Civil Procedure › Communications & Media Law

Illinois Supreme Court Holds TCPA Damages Not Punitive

Today the Illinois Supreme Court issued its decision in Standard Mutual v. Lay, 2013 IL 114617 (2013). Locklear brought a class action claim against Lay under the Telephone Consumer Protection Act of 1991 (TCPA), which...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update for Motion Picture Studios and Television Networks -- May 23, 2013

Capitol Records, Inc. v. MP3tunes, LLC, USDC, S.D. New York, May 14, 2013 - District court grants in part motions for reconsideration of order granting summary judgment in defendants' favor based on DMCA safe harbor...more

Louboutin International Trademark Dispute

Those of us who love fashion and have closets overflowing with more pairs of shoes than we probably need are likely familiar with Louboutin pumps. These sky-high heels have a very distinctive look and design. Louboutin heels...more

Third Circuit Reverses Summary Judgment In Favor of Video Game Maker In Important Right of Publicity Case

In a much-anticipated opinion, the Third Circuit Court of Appeals yesterday reversed a New Jersey lower court decision granting summary judgment in favor of video game giant Electronic Arts against putative class...more

Updated Version "The Texas Anti-SLAPP Statute: Issues for Business Tort Litigation," by Mark C. Walker, 7th Annual Bill of Rights...

In this issue: - Table Of Contents - Table Of Authorities - I. Introduction. - II. Texas Citizens Participation Act: What is it? - A. Background and Enactment of the TCPA. - 1....more

Laches, Acquiescence, and Trademark Injunctions - Who Should Be Upstream Without a (Greek) Paddle?

On May 8, a long time manufacturer of ceremonial paddles marketed to fraternities and sororities filed a petition for certiorari with the US Supreme Court seeking relief from an injunction barring him from using Greek...more

In the Continuing Saga of the TCPA: Good News, Bad News From a Court in Miami

In a recently released decision from the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida, Mais v. Gulf Coast Collection Bureau, et al., Judge Robert N. Scola, Jr., granted in part and denied in part cross motions for...more

YouTube (Part III) Notice-and-Take-Down Safe Harbour Under the DMCA

A driving force for the development of the Internet was to provide certainty for Internet service organizations on the liability exposure they may have for acts of third parties on their Internet sites....more

Pro Te Solutio - Vol. 6 No. 1 February 2013

In This Issue: - Can Experts Testify as to the Ethics or State of Mind of Corporate Defendants? - Patent Reform for Biotech Companies - United States v. Caronia and its Implications for Off-Label...more

Supreme Court Upholds FCC Authority to Address Wireless Siting

The Supreme Court today issued its decision in City of Arlington v. FCC—the case challenging the FCC’s 2009 “Shot Clock” declaratory ruling. The Supreme Court affirmed the Fifth Circuit, holding that Chevron deference applies...more

U.S. Supreme Court Allows FCC to Determine its Own Authority - Decision Upholds FCC Time Restrictions on Local Government...

The United States Supreme Court issued its decision in City of Arlington v. FCC, ruling that if an agency has general rulemaking or adjudicative power under a statute, courts must defer to all of the agency’s reasonable...more

The Second Circuit’s Aereo Math: One Copy + One Subscriber ≠ Public Performance

Last week­—the week of May 12, 2013­—proved to be an eventful week for Aereo. On May 14, 2013, the controversial broadcast television streaming service filed a motion for summary judgment in the Southern District of...more

Court Dismisses California AG’s First Suit Against Mobile Application Provider Under Online Privacy Protection Act

On May 9, the Superior Court of California dismissed California Attorney General Kamala Harris’ first suit against a company for allegedly failing to comply with the state’s Online Privacy Protection Act. California v. Delta...more

IP/Entertainment Law Weekly Case Update for Motion Picture Studios and Television Networks -- May 17, 2013

Righthaven LLC v. Hoehn, USCA, Ninth Circuit, May 9, 2013 - Ninth Circuit affirms district courts’ dismissals of copyright infringement actions holding that entity created solely for purpose of pursuing copyright...more

FDCA Express Preemption Victory in Benecol Misbranding Class Action

A recent Third Circuit case brings good news for defendants making express preemption arguments under the Food, Drug and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) in misbranding class actions. Last week, the court affirmed the dismissal of a...more

Service by Social Media: The First Step in a New Way to Serve Foreign Defendants

For those recovery and subrogation professionals facing the challenge of serving foreign defendants with legal papers for actions filed in the U.S. courts, the process “serving” those foreign defendants can be a long and...more

Platinum Sports Shoots Air Ball; Sixth Circuit Dismisses Action Against Governor Snyder And Attorney General Schuette For Lack Of...

In 2011, the Michigan legislature enacted laws barring sexually oriented businesses from displaying signs on premises, or off-site billboards, that contain more than "words or numbers." See MCL §§ 125.2833 and 252.318a. ...more

Florida Federal Court Rejects FCC Ruling on Autodialed Collection Calls to Cell Phones

A Florida federal court has rejected the Federal Communication Commission's 2008 ruling that by providing a wireless number to a creditor on a credit application, a consumer has given "prior express consent" as required by...more

Northern District Of Illinois Dismisses Class Action Complaint, Characterizing It As Much Ado About Nothing

After allowing Plaintiff multiple opportunities to submit additional authority in opposition to Defendant’s Motion to Dismiss, the court dismissed his class action Complaint for failure to state a claim upon which relief can...more

Advertising News & Analysis - May 9, 2013

In this issue: - Product Demonstrations Deliver Reward…and Risk - Sometimes the Claim is in the Eye of the Beholder - Viacom v. YouTube Decision Maintains DMCA Safe Harbor for Video Site - TCPA...more

Manually Dialed Telephone Calls May Violate TCPA

The Telephone Consumer Protection Act regulates the use of auto/predictive dialers, which are used to initiate faxes, prerecorded voice messages, and SMS text messages. But a federal court in the Western District of Wisconsin...more

BABC eDiscovery Newsletter - April 2013

In this issue: - The Firm’s Ediscovery Team Attorneys - Case Insights - Editor’s Corner - Excerpt from Peerless Industries, Inc. v. Crimson Av, LLC, Case No. 1:11-cv-1768, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS...more

State of Alabama v. Carlos Edward Kennedy

ORDER REGARDING ELECTRONIC DEVICES AND CONTACT WITH JURORS, POTENTIAL JURORS AND WITNESSES

The trend around the nation is for judges to ban the use of laptops, I-Phones, Blackberries and other electronic devices whether used by reporters or the public to report on the trial. This Order allows their use in the 13th...more

Telecommunications Regulatory Update – April 2013: Baker & McKenzie

ACMA warns about getting CISs right - The ACMA has formally warned Activ8me and Sure Telecom about failing to make available critical information summaries (CISs) in breach of the Telecommunications Consumer...more

First Circuit Vacates Denial Of Class Certification In Opinion Concerning Pfizer’s Off-Label Marketing Of Neurontin

In Harden Manufacturing Co. v. Pfizer, Inc., 712 F.3d 60 (1st Cir. 2013), one of three cases addressing Pfizer’s off-label marketing of the anticonvulsant drug, Neurontin, the First Circuit vacated the district court’s denial...more