Supreme Court declines to hear music downloading case 
Published: May 23, 2012
Tags: copyright infringement, due process, illegal downloading, music downloading
A $675,000 jury verdict against a student who illegally downloaded 30 songs from the Internet was left standing by the U.S. Supreme Court, which declined to take the matter up.
ADA doesn’t protect medical marijuana users 
Published: May 23, 2012
Tags: ADA, AMERICANS WITH DISABILITIES ACT, civil rights, disability discrimination, medical marijuana
Federal disability discrimination law does not protect medical marijuana users who claimed their civil rights were violated by local municipalities that interfered with the lawful distribution of the drug, the 9th Circuit has ruled in affirming judgment.
Police officer’s lawsuit divides town, settles for $1.2 million 
By:
Dan McDonald
Published: May 22, 2012
Tags: civil rights violation, emotional distress, Massachusetts, retaliation
At first, attorney Michael Sacco thought he was handling a routine disability claim.
A sole practitioner in Westfield, Mass. who typically represents retirement boards, Sacco quickly found himself knee-deep in a civil rights lawsuit that offered a glimpse into the inner political machinations of a sleepy town and its police department, revealing a sordid mess.
Vermont takes symbolic stand with first fracking ban 
Published: May 21, 2012
Tags: fracking, hydraulic fracturing, natural gas, Vermont
The state of Vermont has become the first in the nation to prohibit fracking, establishing a model that anti-fracking activists hope will be followed by other states.
Party can’t recover cost of translating documents 
Published: May 21, 2012
Tags: Supreme Court, translator
A defendant that prevailed in a personal injury case filed in federal court could not recover its costs for translating documents from Japanese to English, the U.S. Supreme Court has ruled in a 6-3 decision.
Party may depose opposing counsel 
Published: May 21, 2012
Tags: attorney-client privilege, deposition, work product
State law did not absolutely prohibit a party in a business dispute from deposing the opposing party’s former trial lawyer, the Nevada Supreme Court has ruled.
Drug maker can’t be sued for off-label marketing 
Published: May 18, 2012
Tags: class action, off-label marketing, product liability
A patient and a union health and welfare fund lacked standing to sue Schering Plough for allegedly engaging in illegal marketing campaigns to persuade physicians to prescribe certain drugs for off-label uses, the 3rd Circuit has ruled in affirming a dismissal.
Former employee wins $1.5 million in securities fraud suit 
Published: May 18, 2012
Tags: fraud, shareholders
A former employee of Stiefel Laboratories won a $1.5 million verdict on allegations that the Coral Gables-based company defrauded its employee shareholders during its $2.9 billion sale to GlaxoSmithKline in 2009.
Skechers to pay $40 million to settle case over claims 
Published: May 18, 2012
Tags: false advertising, weight loss
Skechers has agreed to pay $40 million to settle charges that the company made unsupported claims about the benefits of its toning shoes, falsely asserting that they help people lose weight, tone their lower bodies and even combat heart disease.
$4.9M junk fax deal isn’t covered by insurance 
Published: May 17, 2012
Tags: class action, insurance, junk fax, Telephone Consumer Protection Act
Insurance does not cover a $4.9 million settlement of a consumer lawsuit alleging that a business violated federal law by sending unsolicited fax advertisements, the Missouri Court of Appeals has ruled in reversing judgment.
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