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Technology
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September 04, 2024
NC Biz Court Bulletin: Blackbeard IP Fight, Firm Data Breach
As summer winds down, the North Carolina Business Court tackled usage rights pertaining to footage and artifacts from Blackbeard's shipwreck while grappling with uncovering the details of a cyberattack that exposed the data of Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft LLP. In case you missed those and others, here are the highlights.
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September 04, 2024
Samsung Says It Doesn't Access Face-App Scans
Samsung told an Illinois federal judge on Wednesday it is time to dismiss for good a proposed class action alleging the company unlawfully collects biometric data from smartphone and tablet users, arguing facial-recognition technology data is locally stored and not accessible to, or stored by, the company.
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September 04, 2024
OpenAI Wants News Org.'s Copyright Suit Cut To Core Issue
OpenAI has asked a New York federal judge to dismiss multiple claims from a copyright suit brought against it and Microsoft Corp. by the Center for Investigative Reporting Inc., arguing the case should be pared down to the "core issue" of how the fair use doctrine applies to artificial intelligence training.
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September 04, 2024
Ex-Twitter Worker Class Conditionally Certified In Age Bias Suit
A California federal judge has conditionally certified a collective action on behalf of former Twitter workers aged 50 and older who were fired after Elon Musk acquired the company, saying while this isn't the stage "to weigh the evidence," the complaint shows "beyond mere speculation" Twitter may have discriminated against older employees.
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September 04, 2024
Fintech Investor Tries To Undo 'Formulistic' Nix Of NCino Suit
A pension fund invested in financial technology company nCino Inc. urged Delaware's Supreme Court on Wednesday to revive its suit against company directors and investment firm Insight Venture Partners over a $1.2 billion acquisition, arguing the Chancery Court "missed the mosaic for the tiles" by dismissing the case.
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September 04, 2024
Solana Labs Denied Arbitration In Token Crypto Fraud Suit
A California federal judge has denied a motion to compel arbitration in a suit alleging Solana Labs Inc. and its key investors promoted and sold Solana cryptocurrency tokens as unregistered securities, saying that Solana failed to prove that the lead plaintiff agreed to the terms of service that included an arbitration clause, among other things.
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September 04, 2024
1st Circ. Unsure If Texts In Pot Bribe Case Crossed State Lines
A First Circuit panel on Wednesday expressed skepticism that the simple sending of an iMessage through an Apple cellphone satisfies the element of wire fraud requiring interstate communication, entertaining a Massachusetts attorney's challenge to his convictions for seeking to bribe a police chief to win a local marijuana license.
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September 04, 2024
2nd Circ. Says Free E-Book Library Not Fair Use
The Second Circuit on Wednesday rejected a nonprofit digital library's fair use defense of its practice of distributing copyrighted e-books for free, ruling in favor of a group of book publishers in a closely watched case.
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September 04, 2024
Ga. Justices Affirm Rejection Of Class In Patient Privacy Suit
The Georgia Supreme Court said Wednesday that a Fulton County trial court acted within its discretion when it denied class certification for a suit over a release of patient records from a private mental health hospital, overturning a Georgia Court of Appeals ruling.
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September 04, 2024
J&J Hit With $1B Damages In Del. Merger Milestone Fight
Johnson & Johnson owes more than $1 billion to a medical robotics developer and entrepreneur caught up in a multibillion-dollar post-acquisition dispute, a Delaware vice chancellor ruled Wednesday.
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September 04, 2024
AI Musician Duped Streaming Giants To Steal $10M, Feds Say
A North Carolina man streamed thousands of artificial intelligence-generated songs to dupe streaming giants like Spotify and YouTube and generate $10 million in an elaborate scam, federal prosecutors in Manhattan charged Wednesday in a first-of-its-kind case.
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September 03, 2024
WDTX Judge Agrees To Ship Apple E-Wallet Patent Case To Calif.
An Austin federal judge sent a patent case against Apple to California, finding "especially weighty" the tech giant's assertion that no employees relevant to the e-wallet infringement case brought by a Canadian company are located in the Western District of Texas and most are in the Golden State.
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September 03, 2024
8th Circ. Again Scraps Class Cert. For TD Ameritrade Clients
The Eighth Circuit reversed Tuesday a lower court's ruling certifying a class of TD Ameritrade clients for the second time in a lawsuit alleging the stockbroker routed orders to trading venues that didn't always provide the best execution, rejecting the named plaintiff's new class-wide damages theory based on commissions.
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September 03, 2024
ITC Clears Amazon In Video Processing Patent Case
The U.S. International Trade Commission has voted to reject infringement claims against Amazon over patents in the field of video processing, affirming a judge's initial finding with some modest adjustments.
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September 03, 2024
Alphabet Beats Investor Suit Over Antitrust Issues, For Now
A California federal judge on Tuesday tossed a proposed securities fraud class action against Google and its parent company Alphabet Inc., saying investors failed to adequately allege that Google intended to deceive them when responding to a congressional query on concerns of anti-competitive ad tech practices.
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September 03, 2024
Super Micro Faces Investor Suits Over Short Seller Report
Artificial intelligence server manufacturer Super Micro Computer Inc. has been hit with at least three investor lawsuits in California federal court over claims its shares fell by about 20% after a short seller report accused it of violating its previous settlement with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission over accounting improprieties.
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September 03, 2024
Phone Co. Sued In Del. For CEO Spending, Crypto Asset Docs
An OSOM Products Inc. stockholder has sued the crypto-focused former cellphone-maker for books and records access, citing allegations that CEO and controlling stockholder Jason Keats has diverted company assets for personal use and other undisclosed dealings involving OSOM and Solana cryptocurrency.
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September 03, 2024
5th Circ. Hesitant To Call Tornado Cash 'Entity'
A Fifth Circuit panel prodded the U.S. Department of the Treasury's argument that Tornado Cash counts as a corporation-like organization, telling the agency that its reasoning for calling the sanctioned crypto mixer an entity was "slippery" during oral arguments Tuesday.
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September 03, 2024
FCC Moves Ahead On Indie Video Competition, Congress Told
The Federal Communications Commission could soon advance new rules that would make it easier for independent video programmers to gain a foothold in the market, the FCC's chief has told a key Democratic senator on communications policy.
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September 03, 2024
Amazon Prevails In Targeted Programming IP Fight At Fed. Circ.
A patent licensing outfit trying to assert patents related to developing "video-on-demand" programming for cable companies was told Tuesday by the Federal Circuit that they cover abstract ideas.
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September 03, 2024
Pedestrian Hit By Off-Duty Uber Driver Can't Sue Over Injuries
A California appellate panel held Uber can't be sued for the negligence of a driver who hit a pedestrian just minutes after he switched his status to "offline," saying it was speculative to assume the driver was still on duty due to his alleged manipulation of higher "surge" fares.
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September 03, 2024
No BIPA Exception For OTC Glasses, Ill. Judges Say
An Illinois appellate court has held that someone trying on nonprescription sunglasses with an online try-on tool isn't considered a patient in a healthcare setting, dooming a glasses retailer's attempt to end the biometric privacy lawsuit it faces.
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September 03, 2024
Judge Skeptical Navy Owes Millions For IP Infringement
A Federal Circuit judge appeared skeptical Tuesday about a software firm's demand for $85.9 million in damages for the Navy's unauthorized copies of its software, suggesting the company hadn't proven its eligibility for more than the $154,400 it was previously awarded.
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September 03, 2024
Bill-Pay Co. Says Judge Already Scrapped Wash. CPA Claims
An online bill-pay platform has urged a Washington federal judge to throw out a consumer's proposed class action accusing the company of disguising itself as an official processor for legitimate service providers, pointing to disclosures on its website that the district court has already highlighted when dismissing comparable claims.
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September 03, 2024
FCC Urged To Trim Rule Proposal For Blocking Spam Texts
Wireless carriers want the Federal Communications Commission to scale back a proposed rule for blocking spam texts to ensure legitimate messages can still go through despite tighter standards.
Expert Analysis
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FTC Drives Crackdown On Connected Cars' Data Privacy Risk
After the Federal Trade Commission's warning to automakers about data privacy, which continues to emerge as a national concern, automakers must carefully examine their data collection, use and retention practices, say Catherine Castaldo and Michael Rubayo at Reed Smith.
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How Gov't AI Protections May Affect Contractors' Data Rights
The U.S. Senate’s proposed National Defense Authorization Act for 2025, which includes provisions to maintain the government's data rights when contracting for artificial intelligence, should prompt contractors to examine how to protect their own rights when the current data rights framework is applied to AI, say Tyler Evans and Caitlin Conroy at Steptoe.
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Considerations As State AGs Step Up Privacy Enforcement
As new state privacy laws take effect, businesses are facing an increasingly complex patchwork of compliance obligations and risk of scrutiny by attorneys general, but companies can gain a competitive edge by building consumer trust and staying ahead of regulatory trends, say Ann-Marie Luciano and Meghan Stoppel at Cozen O’Connor.
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Lessons From Recent SEC Cyber Enforcement Actions
The recent guidance by the SEC's Division of Corporation Finance is helpful to any company facing a cybersecurity threat, but just as instructive are the warnings raised by the SEC's recent enforcement actions against SolarWinds, R.R. Donnelley and Intercontinental Exchange, say attorneys at O'Melveny.
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7th Circ. Ruling Sheds Light On Extraterritoriality In IP Law
A recent Seventh Circuit decision involving the Defend Trade Secrets Act, allowing for broader international application of trade secrets laws, highlights a difference in how trade secrets are treated compared to other areas of intellectual property law, say Armin Ghiam and Maria Montenegro-Bernardo at Hunton.
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How Cos. With Chinese Suppliers Should Prep For Biotech Bill
A proposed bill to prohibit government-affiliated life sciences companies from contracting with Chinese biotech companies of concern may necessitate switching to other sources for research and supplies, meaning they should begin evaluating supply chains now due to the long lead times of drug development, say John O'Loughlin and Christina Carone at Weil Gotshal.
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Mirror, Mirror On The Wall, Is My Counterclaim Bound To Fall?
A Pennsylvania federal court’s recent dismissal of the defendants’ counterclaims in Morgan v. Noss should remind attorneys to avoid the temptation to repackage a claim’s facts and law into a mirror-image counterclaim, as this approach will often result in a waste of time and resources, says Matthew Selmasska at Kaufman Dolowich.
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Nuclear Power Can Help Industrial Plants Get To Net-Zero
In the race to fight climate change and achieve net-zero emissions, the industrial sector currently faces immense challenges — but the integration of nuclear energy is a promising solution, so companies should consider the financial and regulatory issues, opportunities, and risk-mitigating factors, say attorneys at Morgan Lewis.
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Why The SEC Is Targeting Short-And-Distort Schemes
The U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission's recent crackdown on the illegal practice of short-and-distort trades highlights the urgent need for public companies to adopt proactive measures, including pursuing private rights of action, say attorneys at Baker McKenzie.
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Series
Playing Dungeons & Dragons Makes Me A Better Lawyer
Playing Dungeons & Dragons – a tabletop role-playing game – helped pave the way for my legal career by providing me with foundational skills such as persuasion and team building, says Derrick Carman at Robins Kaplan.
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Bid Protest Spotlight: Misplaced Info, Trade-Offs, Proteges
James Tucker at MoFo examines three recent decisions concerning the consequences of providing solicited information in the wrong section of a bid proposal, the limits of agency discretion in technical merit, best-value trade-off evaluations, and the weight of the experience and capabilities of small businesses in mentor-protégé joint venture qualification.
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Considerations When Using Publicly Available Data To Train AI
To maximize the benefits and mitigate the risks of using publicly available data to train artificial intelligence models, companies should maintain a balance between openness and protection, and consider certain best practices, says Michael Cole at Mercedes-Benz Research & Development North America.
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Opinion
USPTO AI Patent Guidance Leaves Questions Unanswered
The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office’s recent guidance on artificial intelligence patent eligibility is unlikely to answer many of the open questions that AI patent applicants face, as it includes nominally new analysis that applicants can adopt to analyze their inventions, say attorneys at Fenwick & West.
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Illinois BIPA Reform Offers Welcome Relief To Businesses
Illinois' recent amendment to its Biometric Information Privacy Act limits the number of violations and damages a plaintiff can claim — a crucial step in shielding businesses from unintended legal consequences, including litigation risk and compliance costs, say attorneys at Taft.
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3 Leadership Practices For A More Supportive Firm Culture
Traditional leadership styles frequently amplify the inherent pressures of legal work, but a few simple, time-neutral strategies can strengthen the skills and confidence of employees and foster a more collaborative culture, while supporting individual growth and contribution to organizational goals, says Benjamin Grimes at BKG Leadership.