit Against Stradley Ronon Trimmed

By Madison Arnold

A California state judge cleared Keesal Young & Logan to pursue most of its lawsuit alleging Stradley Ronon Stevens & Young crossed the line when it recruited 10 former Keesal Young attorneys, finding that claims such as inducing breach of contract could move forward, in part, because of conversations among the attorneys.

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

DOJ Says Ex-Employees Can't Challenge Firings In Fed. Court

By Rose Krebs

The government says a D.C. federal court lacks jurisdiction to adjudicate a lawsuit filed by a former assistant U.S. attorney who prosecuted defendants charged in connection with the Jan. 6, 2021, attack on the U.S. Capitol and two other ex-Department of Justice employees, alleging they were unlawfully fired.

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

Hub Hires: Todd & Weld, Freshfields, Shipman

By Julie Manganis

It was a busy November in Boston's legal community as another firm expanded into the market, and a longtime judge traded his gavel for the ability to address his growing concerns about the Trump administration.

Read full article » | Save to favorites »