Media & Entertainment

  • November 21, 2025

    IP Notebook: Kahwa Mix-Up, WallStreetBets, Hotel California

    This round of Law360's look at emerging copyright and trademark issues includes a Federal Circuit case over an obscure tea drink and a nod to the Eagles' "Hotel California" in a precedential decision that is a primer on having an actual intent to use a trademark.

  • November 21, 2025

    FCC Revokes Calif.'s Direct Oversight Of Lifeline Program

    California will no longer be allowed to use its own process to verify eligibility for the Lifeline program after the FCC stripped it of the privilege, which has only been extended to two other states, claiming a recently passed California law will make the state's process unreliable.

  • November 21, 2025

    OpenAI Tells 9th Circ. TM Injunction Is 'Based On Guesses'

    OpenAI Inc. urged the Ninth Circuit on Friday to scrap a preliminary injunction won by IYO Inc. which blocks OpenAI from using the trademark associated with acquired competitor IO Products Inc., arguing there is no evidence that IYO faces irreparable harm and the injunction is "based on guesses" about OpenAI's future products.

  • November 21, 2025

    7th Circ. Won't Revive $250M Van Gogh Dispute

    A German Jewish art collector's heirs were correctly denied in their bid to recover Vincent van Gogh's "Sunflowers" painting from a Japanese insurance firm because a lower court lacked jurisdiction to hear their dispute, the Seventh Circuit said Friday.

  • November 21, 2025

    MGA Can Take IP Fight Over Dolls To 9th Circ. Before Retrial

    A California federal judge on Thursday allowed toy giant MGA Entertainment Inc. to ask the Ninth Circuit if a judge or jury should consider whether hip hop moguls Clifford and Tameka Harris are entitled to punitive damages in long-running litigation over the alleged use of their intellectual property in an MGA line of dolls. 

  • November 21, 2025

    Apple Buyers Defend Smartphone, Watch Monopoly Case

    Groups of buyers accusing Apple of monopolizing smartphone and smartwatch markets told a New Jersey federal court the multidistrict litigation concerns the same allegations that recently survived dismissal in a government action.

  • November 21, 2025

    Google Ad Tech Judge 'Concerned' By DOJ's Breakup Timing

    A Virginia federal judge expressed concern during oral arguments Friday that breaking up Google's advertising placement technology business could take too long to help the market in the face of the company's anticipated appeal of the monopolization ruling won by the U.S. Department of Justice.

  • November 21, 2025

    FCC Sued For Records Of Threats To ABC Over Kimmel

    A pro-democracy advocacy group is looking to force the Federal Communications Commission to turn over Chair Brendan Carr's calendar entries and messages related to his public threats to ABC and Jimmy Kimmel, arguing that Carr has been using the FCC's regulatory authority to curb free speech over the nation's airwaves.

  • November 21, 2025

    Immigration Blitz Sparks Legal Battles In Chicago Fed. Court

    While some of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security agents tasked with carrying out the Trump administration's immigration enforcement surge in the Chicago area appear to have moved on, the city's federal courthouse is left grappling with the fallout from "Operation Midway Blitz."

  • November 21, 2025

    Nextdoor Beats Investor Suit Over Post-SPAC Woes For Good

    A California federal judge has permanently dismissed a shareholder class action alleging hyperlocal social networking service Nextdoor Holdings Inc. misled investors about its projected profitability when combining with a special purpose acquisition company, finding the investors failed to cure issues from a previous complaint.

  • November 21, 2025

    Writers Accuse Databricks Of Deposition Misconduct In AI Suit

    Writers suing Databricks for allegedly using their copyrighted works for artificial intelligence training have urged a California federal judge to order defense attorneys to stop coaching witnesses during depositions, with defense counsel countering that the court should bar plaintiffs from asking "personally invasive and harassing" questions.

  • November 21, 2025

    FCC Looks To Alter Local Affiliates' Ties To Major Networks

    The Federal Communications Commission wants the public to weigh in on "barriers" that could stand in the way of local TV broadcasters as it examines their legal and contract ties to national networks.

  • November 21, 2025

    'No Evidence' New Info Backs J&J Unit's Libel Suit, Court Told

    A doctor being sued by Johnson & Johnson's bankrupt talc subsidiary pushed back on the unit's bid to revive its trade libel claim over a scientific article she wrote linking asbestos in talc to mesothelioma, arguing it failed to cite any evidence that undermines the court's finding that the article was a nonactionable statement of scientific opinion.

  • November 21, 2025

    Nicklaus' Golf Cos. File Ch. 11 With $500M+ Liabilities

    Nicklaus Companies LLC, the sporting gear and golf course design company founded by legend Jack Nicklaus, and 11 affiliates filed for bankruptcy in Delaware on Friday, as it disputes a $50 million jury award in favor of the 85-year-old retired golfer in his defamation suit against the company.

  • November 21, 2025

    Sens. Introduce Bill To Clear Railroad Delays To Broadband

    A bipartisan pair of senators on Friday filed their version of a bill to clear up delays experienced by broadband network builders when trying to cross railroads' rights-of-way.

  • November 21, 2025

    Tort Report: Ga. Injury Suits Surge Ahead Of Tort Reform

    Word of a big surge in Georgia injury lawsuits ahead of tort reform legislation and a $66 million Atlanta nightclub shooting judgment lead Law360's Tort Report, which compiles recent personal injury and medical malpractice news that may have flown under the radar.

  • November 21, 2025

    Ga. Tax Worker Granted Interest On Chrisley Slander Verdict

    A Georgia tax official will collect interest on top of a $755,000 slander verdict she won from former reality TV personality and convicted felon Todd Chrisley after a jury found he falsely accused her of unethical and illegal behavior, a Georgia federal judge said.

  • November 21, 2025

    1st Circ. Agrees Gibson Owns Liberace's Glitzy Piano

    The First Circuit affirmed a jury's finding that a nine-foot-long, rhinestone-encrusted piano used by entertainer Liberace belongs to musical instrument maker Gibson and not a Massachusetts man.

  • November 20, 2025

    Renewed Federal Push To Block State AI Laws Faces Backlash

    The Trump administration is pushing to revive a failed effort to stop states from regulating artificial intelligence systems, drawing opposition from California's data privacy regulator, consumer advocates and others that argue it's crucial for states to retain their ability to put guardrails on the emerging technology in the wake of continued federal inaction.

  • November 20, 2025

    Fugees' Pras Gets 14 Years For Illegal Political Donation

    Former Fugees rapper Prakazrel "Pras" Michel was sentenced Thursday to 14 years in prison for illegally funneling money from a Malaysian billionaire into former President Barack Obama's 2012 reelection campaign and later lobbying the first Trump administration on behalf of China.

  • November 20, 2025

    Meta Will Pay $190M, Change Policies To End $8B Privacy Suit

    Meta Platforms Inc. has agreed to pay $190 million, as well as enhance its whistleblower program and implement a new code of conduct and insider trading policy, as part of a proposed settlement in an $8 billion privacy suit tied to the Cambridge Analytica scandal, according to several new filings Thursday.

  • November 20, 2025

    Roblox Can't Get Teen Grooming Suit Arbitrated

    A California state judge said Roblox couldn't compel a minor to arbitrate his claims that he was targeted and exploited by a sexual predator on the online gaming platform, saying that a recent federal law aimed at ending forced arbitration in sexual assault and harassment cases isn't limited to workplaces.

  • November 20, 2025

    9th Circ. Urged To Revive Google Maps Antitrust Suit

    App makers urged the Ninth Circuit on Thursday to revive a proposed class action targeting Google's Maps product, arguing that the lower court erred in failing to accept at the pleading stage their antitrust arguments that Google's terms suppressed competition, allowing Google to increase developer costs up to 1,400%.

  • November 20, 2025

    Journalist Jailed For Contempt, Fined For Stealing Court Mug

    A Texas federal judge ordered U.S. marshals Thursday to haul a onetime conservative journalist to a nearby jail for contempt of court and separately fined him $1,000 for stealing a court coffee mug, saying he had had it with the defendant's "shenanigans."

  • November 20, 2025

    Thomson Reuters Balks At AI Co.'s Fair Use Appeal

    Thomson Reuters wants the Third Circuit to back a district court's decision that an artificial intelligence-powered legal search engine's use of Westlaw headnotes did not constitute fair use, saying the AI company "pilfered" copyrightable content to make a competing business.

Expert Analysis

  • 2nd Circ. Peloton Ruling Emphasizes Disclosure Context

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    The Second Circuit’s recent decision to revive shareholders’ suit alleging that Peloton made materially misleading statements makes clear that public companies must continually review risk disclosures to determine if previous hypotheticals have materialized, say attorneys at Baker Botts.

  • Series

    Mindfulness Meditation Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Mindful meditation enables me to drop the ego, and in helping me to keep sight of what’s important, permits me to learn from the other side and become a reliable counselor, says Roy Wyman at Bass Berry.

  • $233M Disney Deal Shows Gravity Of Local Law Adherence

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    A California state court recently approved a $233 million settlement for thousands of Disneyland workers who were denied the minimum wage required by a city-level statute, demonstrating that local ordinances can transform historic tax or bond arrangements into wage law triggers, says Meredith Bobber Strauss at Michelman & Robinson.

  • AI Litigation Tools Can Enhance Case Assessment, Strategy

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    Civil litigators can use artificial intelligence tools to strengthen case assessment and aid in early strategy development, as long as they address the risks and ethical considerations that accompany these uses, say attorneys at Barnes & Thornburg.

  • How '24 Statements Show FTC's Direction On Political Speech

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    Two top Federal Trade Commission officials made concurring statements in 2024 that detailed a potential push to protect political speech, which have served as a preview of the commission's potential new focus on investigating social media and financial services firms to secure changes in those companies' internal business practices, says Benjamin Goldman at Montgomery McCracken.

  • Attys Beware: Generative AI Can Also Hallucinate Metadata

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    In addition to the well-known problem of AI-generated hallucinations in legal documents, AI tools can also hallucinate metadata — threatening the integrity of discovery, the reliability of evidence and the ability to definitively identify the provenance of electronic documents, say attorneys at Law & Forensics.

  • Navigating Int'l Laws To Protect Children In The Digital World

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    The European Commission’s recent request to online platforms for information on their measures to protect minors using their services is part of an intensifying focus on safeguarding children, and with an ever-growing worldwide maze of regulations, digital businesses should conduct a holistic assessment to minimize risks, says Anna Morgan at Bird & Bird.

  • When Atty Ethics Violations Give Rise To Causes Of Action

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    Though the Model Rules of Professional Conduct make clear that a violation of the rules does not automatically create a cause of action, attorneys should beware of a few scenarios in which they could face lawsuits for ethical lapses, says Brian Faughnan at Faughnan Law.

  • Privacy Lessons From FTC Settlement With Chinese Toymaker

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    In U.S. v. Apitor Technology, the Federal Trade Commission recently settled with a Chinese toy manufacturer that shared children's physical location with a third-party app provider, but the privacy lessons from the settlement extend beyond companies focusing on children's products, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • TikTok Divestiture Deal Revolves Around IP Considerations

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    The divestiture deal between the U.S. and China to resolve a security dispute over TikTok's U.S. operations is seen as a diplomatic breakthrough, but its success hinges on the treatment of intellectual property and may set a precedent in the global contest over digital sovereignty and IP control, say attorneys at Brownstein Hyatt.

  • Insurer Investigation Lessons From 'The Real Housewives'

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    The recent indictment of "Real Housewives of Potomac" stars Wendy and Edward Osefo on charges of insurance fraud serves as a cautionary tale for commercial policyholders about the tools insurers may use to investigate a suspicious or large insurance claim, and offers lessons on recordkeeping and cooperation, say attorneys at Hunton.

  • Lessons From Del. Chancery Court's New Activision Decision

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    The Delaware Court of Chancery's recent decision in AP-Fonden v. Activision Blizzard, declining to dismiss certain fiduciary duty claims at the pleading stage, offers takeaways for boards considering a sale, including the importance of playing an active role in the merger process and documenting key board materials, say attorneys at Cleary.

  • Opinion

    Courts Must Continue Protecting Plaintiffs In Mass Arbitration

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    In recent years, many companies have imposed onerous protocols that function to frustrate plaintiffs' ability to seek justice through mass arbitration, but a series of welcome court decisions in recent months indicate that the pendulum might be swinging back toward plaintiffs, say Raphael Janove and Sasha Jones at Janove Law.

  • Series

    Practicing Stoicism Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    Practicing Stoicism, by applying reason to ignore my emotions and govern my decisions, has enabled me to approach challenging situations in a structured way, ultimately providing advice singularly devoted to a client's interest, says John Baranello at Moses & Singer.

  • Series

    The Biz Court Digest: Texas, One Year In

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    A year after the Texas Business Court's first decision, it's clear that Texas didn't just copy Delaware and instead built something uniquely its own, combining specialization with constitutional accountability and creating a model that looks forward without losing touch with the state's democratic and statutory roots, says Chris Bankler at Jackson Walker.

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