Do trademarks protect iconic names and imagery, or only their use as a brand identifier? This question was at the heart of a closely watched trademark trial in the Middle District of Pennsylvania, where a federal jury...more
Note to research compliance officials still digesting news of Pennsylvania State’s recent $1.25 million settlement over False Claims Act (FCA) allegations related to cybersecurity and the government’s recent intervention in a...more
When you see a T-shirt or hat with a recognizable, old logo on it, do you look to the current brand owner as its source? Universities and companies will often try to protect their goodwill in these images even after they have...more
Pennsylvania State University has secured wins on the field and in court this football season with a 10-1 football record (and likely a College Football Playoff berth), and a jury verdict in its favor in a lawsuit against...more
Penn State recently agreed to pay $1.25 million to settle allegations of False Claims Act violations related to its cybersecurity controls after a whistleblower alleged that the university failed to adhere to cybersecurity...more
On October 22, 2024, the Department of Justice (“DOJ”) announced that Pennsylvania State University (“Penn State”) has agreed to pay $1,250,000 to settle a False Claims Act (“FCA”) case brought against the University...more
The HHS Office of Research Integrity (ORI) gets an “A” for effort on its new proposed regulation revising research misconduct rules, but maybe a “D” overall. Most of the nearly 200 comments on the proposed rule posted online...more
A few weeks ago, we discussed two recent cyber-related False Claims Act (FCA) cases. One of those cases is a qui tam lawsuit against Penn State and, as of the date of our article, we were waiting to see if DOJ would opt to...more
Report on Research Compliance 18, no. 9 (September, 2021) - To his supporters and colleagues, Song Guo Zheng, MD, PhD, was the most productive worker they’ve seen in 50 years, publishing nearly 300 papers, a man who lived...more
Frozen in time, immortalized in a picture in the vestibule in the Palestra, Steve Bilsky rose up for a shot with three seconds remaining against Villanova. The date was January 15, 1969. Then as now, Villanova was a national...more
Yet another big university is learning a costly lesson about the perils of ignoring rogue doctors and their harming of vulnerable young people: The University of Southern California has offered to pay $215 million to settle...more
The Third Circuit’s affirmation of summary judgment in a pay equity case after ten years of litigation shows that even non-meritorious claims can be time-consuming and costly. As many who have been involved in lawsuits know,...more
Seyfarth Synopsis: Since August 2016, sixteen elite colleges and universities have faced class action lawsuits related to management of their retirement plans. After five cases previously survived motions to dismiss, the...more
The fallout at Penn State University in the wake of the Jerry Sandusky child-sexual-abuse scandal, including the victims’ suffering, Sandusky’s criminal conviction, the firing and subsequent death of legendary Coach Joe...more
Companies facing a crisis often turn to in house counsel to investigate the facts that precipitated the crisis. In house counsel’s first step often is to interview corporate employees with knowledge of those facts....more
It’s Monday morning — do you know your privacy/security status? Here are a few bits and bytes to start your week. SEC to Registered Investment Advisers and Broker-Dealers: It’s Your Turn to Pay Attention to...more
Companies in every industry—private and public—struggle with the difficult task of promptly identifying employee wrongdoing and responding appropriately. The National Football League continues to be embroiled in a controversy...more
In reaction to the Jerry Sandusky revelations in Pennsylvania, the Louisiana Legislature enacted a new whistleblower statute intended to protect employees from reprisal for reporting any fellow employee’s sexual abuse of a...more
Ethical behaviors and legal compliance within any educational institution cannot be presumed; they must be cultivated, monitored and enforced. It is a team effort. It begins with senior leadership, including an informed and...more