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Retail & E-Commerce
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March 10, 2025
Fed. Circ. Skeptical Of USPTO's Refusal To Register F-Word TM
A Federal Circuit panel appeared skeptical of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office's reasoning for rejecting an application to register the F-word as a mark because of its widespread use, with one judge telling the government's attorney a couple of times during arguments Monday, "I don't understand what you're saying."
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March 10, 2025
Amazon Worker Can't Seal Military Leave Settlement
A worker who settled his suit accusing Amazon of not promoting him because of his military service can't file the deal under seal, according to a Washington federal judge's Monday ruling — which also said the agreement doesn't need to hit the docket.
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March 10, 2025
Iowa Opposes Vapers' Bid To Block E-Cig Regulation
The state of Iowa on Monday urged a federal court to deny a motion from a group of vape interests seeking to block enforcement of a newly enacted law prohibiting the sale of e-cigarette products that lack federal authorization.
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March 10, 2025
Hagens Berman Comms With Ghosting Client Kept Privileged
Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP doesn't have to turn over texts and emails with a client who disappeared from a putative class action against Apple and Amazon, a Washington federal judge has ruled, despite the tech giants' accusations that the firm lied about those communications.
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March 10, 2025
Patent Exec Seeks Defamation Win Over Atty's Statements
A patent-licensing company executive has asked a Florida federal court to rule in his favor on a defamation claim against a Baker Botts LLP attorney representing Starbucks in a Texas patent case and toss a counterclaim from the attorney, saying her abuse-of-process allegation "reads like a failed exercise in ontological gymnastics."
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March 10, 2025
Amazon Workers Want Partial Win In COVID Screenings Suit
A class of Amazon employees urged a Pennsylvania federal court to partially grant them a win in their suit accusing the e-commerce giant of forcing workers to undergo unpaid COVID-19 screenings, saying the state's high court has already ruled that this time is compensable.
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March 10, 2025
Nonbinary Ex-Workers Ask To Intervene In Dropped EEOC Suit
Two nonbinary former Lush Cosmetics workers asked a California judge to let them intervene in a U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission suit claiming the business let a manager sexually harass them, after the agency dropped the case following an executive order from President Donald Trump.
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March 07, 2025
Photographer Sanctioned For Skipping Deposition In IP Case
A federal judge in the Southern District of New York has issued sanctions over skipped depositions, among other conduct, by the plaintiff in a copyright lawsuit over a photo of actor Jonah Hill that appeared on a fashion retail website.
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March 07, 2025
Trump DOJ Agrees: Google Must Sell Chrome Browser
The Department of Justice on Friday reiterated to a D.C. federal judge that Google should have to divest the Chrome browser to give rival search engines a fighting chance against its illegal monopoly, but backed off its previous request that Google sell its investments in artificial intelligence companies.
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March 07, 2025
9th Circ. Open To Reviving Monsanto Expiration Label Fight
A Ninth Circuit panel appeared open Friday to reviving a proposed class action over expiration dates on Monsanto's Roundup pesticides, but two judges were skeptical of claims against a distributor, which the distributor's counsel argued could open the floodgates of litigation.
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March 07, 2025
Starbucks Liable For Hot Drink Spill On Driver
A unanimous California state jury has found Starbucks was negligent in the case of a driver who had scalding water spill in his lap, sending the case to a damages phase.
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March 07, 2025
FTC: Outlining World Sans Amazon Price-Floor 'Not Possible'
The Federal Trade Commission told a Washington federal judge Friday that it can only offer pieces, and not the entire outline, of what an alternative world might look like without Amazon.com's allegedly monopolistic pricing floor created by penalties for sellers offering their goods more cheaply through other retailers.
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March 07, 2025
9th Circ. Critical Of Nordstrom Nixing $6.7M Order
A Ninth Circuit judge doubted Nordstrom Inc.'s stance on Friday in a suit accusing it of using labor concerns as a false pretense to pull a $6.7 million menswear order, calling the department store chain's alleged oversupply of dress shirts at the time of the cancelation "the elephant in the room."
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March 07, 2025
Google Says Special Master Can't Make Ad Tech Trial Calls
Google is opposing a bid in Texas federal court from state enforcers accusing the company of monopolizing key digital advertising technology to have a special master make decisions about what evidence will be admitted during trial.
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March 07, 2025
Goodyear Must Include Microplastic Proposal In Proxy
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission has rejected Goodyear Tire & Rubber Co.'s bid to exclude from its annual proxy statement a shareholder proposal calling for goals and timelines related to reducing tire wear shedding and subsequent microplastic pollution.
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March 07, 2025
Wash. Judge Finds 'Alludo' TM Fight Best Left To A Jury
A Washington federal judge has denied dueling summary judgment bids in an educational technology firm's trademark infringement lawsuit against the company behind the 1990s word-processing application WordPerfect, finding Thursday that genuine factual disputes remain over whether the defendant's alleged copying of the "Alludo" product name would likely cause confusion.
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March 07, 2025
Electronics Co. Owes $14M In Charger Patent Suit, Jury Finds
A Delaware federal jury on Friday found Hong Kong electronics company Anker Innovations Co. infringed Texas company Fundamental Innovation Systems International LLC's patents with its USB charger products, saying Anker owes more than $13.6 million in damages.
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March 07, 2025
9th Circ. Probes Ax Of Trader Joe's IP Suit Against Union
Ninth Circuit judges on Friday questioned a federal judge's decision to toss Trader Joe's trademark suit against a union selling merchandise with the grocers' name, with one saying it was "a little bit unusual" to have a determination about the likelihood of confusion decided at the motion to dismiss stage.
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March 07, 2025
Utah Court Affirms Walmart's Collective $52M Property Value
A trio of Utah-based Walmart retail properties were correctly assessed at a collective $52 million for property tax, a Utah appeals court said, finding that a lower court didn't make any errors when valuing the three properties.
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March 07, 2025
Cosmetics Co. Sues Insurer Over Calif. Water Pollution Claims
A cosmetics company facing water pollution claims told a California federal court its insurer denied coverage in bad faith, saying though the insurer agreed to defend a lawsuit from the California attorney general, the insurer still wrongly refused to reimburse costs from two prior, related suits that were ultimately rescinded.
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March 07, 2025
NY's Crackdown On Illicit Pot Is Unconstitutional, Club Says
A self-described cannabis club has launched a legal challenge to New York policies aimed at combating unregulated marijuana sales, saying authorities' raids unconstitutionally shut down its businesses.
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March 07, 2025
Delivery Drivers Get Trimmed OT Suit Cleared For Trial
A New Jersey federal judge refused Friday to allow a delivery provider to escape a class action accusing it of failing to pay delivery drivers overtime wages, but determined no reasonable jury could find that a discount retailer partner was the workers' employer.
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March 07, 2025
Sephora Must Face Retaliation Claims Over Hiring Practices
Sephora can't escape a Latina former store manager's claims that she was fired for refusing to prioritize white job applicants, with a Georgia federal judge ruling Friday it would be premature to trim her lawsuit ahead of discovery.
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March 07, 2025
Tupperware Can Seek Votes For Post-Sale Liquidation Plan
The estate of food storage company Tupperware Brands can solicit votes on its Chapter 11 liquidation plan, even as its creditors accused the debtor's latest plan of deviating from a prior agreement.
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March 07, 2025
Bed Bath & Beyond Investors Can't Move Judge On Class Cert.
Bed Bath & Beyond shares did not trade on an efficient market during the class period, a Washington, D.C., federal judge confirmed again, refusing to reconsider his class certification denial in a suit from the now-bankrupt retailer's investors who alleged they were misled by company executives and a billionaire investor.
Expert Analysis
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Co-Tenancy Clause Pointers For Shopping Center Landlords
Large retail tenants often require co-tenancy provisions in their leases, entitling them to remedies if a shopping center's occupancy drops in certain ways, but landlords must draft these provisions carefully to avoid giving tenants too much control, says Gary Glick at Cox Castle.
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Complying With FTC's Final Rule On Sham Online Reviews
The Federal Trade Commission's final rule on deceptive acts and practices in online reviews and testimonials is effective Oct. 21, and some practice tips can help businesses avert noncompliance risks, say Airina Rodrigues and Jonathan Sandler at Brownstein Hyatt.
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Assessing Algorithmic Versus Generative AI Pricing Tools
A comparison of traditional algorithmic pricing models and those powered by generative artificial intelligence can help regulators and practitioners weigh the pros and cons of relying on large language models to price products or services, say Maxime Cohen at McGill University, and Tim Spittle and Jimmy Royer at Analysis Group.
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3 Patent Considerations For America's New Quantum Hub
Recent developments signal an incredibly bright future for Chicago as the new home of quantum computing, and it is crucial that these innovators — whose technology has the potential to transform many industries — prioritize intellectual property strategy, says Andrew Velzen at McDonnell Boehnen.
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Navigating A Potpourri Of Possible Transparency Act Pitfalls
Despite the Financial Crimes Enforcement Network's continued release of guidance for complying with the Corporate Transparency Act, its interpretation remains in flux, making it important for companies to understand potentially problematic areas of ambiguity in the practical application of the law, say attorneys at Sidley.
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How Companies Are Approaching Insider Trading Policies
An analysis of insider trading policies recently disclosed by 49 S&P 500 companies under a new U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission rule reveals that while specific provisions vary from company to company, certain common themes are emerging, say attorneys at Gibson Dunn.
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11 Patent Cases To Watch At Fed. Circ. And High Court
As we head into fall, there are 11 patent cases to monitor, touching on a range of issues that could affect patent strategy, such as biotech innovation, administrative rulemaking and patent eligibility, say Edward Lanquist and Wesley Barbee at Baker Donelson.
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How Methods Are Evolving In Textualist Interpretations
Textualists at the U.S. Supreme Court are increasingly considering new methods such as corpus linguistics and surveys to evaluate what a statute's text communicates to an ordinary reader, while lower courts even mull large language models like ChatGPT as supplements, says Kevin Tobia at Georgetown Law.
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Finding Coverage For Online Retail Privacy Class Actions
Following recent court rulings interpreting state invasion of privacy and electronic surveillance statutes triggering a surge in the filing of privacy class actions against online retailers, companies should examine their various insurance policies, including E&O and D&O, for defense coverage of these claims, says Alison Gaske at Gilbert LLP.
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Trending At The PTAB: Obviousness In Director Reviews
Three July decisions from the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office favoring petitioners indicate a willingness by the director to review substantive issues, such as obviousness, particularly in cases where the director believes the Patent Trial and Appeal Board provided incorrect or inadequate rationale to support its decisions, say attorneys at Finnegan.
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Why Attorneys Should Consider Community Leadership Roles
Volunteering and nonprofit board service are complementary to, but distinct from, traditional pro bono work, and taking on these community leadership roles can produce dividends for lawyers, their firms and the nonprofit causes they support, says Katie Beacham at Kilpatrick.
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Firms Must Offer A Trifecta Of Services In Post-Chevron World
After the U.S. Supreme Court’s Loper Bright Enterprises v. Raimondo decision overturning Chevron deference, law firms will need to integrate litigation, lobbying and communications functions to keep up with the ramifications of the ruling and provide adequate counsel quickly, says Neil Hare at Dentons.
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How Cos. Can Leverage IP In Corporate Bankruptcy
In light of an increase in year-to-date Chapter 11 filings, businesses must understand the importance and value of intellectual property in corporate bankruptcy and restructuring, from contributing to enterprise value, to providing leverage in negotiations and facilitating recovery, says Gregory Campanella at Ocean Tomo.
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5 Tips To Succeed In A Master Of Laws Program And Beyond
As lawyers and recent law school graduates begin their Master of Laws coursework across the country, they should keep a few pointers in mind to get the most out of their programs and kick-start successful careers in their practice areas, says Kelley Miller at Reed Smith.
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Opinion
Portland's Gross Receipts Tax Oversteps City's Authority
Recent measures by Portland, Oregon, that expand the voter-approved scope of the Clean Energy Surcharge on certain retail sales eviscerate the common meaning of the word "retail" and exceed the city's chartered authority to levy tax, say Nikki Dobay at Greenberg Traurig and Jeff Newgard at Peak Policy.