Tag Archives: legal

Rapper Turns Red Over Instagram Lawsuit

Controversy rolls on

Everyone knows the saying “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me,” but in this day age words and statements are not to be taken lightly and can cause a lot of damage. While social media gives celebrities the ability to speak their minds to their fans, there have been plenty of public figures that have eaten their written words when they have not been cautious about while posting about others. In a recent incident, hip-hop superstar Jayceon Taylor, better known as The Game, has recently came out with a slanderous statement about his previous babysitter, Karen Monroe, on Instagram and Twitter. This resulted in a lawsuit from Ms. Monroe, who states The Game hurt her reputation. Read More

Settlement For Alzheimer’s Patient

“Alzheimer’s is the cleverest thief, because she not only steals from you, but she steals the very thing you need to remember what’s been stolen.”
― Jarod Kintz.

In the pharmaceutical world, there is always a new drug or treatment to cure, suspend growth of, or prevent a disease/illness.Just like any other business, the competition is steep and each company is trying to produce “the cure.” Recently, Eli Lilly & Company and Johnson & Johnson both have been in the process of developing potential treatment for Alzheimer’s disease.Alzheimer’s is the most common form of dementia, that gets worse as it progresses which eventually leads to death.In April, Eli Lilly & Co sought to revoke a patent held by J&J in London courts, which was recently settled with Eli Lilly & Co as victor for the patent.”We are disappointed by the outcome of this case, and we are considering our options,” Greg Panico, a U.S. spokesman for Janssen. Read More

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

New Scoop on Bowl-Shaped Frito Lawsuit

Dip that chip!

The latest food lawsuit gives new meaning to the phrase “let the chips fall where they may”.  Frito-Lay, the famous American snack distributor, has recently lost a legal battle against a smaller competitor involving their “Scoops!” tortilla chips.  Medallion Foods, a private-label food subsidiary of Ralcorp Holdings, won the jury’s favor over their own brand of snacks that allow you to easily scoop up salsa, guacamole, or dip.  Frito had been seeking $4.5 million worth of damages from the St. Louis company, claiming that their version of the scoop-able chip was simply a rip-off of their famous “Scoops!”.  A U.S. district court in Dallas came to the decision in late winter, surprising many of those who assumed Frito-Lay had the inside track on a settlement. Read more