Posted inLawsuits

Can’t Shake This Lawsuit

A person holding a pen writes in a notebook on a desk. The notebook is open, and some text is visible but unclear. The person wears a t-shirt with a bicycle design. The image is in black and white, focusing on the hand and the notebook.
Copyright issue

After achieving a dismissal in a copyright lawsuit, which alleged a similarity of lyrics between her song and the 2001 3LW song, ‘Playas Gon’ Play,’ Taylor Swift now must stand trial.  The plaintiffs in the original case appealed the dismissal; and a three-judge panel ordered for the case to be reconsidered at the district court level in October 2019.  Earlier this month, in the United States District Court of the Central District of California, Swift was denied a second dismissal.  The judge who denied the dismissal reasoned that a trial would help to provide clarity on the true similarities between ‘Shake It Off’ and ‘Playas Gon’ Play.’  Swift’s legal team, however, challenges the argument that there are significant resemblances.

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Posted inLawsuits

Watch Your Purchased Items

A close-up of an outstretched human arm with fingers slightly bent, set against a plain white background.
Is the pain worth it?

Apple is known for its innovative technology and smart products. A new lawsuit, however, showcases a design that might not have come initially advertised. Five consumers of the Series 3 smartwatch have filed a class action lawsuit, alleging a defect that causes personal injury. One of the claimants was so severely injured that the broken watch display sliced open a vein. Unfortunately, this is not the first stream of complaints reported. As early as 2015, when the first Apple Watch was introduced to the market, customers have described appearances of burn marks or rashes on their wrists.

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Posted inLawsuits

Music Festers File Lawsuit

A large crowd attends an outdoor concert at night. White confetti fills the air above silhouetted audience members waving their arms. Bright stage lights illuminate the scene, and video screens display the performance on either side.
Not all fun

Three festival-goers claim that $5 million is the reasonable amount necessary to compensate for conditions that have been described as uncomfortable and dangerous. Those who have attended an outdoor music festival and camped on the premises for more than one night may attest to the lack of cleanliness and luxury. Some of the typical festival proclivities may include long lines at the portable toilet station, limited access to running water or showers, tight camping quarters, and insurmountable levels of excitement and fun. The lawsuit in question, however, notes a discrepancy between how the festival was promoted to potential consumers and what was actually delivered.

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Posted inLawsuits

My Pillow Suit Deemed Fluff

A wooden gavel rests on a closed green book, placed on a surface covered with one hundred dollar bills. The background is a solid gray color. Text on the book is not visible.
Lawsuit flattened

As the holiday season comes to an end, we may reflect on the family members we have visited, the food we have enjoyed, and the purchases we have made. One of those said purchases might include new linens, slippers, or pillows from My Pillow, Inc., headquartered in Minnesota. While it might be hard to ignore the comfort of these new items, it may be as equally difficult to overlook the conclusion to the CEO’s legal dispute. Earlier this month, a federal judge dismissed Mike Lindell’s lawsuit against the Daily Mail, which was filed this year in January. The claims of the dispute were defamatory in nature, but according to the federal judge handling the case, lacked substantial evidence.

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Posted inSettlements

In the Market to Settle

Aerial view of a green combine harvester cutting through a field of wheat. The machine is creating trails of dust as it moves, highlighting the golden-brown crop harvest.
Risky business

As customers peruse the endless gift options available on Amazon for the upcoming Holiday season, they may come across items that should not be purchased by the average shopper. For example, industrial-grade pesticides have remained the topic of a dispute with Amazon and the Attorney General’s Office in Washington State. According to a lawsuit filed in 2018, Amazon granted thousands of transactions of agricultural and industrial-use pesticides to customers, without presenting a clear representation that the pesticides should not be used for average home garden use. In fact, these higher-grade pesticides differed considerably from widely available products that might be found at Home Depot or Lowe’s.

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