background preloader

Legal Stuff

Facebook Twitter

Eliminating Consent Decrees Won’t Shake Up the Movie Business. The Paramount Decrees have been the rules of the road for Hollywood since the golden age of movies, but the Justice Department’s decision to do away with directives that were hammered out decades before the rise of cable or streaming has barely registered within the entertainment industry.

Eliminating Consent Decrees Won’t Shake Up the Movie Business

That’s because they are widely seen as anachronisms — an attempt by the federal government to break up the stranglehold that studios once maintained on the business by preventing them from owning both the means of production and distribution. Under the regulations, a group of movie companies, which includes the aforementioned Paramount, as well as Universal, Warner Bros., Twentieth Century Fox, Sony and United Artists were barred from owning major theater circuits. But some of these companies, such as Sony, Paramount, and Warner Bros. still managed to make tentative steps into the exhibition space over the years, owning stakes in theater chains, obtaining waivers with minimal blowback. Directors Guild Calls Paramount Decree Repeal 'A Step in the Wrong Direction'

Justice Department Moves to End Paramount Antitrust Decrees. The Department of Justice will seek to end the Paramount consent decrees, the landmark agreements that have barred studios from owning theaters for the last 70 years.

Justice Department Moves to End Paramount Antitrust Decrees

Makan Delrahim, the head of the department’s antitrust division, made the announcement Monday in a speech to the American Bar Association fall forum on antitrust. Types of Compensatory Damages in Personal Injury Cases. Injuries can impact your life in a multitude of ways.

Types of Compensatory Damages in Personal Injury Cases

When you’ve been injured in an accident, you may have to take time off from work while you recover and you may be unable to do the things you do the things that normally make you happy. You may need someone to help you around the house or provide in-home medical care. In severe cases, you might never be able to fully recover from your injuries. Damages in Your Personal Injury Case. In a civil lawsuit for personal injury, you collect financial compensation or "damages" from the at-fault party if your case is successful.

Damages in Your Personal Injury Case

In this article, we'll take a closer look at the concept of damages. What Are Damages in a Personal Injury Case? Damages in a personal injury case are intended to "make the plaintiff whole" after an injury. Of course, sometimes it is not possible to make the plaintiff whole, and it is difficult to put a dollar figure on things like pain and suffering, but the goal is to best put the injured person back into the position he or she would have been in if he had the injury not occurred. Special Damages in a Personal Injury Lawsuit. Special damages in a personal injury claim are a monetary relief awarded for the out of pocket expenses incurred due to the harmful action of the defendant.

Special Damages in a Personal Injury Lawsuit

Also known as economic damages, special damages cover only tangible harms that can be easily translated into a specific dollar amount. They are calculated according to fair market values at the time of the injury. A common example of special damages is an award for lost wages or medical bills. They are usually placed in contrast to “general damages”. General damages, or compensation, are awarded for intangible losses that may be difficult to calculate. Both general and special damages in a personal injury lawsuit are included under the broader category of compensatory damages. What do Special Damages Cover? DLA Piper Leads Big Law in Social Media as More Firms Shun Facebook: Report. Image: Shutterstock DLA Piper outdid its competitors in digital marketing in 2019, according to a new report, while law firms in general are using Facebook far less and using LinkedIn, Instagram and paid social marketing more.

DLA Piper Leads Big Law in Social Media as More Firms Shun Facebook: Report

Firms are also measuring the impact of their social marketing efforts more closely, the report found. Consultancy Good2bSocial has released the annual report card, the Social Law Firm Index, since 2013, though this year it includes more firms than ever. The group measures law firms’ social media reach, engagement, and marketing performance on their own websites and on public social media platforms. New Network of High Schools Aims to Boost Diversity in Legal Education and Beyond. Premium Subscription With this subscription you will receive unlimited access to high quality, online, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry.

New Network of High Schools Aims to Boost Diversity in Legal Education and Beyond

This is perfect for attorneys licensed in multiple jurisdictions or for attorneys that have fulfilled their CLE requirement but need to access resourceful information for their practice areas. View Now Team Accounts Our Team Account subscription service is for legal teams of four or more attorneys. Each attorney is granted unlimited access to high quality, on-demand premium content from well-respected faculty in the legal industry along with administrative access to easily manage CLE for the entire team. View Now Bundle Subscriptions Gain access to some of the most knowledgeable and experienced attorneys with our 2 bundle options!

Our Compliance bundles are curated by CLE Counselors and include current legal topics and challenges within the industry. CLE Center → Collecting Time-Barred Debt: Ensuring Certainty in an Uncertain Debt Collection Environment. The Supreme Court announced in its January 16, 2018 Order List it declined to hear a Seventh Circuit Court of Appeals (Seventh Circuit) decision in Pantoja v.

Collecting Time-Barred Debt: Ensuring Certainty in an Uncertain Debt Collection Environment

Portfolio Recovery Associates, LLC 78 F.Supp.3d 743 (N.D. Ill. 2015). As a result, the Seventh Circuit’s affirmation of the district court’s decision granting summary judgment in favor of the plaintiff in his FDCPA claim stands. Amazon Product Liability & Consumer Safety. For millions of people, Amazon is their one-stop shop for many of the purchases they make.

Amazon Product Liability & Consumer Safety

Whether you’re looking for a book, clothes, toys, sporting equipment, or any number of other things, you can probably buy it from Amazon at a great price. Amazon is (so far) winning its war against products liability exposure. Amazon Not Liable for Selling Product that Allegedly Caused $300K in Fire Damage. The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit has ruled that Amazon.com Inc. is not responsible under Maryland law for products liability claims due to a defective product purchased on its website from a third-party seller.

Amazon Not Liable for Selling Product that Allegedly Caused $300K in Fire Damage

The decision came after Trung Cao of Montgomery County, Md., purchased a headlamp on Amazon’s website and gave it to friends as a gift. The headlamp’s batteries allegedly malfunctioned, igniting the friends’ house and causing more than $300,000 in damages. Erie Insurance Company, which insured the house, paid the loss and filed a suit in the United States District Court for the District of Maryland to obtain reimbursement from Amazon for negligence, breach of warranty and strict liability in tort. Erie contended that Amazon has liability under Maryland law because it was the seller of the headlamp. However, the District Court granted summary judgment to Amazon, concluding that Amazon was not the seller and did not have liability in this case. Amazon listing banned, mislabelled, unsafe products: report. Tech companies employ an interesting logic when faced with liability issues. Although you may view online retailer Amazon as a seller, or Facebook and Google as media companies, or Uber as a taxi service—given that you may use them to buy items, access news, and get rides—when the corporations are sued, they commonly claim that the things they offer aren’t actually their responsibility because they’re merely facilitators, technology platforms rather than providers of goods and services.

The Legal Pitfalls of Rewards-Based Crowdfunding Campaigns. Rewards-based crowdfunding sites, such as Kickstarter and IndieGoGo, have become a common way to get innovative businesses and products off the ground. The premise behind these crowdfunding sites is that, by raising small monetary contributions from a large number of people interested in supporting the business idea via the Internet, companies and entrepreneurs can amass enough capital to fund a fledgling project or venture.

In exchange for supplying the funds, the funders are to receive the product being developed or certain other specified incentives, assuming that the entire funding goal is met by a certain deadline. If it’s not, the funds are to be returned to the backers. The concept of crowdfunding has actually existed for some time.

Players in the music industry launched online campaigns to fund tours and albums as far back as the late 1990s. Top Issues Associated with Crowdfunding Campaigns The legal landscape surrounding failed crowdfunding projects is largely untested. HOW TO USE SOCIAL MEDIA DURING RECRUITING AND HIRING WITHOUT LIABILITY. Seven in ten Americans use social media, according to the Pew Research Center. They connect with one another, access content, share information, and entertain themselves through social media. When the Pew Research Center first surveyed the use of social media in 2005, only five percent of American adults used at least one form of social media.

By 2011, half of all American adults used social media. Startup or Small Business Strapped For Cash? Why the R&D Tax Credit Should Be On Your Radar. For startups or small businesses in the early stages of growth, success hinges on the ability to generate short-term cash flow and operating capital. In navigating the myriad of financing options, businesses frequently overlook a potential non-dilutive source of funding: the research and development (R&D) tax credit.

What is the R&D Credit? Originally enacted by Congress in 1981 as a mechanism to stimulate growth in the U.S. economy, the R&D credit is a tax incentive available to businesses of any size and in any industry that develop new or improved products (including software) or processes. Businesses that engage in eligible activities can claim a federal R&D credit of up to 10 percent of amounts paid for salaries, supplies, and contract research related to development efforts. Further, most states also offer corresponding R&D credits that can be as lucrative as the federal credit. Who is Liable for Amusement Park Injuries? Trips to amusement parks can be a lot of fun for the whole family. Kids love being able to go on rides and play games and there are lots of ways for adults to have fun, too. In the best circumstances, a day at an amusement park becomes a fond memory. But there are times when a fun day at an amusement park can end with a trip to the emergency room or even in death.

Every year, thousands of people are seriously injured on amusement park rides. According to the US Consumer Product Commission, mobile amusement rides caused about 2,500 injuries that needed treatment at an emergency room in 2004. California amusement park ride The Log malfunctions; family injured. Amusement Park Ride Crashes to the Ground After Malfunction, Killing Two People and Injuring Dozens. A pendulum ride at an amusement park in western India crashed on Sunday, killing at least two young people and injuring 27. Changes to Michigan’s Car Insurance Laws: What You Should Know. Eu.freep. House Speaker Lee Chatfield, R-Levering, speaks to reporters Friday after the House passed a bill aimed at lowering Michigan auto insurance premiums. Paul Egan, Detroit Free Press A deal to fundamentally change Michigan's no fault auto insurance system passed the Michigan House of Representatives and Senate on Friday and Gov. Eu.freep. Startup or Small Business Strapped For Cash? Why the R&D Tax Credit Should Be On Your Radar.

The Billion Dollar Marijuana Question. Laws exist as statutes, which are carried into effect by regulations, and enforced by an executive agency. This article raises an interesting legal question whose determination is worth billions of dollars: what is the effect of defunding a law? The law remains on the books, but no money is allocated for its enforcement. Is there a law? State Tax Alert: Internet Sales Tax Exposure. On June 21, 2018, the United States Supreme Court issued a landmark ruling in the South Dakota v. Court Decides Class Status - Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. The Seedy Underworld of Movie Memorabilia.

Protecting Yourself Against High-Dollar Memorabilia Fakes. Can Three-Dimensional Craftsmanship be Protected by a Copyright? Don’t Let the Frustrations of Bank Secrecy Act Compliance Stop Your Financial Institution from Being the Best it Can Be - Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. Olivia de Havilland's attorney disappointed by court's 'pro-industry' decision to throw out 'Feud' lawsuit. Veteran actress Olivia de Havilland and her legal team are preparing to take her “Feud” battle to a higher court, blasting the “pro-industry” decision to dismiss her false-portrayal lawsuit against FX Networks and Ryan Murphy. The two-time Oscar winner’s case against FX and the creators of the 2017 docudrama “Feud: Bette and Joan” was thrown out by California’s 2nd district appellate court on Monday, which ruled that the case impinged on creative expression and 1st Amendment rights.

Olivia de Havilland's lawsuit against 'Feud' creators gets tossed: She 'does not own history' "One-Bite" vs. Strict Liability Rules for Dog Bite Injury Cases. “One-Bite” and Strict Liability Dog Bite Laws in the U.S. Not all states have the same laws regarding dog bites. Generally speaking, dog bite laws around the country tend to fall into two main categories: strict liability and “one bite.” Collecting Time-Barred Debt: Ensuring Certainty in an Uncertain Debt Collection Environment - Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. How To Understand The Frustration of the Trademark Owner Over Domain Names And What You Can Do About It. Cybersquatting: What It Is and What Can Be Done About It. Startup Sues A Domain Name Owner To Grab A 16-Year-Old URL. Jalopnik. Sessions Memo & Marijuana Termination SARs - Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. R&D- Helping Farmers Grow - Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC.

Double Jeopardy - Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. After a Car Accident: First Steps - FindLaw. A Painful Turn of Events: A Timeline for Personal Injury Claims. What To Do After A Car Accident: An 8-Step Guide. What If My Accident Injuries Don't Show Up Right Away? A Painful Turn of Events: A Timeline for Personal Injury Claims. Avoidance of Military Lending Act Compliance Raises Fair Lending Risk Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. CFPB Announces Regulatory Thresholds for 2018 Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. Questioneddocuments. "Font Detectives" Use Their Expertise to Solve High Stakes Cases. Effect of Forgery on a Contract - HG.org. Detect Forgery - Forensic Document Examination Digital Image Forgery Detection. The American Arbitration Association Changes its Three-Arbitrator Panel Rules. Will the Change Reduce Runaway Costs? - Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC.

Details of Olivia de Havilland’s lawsuit against Ryan Murphy. Olivia de Havilland, 101, Is Speeding Up Her Lawsuit Against Ryan Murphy. Olivia de Havilland Sues FX Over 'Feud' Portrayal. Menards Loses Appeal in Parking Lot Accident Lawsuit. How to Deal with Parking Lot Accidents - State Farm™ - Simple Insights™ What Happens if You're in a Parking Lot Accident? Avoiding Parking Lot Accidents. New Employment Eligibility Verification Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC. Unfunded Mandate of Federal Medical Marijuana Remains Under Trump Administration - Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC Howard & Howard Attorneys PLLC.

The Brawny Woman #StrengthHasNoGender. Potential US Commerce, Transportation Secretaries Voice Support of Jones Act - O'Bryan Law. 3 Tips for Commercial Property Owners to Prevent Winter Slip & Falls. Stages of a Personal Injury Case - FindLaw. Timeline for a Personal Injury Lawsuit. Defining Strict Liability and How it Can Affect Your Personal Injury Case. Steps in a Personal Injury Lawsuit - AllLaw.com. Your Rights as a Passenger Involved in a Car Accident. Amtrak Derailment Crash Costs Company $265M. Insurance changes make fine print more important than ever. How to File a Personal Injury Claim: Common Questions & Advice.