The Largest Drug-safety Settlement to Date

Pills Money

Labeled by the U.S. Government as the largest drug-safety settlement to date with a generic drug manufacturer; Ranbaxy Laboratories has just pled guilty to three felony counts under the Food, Drug, and Cosmetic act, and four felony counts of of providing false statements to the United States Food and Drug Administration.

The company failed to conduct proper safety and quality tests of several drugs that were manufactured in the Indian plants. These generic drugs were manufactured in Paonta Sahib, and Dewas India. The major drugs involved in this case were the generic versions of Gabapentin, Sotret, and Ciprofloxacin. This is a great cause for concern because compared to the plants in the United States which are inspected by the F.D.A. once every two years, plants over seas are inspected about once every seven to thirteen years. It has been proven between June and August of 2007, certain batches of medications had tested positive for “unknown impurities” and had unreliable shelf lives. Ranbaxy waited two months until October of that year to report these impurities.

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Bieber Fever: Star Named in Copyright Lawsuit

music notes 3 by flickr user emilyamimu, licensed by Creative Commons

You said you would always be mine

Just like the common cold, pretty much everyone has had Bieber fever, but apparently people are immune to the epidemic. Two songwriters, Devin Copeland and Mareio Overton, filed a complaint in U.S. District Court in Virginia against the pop star. Justin Beiber and Usher are facing a $10 million lawsuit for supposedly stealing song “Somebody to Love.” Back in 2009, Copeland and Overton claim that “Somebody To Love” was presented to Usher and Jonetta Patton, Usher’s mother, who also plays the role of his manager from time to time, by music scouts. They state that copy was never returned and that they never heard back from Jonetta or anyone associated with the company. Read more

Man Sues Company Over “Kick Me” Sign

Kick by flickr used euskadi_11, licensed by Creative Commons

Can I Kick It?

A man in New Mexico is suing his company after some co-workers placed a “Kick Me” sign on his back. Harvey Palacio of Albuquerque, NM has filed a lawsuit against Intel Corp. seeking damages related to harassment in the workplace. According to the suit, Palacio had the prank pulled on him and was subject to repeated kicking in the backside during a day of work. Palacio, a Filipino man, believes that this was racially motivated and put forth in an attempt to get him to quit the company. Two of the employees involved have already been fired by Intel and also charged with petty misdemeanor battery. Read more

Achtung Spidey! Broadway Lawsuit Set for Court

Bono as the Fly Cleveland 1992, by Wikimedia user Steve Kalinsky, licensed by Creative Commons

“I have run, I have crawled, I have scaled these city walls…”

Spider-Man has always been much more familiar with spandex suits than lawsuits.  The Broadway play ‘Turn Off the Dark’ is slinging across headlines after the old co-writer and musical director Julie Taymor is suing over copyright infringement.  She is seeking compensation up to $1 million after being terminated after the show suffered from freak injuries and other mishaps.  It was believed that a decision could be reached, however sources claim the final stumbling block was creative control over Marvel’s web-head himself.  U2′s Bono and The Edge, who are the show’s composers, are also set to appear for the court date in New York, officially set for May 28. Read more

Riddell Football Helmet in Serious Trouble

Courtesy Flick User Schluesselbein2007The sport of football in America is close to the hearts of many people. Whether they grew up playing the game or are a fan of a professional or college team, the passion for football in the states is second to none.

Many people often forget about the danger associated with the sport. When a player straps on a helmet, there is a high probability that aninjury can occur sometime throughout their career. The National Football League has recently been under a lot of scrutiny for head injuries and concussions that have occurred on the field.

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