The Second Circuit on Thursday backed a finding that the owner of "Baby Shark" trademarks, which won a default judgment against dozens of Chinese companies, didn't properly serve two of those businesses, saying an email didn't pass muster under the rules of the Hague Service Convention.
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TOP NEWS

2nd Circ. Bars Email Service In Chinese 'Baby Shark' Case

By Adam Lidgett

The Second Circuit on Thursday backed a finding that the owner of "Baby Shark" trademarks, which won a default judgment against dozens of Chinese companies, didn't properly serve two of those businesses, saying an email didn't pass muster under the rules of the Hague Service Convention.

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Vegas Sun Wants Justices To Revive Protective Pact

By Bryan Koenig

The Las Vegas Sun wants the U.S. Supreme Court to take up a Ninth Circuit decision that nixed an agreement protecting it from the Las Vegas Review-Journal's alleged plan to drive it out of business, arguing that the old pact with the more conservative paper was valid even without express government approval.

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Energy Transfer Wants Action On $345M Greenpeace Verdict

By Cara Salvatore

Energy Transfer begged a North Dakota state judge Thursday to enter final judgment on a $345 million defamation and property damage verdict over the Dakota Access pipeline protests, saying the case is "off the procedural map," and it heard from the judge an acknowledgment that it's taken over his professional life.

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Eminem's Publisher, Spotify Sort Out Copyright Dispute

By Rae Ann Varona

Spotify and Eminem's music publisher, which accused the digital music platform of streaming the rapper's hit "Lose Yourself" without a license, have ended the copyright infringement lawsuit, informing both a Tennessee federal court and the Sixth Circuit that they are dropping their dispute.

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Musicians Say AI Music Platform Copies Copyrighted Works

By Hailey Konnath

A group of independent musicians has filed a proposed class action claiming the artificial intelligence music platform Mureka illegally and systematically copies and stores their copyrighted works as part of a product that directly competes with their livelihoods.

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Analysis

Top Trade Secrets Decisions Of 2025

By Ivan Moreno

The Ninth Circuit clarified the rules of engagement in trade secrets disputes with guidance on when confidential information must be precisely detailed during litigation, and jurors delivered a $200 million verdict against Walmart over product freshness technology. Here are Law360's picks for the biggest trade secrets decisions of 2025.

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DEALS

Trump Media Combining With TAE In $6B Nuclear Fusion Deal

By Al Barbarino

Trump Media and Technology Group said Thursday it has agreed to merge with TAE Technologies, a privately held fusion power company, in an all-stock deal valued at $6 billion that would create one of the first publicly traded fusion energy companies.

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Deals Rumor Mill

Apollo Could Fetch $12B For Atlas Air, And More Rumors

By Al Barbarino

The past week saw no lack of chatter about potential sales, backdoor discussions, fundraises, initial public offerings and activist investor power moves.

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INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY

Nonclass Attys' $75M Fee Request Too High, Anthropic Says

By Adam Lidgett

Anthropic says the $75 million in fees that nonclass counsel requested as part of the artificial intelligence company's $1.5 billion copyright settlement with authors is far too high, arguing there is "scant justification" for the request.

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ITC Clears Toy Gun Imports, Will Review Smart Rings, Vapes

By Dani Kass

The U.S. International Trade Commission has had a busy week in intellectual property, determining a series of toy gun imports don't infringe Spin Master patents licensed to Hasbro, instituting reviews requested by companies including Ouraring, AbbVie and Juul, and receiving several new complaints.

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PRIVACY & CONSUMER PROTECTION

Hisense Blocked From Collecting Texan TV Viewers' Data

By Rae Ann Varona

A Texas state court temporarily blocked Chinese television maker Hisense from collecting viewers' personal data as the Lone Star State's attorney general sues the manufacturer and four other companies for allegedly "spying" on what consumers are watching, the attorney general has announced.

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Brief

Arkansas Social Media Safety Law Temporarily Blocked

By Nadia Dreid

Arkansas cannot enforce a state law that bans social media platforms from using algorithms that could cause a user to kill themselves, buy drugs, become addicted to social media or develop an eating disorder, a federal district judge has ruled.

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COMPETITION

LinkedIn Data Access Settlement Rejected In Antitrust Case

By Matthew Perlman

A California federal court refused to approve a settlement requiring LinkedIn to stop conditioning access to its data interface on rivals agreeing not to use the data for a competing professional social network, a deal that included no damages but up to $4 million in attorney fees.

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Judge Wants Live Nation Antitrust Trial Limited To 5 Weeks

By Bryan Koenig

A New York federal judge nudged the Justice Department and Live Nation during a hearing Thursday to limit next year's antitrust jury trial against the live entertainment giant to no more than five weeks, not the eight the government wants, although he left open the possibility for more time.

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SECURITIES & WHITE COLLAR

Feature

The Biggest Rulings From A Busy Year At The 1st Circ.

By Chris Villani

The nation's smallest federal appellate panel punched above its weight in 2025, grappling with numerous suits against the Trump administration, high-profile criminal appeals, a $34 million legal fee bid and a hotly contested kickback law.

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Theta, CEO Accused Of Crypto Fraud In Whistleblower Suits

By Katryna Perera

Two whistleblower complaints have been filed against Sliver VR Technologies, its blockchain subsidiary Theta Labs Inc. and their CEO, alleging they ran pump-and-dump and other fraud schemes to artificially inflate the company's token prices.

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TELECOMMUNICATIONS

FCC Reworks Reg Framework For Low Power TV

By Christopher Cole

The Federal Communications Commission on Thursday created a new regulatory framework in hopes of advancing the low-power TV industry.

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EXPERT ANALYSIS

Del. Dispatch: Key 2025 Corporate Cases And Trends To Know

The Delaware corporate legal landscape saw notable changes in 2025, spurred by amendments to the Delaware General Corporation Law, ubiquitous artificial intelligence fervor, boardroom discussion around DExit, record shareholder activism activity and an arguably more expansive view of potential Caremark liability, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

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Reviewing 2025's Most Pertinent Wiretap Developments

2025 was a remarkable year in the world of web tracking wiretapping litigation, not only for the increased caseload but also because of numerous developing theories of liability, with disputes expected to continue unabated in 2026, say attorneys at Squire Patton.

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7 Strategies To Optimize Impact Of Direct Examination

Direct examination is a make-or-break opportunity to build a witness’s credibility, so attorneys should adopt a few tactics — from asking so-called trust-fall questions to preemptively addressing weaknesses — to drive impact and retention with the fact-finder, says Allison Rocker at Baker McKenzie.

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Series

Nature Photography Makes Me A Better Lawyer

Nature photography reminds me to focus on what is in front of me and to slow down to achieve success, and, in embracing the value of viewing situations through different lenses, offers skills transferable to the practice of law, says Brian Willett at Saul Ewing.

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LEGAL INDUSTRY

$3.6B Hogan Lovells, Cadwalader Deal To Form Top 5 Firm

By Kevin Penton

Hogan Lovells and Cadwalader Wickersham & Taft are planning to combine, creating what the firms say will be the world's fifth-largest firm by revenue, they announced Thursday.

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Fake Quotes In Pa. Patent Case Lead To Judicial Rebuke

By James Boyle

Two Barley Snyder attorneys have been directed to explain to a Pennsylvania federal judge how nonexistent quotes from cited cases appeared in a July filing, according to a recently published order that also denied a holiday light clip manufacturer's request for a temporary restraining order preventing a rival company from selling a similar product.

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Calif. AG, Bar Officials Fight Bid To Stop ABS Fee-Sharing Ban

By James Mills

Both the California attorney general and the California State Bar are opposing a California attorney's attempt to block a new law preventing fee-sharing with out-of-state law firms owned by nonlawyers set to go into effect on Jan. 1.

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Boies Schiller Must Face Fla. Fee Suit, Court Told

By Lynn LaRowe

In pushing back on a bid to toss a Florida state court lawsuit against Boies Schiller Flexner LLP and related defendants, a pharmaceutical mass tort law firm and other parties said the lawsuit outlines a clear breach of a nondisclosure agreement and interference with existing business relationships, making the complaint legally sufficient under Sunshine State law.

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Dems Offer Bill To Shine Light On High Court 'Shadow Docket'

By Ryan Boysen

Democratic lawmakers have introduced a bill that would require the U.S. Supreme Court to explain its "shadow docket" rulings, criticizing the high court for issuing "harmful, backwards decisions" that "impact millions of Americans' lives" but are often unaccompanied by a formal opinion.

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DC Circ. Told Transferred Ethics Suit Bolsters Newman's Case

By Adam Lidgett

Suspended Federal Circuit Judge Pauline Newman is contending that a decision in which an ethics complaint against a Fourth Circuit judge was transferred out of his home court bolsters her argument that her fellow circuit judges shouldn't have investigated her fitness to remain on the bench.

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Trump's Picks To Lead FDIC, CFTC Win Senate Approval

By Jon Hill

The U.S. Senate on Thursday signed off on two more of President Donald Trump's picks for top financial regulator jobs, confirming Travis Hill and Michael Selig as chairs of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. and Commodity Futures Trading Commission, respectively.

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Senate Package Includes US Attorney, DC Judge Confirmations

By Courtney Bublé

The Senate confirmed 13 U.S. attorneys and three local judges for the District of Columbia as part of a nominations package confirmed 53-43 along party lines on Thursday.

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Chancery Sr. Magistrate Leaving Bench For Role As Neutral

By Rose Krebs

Delaware's Chancery Court will soon be losing its senior magistrate, as she is returning to private practice to serve as a professional neutral.

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COMPANIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

AB Electrolux

AbbVie Inc.

Activision Blizzard Inc.

Adeia Inc.

Advanced Micro Devices Inc.

Alexion Pharmaceuticals Inc.

Amazon.com Inc.

American Arbitration Association

Anthropic PBC

Apollo Global Management LLC

Apple Inc.

Arc Group World Wide Inc.

Arthur J. Gallagher & Co.

Atlas Air Inc.

BlackRock Inc.

Bloomingdale's Inc.

Burke Inc.

Cable News Network Inc.

Cars.com LLC

Chevron Corp.

Converse Inc.

EchoStar Corp.

Elliott Investment Management LP

Energy Transfer LP

Equity Services Inc.

Exxon Mobil Corp.

Financial Times Group Ltd.

Garmin Ltd.

Gen Digital Inc.

Genmab A/S

George Washington University

Glass Lewis & Co. LLC

Google LLC

Greenpeace Inc.

HTC Corporation

Hasbro Inc.

Hisense Co. Ltd.

Home Box Office Inc.

ImmunoGen Inc.

InterDigital Inc.

JUUL Labs Inc.

JetBlue Airways Corp.

KKR & Co. Inc.

Kobalt Music Group Ltd.

LG Electronics Inc.

Las Vegas Review-Journal Inc.

Lenovo Group Ltd.

Lex Machina Inc.

LinkedIn Corp.

Live Nation Entertainment Inc.

LiveRamp

Lululemon Athletica Inc.

MSP Recovery

Meta Platforms Inc.

Microsoft Corp.

Midea America Corp.

Mindbody Inc.

NBCUniversal Media LLC

NJOY Inc.

National Institute for Trial Advocacy

Netflix Inc.

New Civil Liberties Alliance

OpenAI OpCo LLC

Papa John's International Inc.

Pinterest Inc.

Prime Time Toys LLC

QUALCOMM Inc.

Reddit Inc.

Reebok International Ltd.

Regeneron Pharmaceuticals Inc.

S&P Global Inc.

Salesforce.com Inc.

Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd.

Sandoz International GmbH

Sony Group Corp.

Space Exploration Technologies Corp.

Spirit Airlines Inc.

Spotify Technology SA

Standard General LP

State Bar of California

Super Micro Computer Inc.

T-Mobile US Inc.

TCL Technology Group Corp.

The Boeing Co.

The Conference Board Inc.

The Goldman Sachs Group Inc.

The Harry Fox Agency Inc.

Walmart Inc.

Warner Bros. Discovery Inc.

Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.

Waymo LLC

Whirlpool Corp.

YouTube Inc.

Zeughauser Group LLC

LAW FIRMS IN TODAY'S NEWS

Alston & Bird

Amster Rothstein

Arnold & Porter

Ashurst LLP

Baker Botts

Baker McKenzie

Barley Snyder

Bathaee Dunne

Boies Schiller

Brownstein Hyatt

Burke LLP

Cadwalader Wickersham

Claggett & Sykes

Clark Hill

Cooley LLP

Cowan DeBaets

Cravath Swaine

DLA Piper

Davis Polk

Davis Wright Tremaine

Dechert LLP

Edelson PC

Epstein Drangel

Evia Law PLC

Fabricant LLP

Finnegan

Fish & Richardson

Fredrikson & Byron

Fried Frank

Gibson Dunn

Greenberg Traurig

HSF Kramer

Hogan Lovells

Holmes Athey

Hunt & Davis

Jenner & Block

Kelley Drye

Kemp Jones

King & Ballow

King & Siegel

Kirkland & Ellis

Korein Tillery

Kramer Levin

Latham & Watkins

Lawson Huck

Levi Snotherly

Lieff Cabraser

Loevy & Loevy

Mayer Brown

McDermott Will & Schulte

McKool Smith

Michelman & Robinson

Morrison & Foerster

Norton Rose

O'Melveny & Myers

Oppenheim & Zebrak

Orrick Herrington

Pendley Baudin

Perkins Coie

Pisanelli Bice

Proskauer Rose

Quinn Emanuel

Richards Layton

Saul Ewing

Sidley Austin

Skadden Arps

Squire Patton

Susman Godfrey

Taylor Wessing

Willkie Farr

Winston & Strawn

Wisner Baum

GOVERNMENT AGENCIES IN TODAY'S NEWS

California Department of Justice

Commodity Futures Trading Commission

Delaware Court of Chancery

Federal Bureau of Investigation

Federal Communications Commission

Federal Deposit Insurance Corp.

Federal Trade Commission

International Trade Commission

Judicial Conference of the United States

New York State Senate

North Dakota Supreme Court

Standing Rock Sioux Tribe

Texas Attorney General's Office

U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit

U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit

U.S. Department of Education

U.S. Department of Justice

U.S. District Court for the Central District of California

U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia

U.S. District Court for the District of South Carolina

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Arkansas

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Louisiana

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Michigan

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Florida

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Pennsylvania

U.S. District Court for the Middle District of Tennessee

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Illinois

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Indiana

U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Mississippi

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Mississippi

U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Arkansas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas

U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington

U.S. District Court of the District of New Hampshire

U.S. Patent and Trademark Office

U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission

U.S. Senate

U.S. Supreme Court

United States District Court for the District of North Dakota

United States District Court for the Southern District of Indiana