Ink Not Dry on LeBron Tattoo Lawsuit

Heating up

The world of video games has become very realistic as technology continues to advance. In the 1980s and 1990s, the additions of player’s actual names in sports games was a huge step to creating a more immersive experience. In the 00’s, the blank faces and stares of old video game character models became much more realistic, if not lifelike, replications of famous athletes. Today, guys like LeBron James in Take-Two Interactive’s NBA 2k series is a dead-on representation, right on down to the tattoos. However, this has now caused a brand new issue and interesting talking point. A tattoo company with copyrighted images of the tattoo work has filed a lawsuit, claiming copyright infringement.   Read More

Paws and Consider What Your Dogs Are Eating

Watch out for your dogs

Champion Pet Food manufactures two brands of dry dog food, Orijen and Acana, which are both named in a recent class action lawsuit. The parent company is under scrutiny for negligently failing to list and mention in the dog food packaging and advertising, the presence of heavy toxins. The dangerous chemicals and metals include arsenic, lead, bisphenol (BPA), mercury, and cadmium. BPA is not a chemical commonly associated with pet foods. Not only are these toxins harmful to dogs, but the company deliberately failed to disclose these ingredients to the dog owners who regularly purchase the dry dog food. Continue reading →

Bitcoin: Getting Cryptic with Coinbase

Coinbase off base?

The world of bitcoin and cryptocurrency is very… well, cryptic. The exchanging of “internet money” with fluid values that rise and fall is reminiscent of the stock market, without any government regulation. As more people learn what crypto is and how it works, there are going to be players that become the gold standard in the space. Unfortunately, there are also going be people who can find ways to profit from it. With no one to regulate what goes on, would it be possible for a “CEO” from a crypto startup to steal money from his own clients? This is the latest issue with the most popular cryptocurrency exchange platform, Coinbase, which is being sued after they failed to raise alarms about a money laundering scheme. The case is now going to a jury trial after the Eleventh Circuit Court of Appeals denied an appeal in district court. Read more

Fishy Decision for Miami’s Marlins

Gone fishin’

The beauty of sportsmanship is trying to out-perform and out-think the competition. A baseball team based in Florida is now trying to claim that, legally, their ownership group is based in the British Virgin Islands. This would mean that any governance by the United States or Florida would not have jurisdiction, and any decisions would have to be filed in Island nation. This would also take a recent lawsuit brought against the Miami Marlins and their former owner, Jeffrey Loria, and essentially throw it overboard. Miami-Dade County and the city of Miami itself are seeking compensation after Loria allegedly over-promised, under-delivered, than sold the Major League Baseball franchise for $1.2 billion. Read More

Trouble Brewing for Starbucks

Totally worth the risk

Studies have shown that up to 2 cups of black coffee per day can have a positive effect on the human body. Well, those days may be over. A non-for-profit group in California has filed a lawsuit against a number of coffee companies, including Starbucks, about health warnings on all products solid within the state. A little known chemical in coffee, acrylamide, can apparently cause cancer. Acrylamide is created during the brewing process when coffee beans are roasted. Though many experts agree that the actual risk of getting cancer from coffee is incredibly low, a judge ruled that Starbucks (among other companies) failed to include any type of warning or information of risk on cups of coffee sold. Read More