Monthly Archives: June 2013

Los Angeles Cable Subscribers Getting a Little More Than Bargained For

Los Angeles Fans Tuned Out

The LA sports scene free fall continues. If Lakers management thought the blown Achilles
tendon of their crown jewel Kobe Bryant was cringe inducing wait till they get a peek of the class action lawsuit directed at them and Time Warner Cable.The suit, in direct response to Time Warner’s acquiring of Lakers and Dodgers Television rights, contends the cost of the television rights are on the backs of non Laker’s and Dodger’s Fans.

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False Testimony: Woman Ordered To Pay Millions

Swear to tell the whole truth?

Have you ever told a lie in your life, even a small white lie? Maybe you have, maybe you haven’t but telling a lie, even the smallest of lies, could land you millions in debt. Wanetta Gibson falsely accused Brian Banks,who is a professional football player, of raping her in 2002. It turns out, the entire case was based on Ms. Gibson’s testimony of being raped which actually never took place. She said the supposed rape took place on the campus of Long Beach Poly High and since it did not, the school sued her in civil court.

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Bed Bugs Bite in Landlord-Tenant Dispute

Once bitten, twice shy

Inattentive landlords and hotel owners: consider this a warning. Those tiny bugs that congregate around your sleeping quarters can become more than just a pain in your hind quarters. After the well-publicized infestations that occurred in the Big Apple and several other large cities across the United States, people and the civil court system have become far more cognizant of these pesky nuisances. In one of the more eye-opening verdicts, an Annapolis woman was awarded a windfall settlement of $800,000. The jury who heard the case was clearly intending to send a not-so-subtle message to negligent property owners.

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Copyright Case: Who Owns “Happy Birthday”?

Time to blow out the candles

Thinking of video taping that special someone’s Birthday festivities? Not so fast… You may be documenting an unfolding crime. Unbeknownst to myself and the general public, you could potentially be treading the line of infringing upon United States Copyright Law. As soon as the widely believed “timeless classic”, “Happy Birthday to You” ballad escapes your lips you are leaving yourself susceptible to civil lawsuit by the copyright holder; in this case, Warner/Chappell Music Inc. To prevent one’s self from running afoul of the law one must pay the $1500 licensing fee imposed by Warner/Chappell Music Inc.

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Class-Action: Unpaid Interns Change Their Tune

Men at work (…for free)

The days of unpaid internships might finally be coming to an end. In what many see as the next chip to fall, Warner Music Group and Atlantic Records are being sued by former interns who were uncommonly compensated for their time at the group. Justin Henry, who worked for Atlantic from 2007-2008, represents the class action lawsuit filed in the state of New York, claiming he was improperly classified as an unpaid intern. Federal labor laws state that Henry was technically an employee and would have him at least making minimum-wage. Interns in this field often worked from 10am-6pm and were sometimes asked to stay later, yet they never received proper compensation. Read more