Technology

April 02, 2024
Connecticut Estate Withdraws Deadly Airbnb Blast Claims

The estate of a woman who died two years ago after the stove in an Airbnb property in Jamaica erupted into a fiery blast has withdrawn a Connecticut lawsuit against both the online service and the Texas-based owner of the retreat, with the maneuver coming just days after the owner challenged jurisdiction in the state.
April 02, 2024
IT Firm Decries Commerce's 'Unilateral' $1.5B Award Redo

An IT consulting firm told the Federal Circuit on Monday that its right to challenge a $1.5 billion U.S. Commerce Department procurement in the claims court was undermined when the agency took corrective action before seeking permission from the court.
April 02, 2024
9th Circ. To Hear Ex-Theranos Execs' Criminal Appeals In June

The Ninth Circuit has set oral arguments in former Theranos CEO Elizabeth Holmes' high-stakes appeal of her criminal securities fraud conviction and 11-year prison sentence for June 11 — the same day the panel is scheduled to hear arguments in convicted ex-Theranos executive Ramesh "Sunny" Balwani's appeal.
April 02, 2024
'This Just Has To Stop': Judge Hits Hytera With $1M Daily Fine

An Illinois federal judge imposed a daily $1 million fine and other steep contempt sanctions against Hytera Communications on Tuesday, as she ripped the company for violating her order to refrain from participating in Chinese litigation that could undermine Motorola Solutions' $530 million mobile radio trade secrets trial win.
April 02, 2024
Amazon App Users Win Class Cert. For BIPA Claims

An Illinois federal judge has granted class certification to consumers who allege Amazon's virtual try-on technology violates the Prairie State's biometric privacy law.
April 02, 2024
Judge Notes There's No 'Jump To Conclusions' Mat In His Court

In throwing out a lawsuit against a luxury car brand, a Delaware federal judge likened an expert report proffered by a patent litigation outfit to the absurd "Jump To Conclusions" mat from the 1999 movie "Office Space."
April 02, 2024
Broadcasters Gear Up For FCC Fight Over 'Sidecar' Deals

The Federal Communications Commission's recent effort to fine broadcast titan Nexstar more than $1 million over a "sidecar" arrangement with a New York TV station reflects tensions between the FCC and the industry over complex ownership deals going back years.
April 02, 2024
Receiver Looks To Claw Back $1.2M After LA Ponzi Scheme

A court-appointed receiver has urged a California court to enforce a $1.2 million arbitral award against two production companies as part of an effort to claw back funds that were the product of a $690 million Ponzi scheme perpetrated by a since-imprisoned Los Angeles actor.
April 02, 2024
Calif. IP Owners Can't Intervene In NY Case, Judge Says

A New York federal judge has refused to let copyright holders who have sued in California into litigation in the Empire State accusing OpenAI and Microsoft of copyright infringement.
April 02, 2024
Crowell & Moring Attys Avoid Bias Fault In Army Deal Protest

The U.S. Government Accountability Office denied a Virginia-based defense contractor's protest of a $192.7 million U.S. Army technical and engineering support deal but refused to fault Crowell & Moring LLP attorneys for representing the contractor despite conflict of interest allegations.
April 02, 2024
Amazon, Apple Buyers Defend Adding New Class Reps

Attorneys for a proposed antitrust class action against Apple and Amazon say the tech giants are being unreasonable by trying to stop them from adding new class representatives to the case after the initial delegate stopped talking with his legal team.
April 02, 2024
Chile Telecom Co. WOM Can Tap $100M DIP In US Bankruptcy

The second-largest cellphone network operator in Chile, WOM SA, can access $100 million of a debtor-in-possession package during the first leg of its Chapter 11 case, a Delaware bankruptcy judge ruled Tuesday, overriding objections from creditors.
April 02, 2024
Tesla Pushed On La. Antitrust Claims In 5th Circ.

Tesla Inc.'s claims that Louisiana car dealers and regulators illegally excluded the direct-sale automaker from the state's market met a Fifth Circuit panel Tuesday that questioned how the case might be impacted by a Pelican State probe into the company's allegedly unlawful conduct.
April 02, 2024
Fed. Circ. Questions Attorney's Fee Award In Dish Patent Case

A Federal Circuit judge questioned a district court decision to award $3.9 million in attorney fees to Dish Network in its successful patent suit defense against Realtime Adaptive Streaming, picking apart a series of "red flags" that U.S. District Judge R. Brooke Jackson said should have prompted Realtime to drop its case well before summary judgment.
April 02, 2024
USPTO Targeted In Brothers' Patent Litigation Campaign

Two brothers who are software engineers and claim to have invented two-factor authorization are accusing the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office of infringing their patents with its sign-in website.
April 02, 2024
Samsung, Micron Notch PTAB Wins On Netlist Patents

The Patent Trial and Appeal Board decided Monday that two Netlist computer memory patents are invalid, in a win for Samsung, which was previously found to infringe the patents in a $303 million Texas verdict, and Micron, whose infringement trial was postponed to await the rulings.
April 02, 2024
Arena Group Shareholders Sue Former CEO In Delaware

Shareholders of the Arena Group — the digital publisher behind Sports Illustrated, TheStreet, Men's Journal and other brands — have sued the group's former CEO in Delaware's Court of Chancery, alleging wrongdoings ranging from fraud to gross negligence and demanding more than $10 million in compensatory damages.
April 02, 2024
11th Circ. Sends OpenAI Fee Fight Back To District Court

The Eleventh Circuit vacated a Georgia federal judge's decision not to dock OpenAI attorney fees for attempting to remove a Georgia radio host's defamation suit to federal court, saying the judge should have but did not adequately explain the reasons for the denial.
April 02, 2024
Feds Seek 4 Years For Ex-Amazon Coder In Novel Crypto Case

Prosecutors have told a Manhattan federal judge that a former Amazon coder convicted on charges of hacking a "smart contract" should be sentenced to at least four years in prison in order to send a message to other would-be crypto fraudsters.
April 02, 2024
3 Firms Guide Safety Testing Group UL's Estimated $770M IPO

Safety science company UL Solutions Inc. on Tuesday unveiled a price range for an estimated $770 million initial public offering under the guidance of three law firms, marking the third company to launch IPO plans this week.
April 02, 2024
Hagens Berman To Lead Yardi Rent Price-Fixing Class Action

A Washington federal court tapped Hagens Berman Sobol Shapiro LLP as interim lead counsel for a putative class of renters amid a suit alleging that 11 property management companies are part of a price-fixing ring powered by an algorithm developed by Yardi Systems Inc.
April 02, 2024
X Can't Dodge Suit Alleging Musk Pushed Out Women

X Corp. must face a proposed class action claiming Elon Musk implemented policies meant to push out women when he took over the social network formerly known as Twitter, a California federal judge ruled, finding the ex-worker leading the suit provided enough details to move the suit forward.
April 02, 2024
Amazon Trims, But Can't End Ex-Worker's Disability Bias Suit

A California federal judge partially denied Amazon's bid to escape a former worker's suit alleging he was pushed out because of a knee injury stemming from his military service, but threw out claims stemming from bias based on his veteran status, race and age.
April 02, 2024
Latham-Led SLB To Buy ChampionX In $7.8B All-Stock Deal

Energy-focused global technology company SLB and chemistry solutions provider ChampionX Corp. said Tuesday they have agreed for SLB to purchase ChampionX in an all-stock transaction worth nearly $7.8 billion.
April 01, 2024
Full 9th Circ. Won't Review OK Of $90M Facebook Data Deal

The Ninth Circuit on Monday declined objectors' request for the full appellate court to revisit a three-judge panel's decision to affirm a $90 million settlement that resolves allegations Facebook illegally tracked logged-out users' browsing activity, saying no judge voted to rehear the matter.

Expert Analysis

6 AI Cases And What They Mean For Copyright Law

Artificial intelligence cases filed last year, some decided and others pending, demonstrate how the appellate courts that set binding precedent look at the intersection between copyright and AI, so legal frameworks must adapt and provide clarity in order to foster innovation, protect creators, and ensure fair and equitable outcomes, say attorneys at Crowell & Moring.
Why Fed. Circ. Affirmed Attorney Fee Award In PersonalWeb

A recent Federal Circuit decision to leave a $5.2 million fee award in place in the PersonalWeb patent case underscores district courts' discretion to sanction unreasonable arguments and litigation tactics under the U.S. Code's attorney fee provision, say attorneys at Shearman.
How AI Is Changing The Game Of Professional Sports

As more professional sports teams and organizations employ the use of artificial intelligence, counsel should keep a critical eye on several legal issues, including both state and federal regulatory developments, data privacy concerns, and how AI tools could potentially affect applicable intellectual property rights, say attorneys at Squire Patton.
Trending At The PTAB: 6 Areas To Watch In 2024

Expect further changes in a half-dozen areas in 2024 following a busy 2023 at the Patent Trial and Appeal Board, including more adjustments to the director review process and the first case to hit the Appeals Review Panel, say attorneys at Finnegan.
The Space Law And Policy Outlook For 2024

Expect significant movement in space law, regulation and policy in 2024, as Congress, the administration and independent federal agencies like the Federal Communications Commission address the increasingly congested, contested and competitive nature of space and the space industry, say Paul Stimers and Leighton Brown at Holland & Knight.
Charting The Course For Digital Assets In 2024

Although 2023 was a tough year for the digital asset industry, upcoming court decisions, legislation and regulatory action will bring clarity, allowing the industry to expand and evolve, and the government will decide what innovation it will allow without challenge, says Joshua Smeltzer at Gray Reed.
Law Firm Strategies For Successfully Navigating 2024 Trends

Though law firms face the dual challenge of external and internal pressures as they enter 2024, firms willing to pivot will be able to stand out by adapting to stakeholder needs and reimagining their infrastructure, says Shireen Hilal at Maior Consultants.
Top 10 Employer Resolutions For 2024

From technological leaps to sea changes in labor policy to literal sea changes, 2024 provides opportunities for employers to face big-picture questions that will shape their business for years to come, say Allegra Lawrence-Hardy and Lisa Haldar at Lawrence & Bundy.
Legal Practice In The AI Era: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

Guest columnists explored the possibilities and challenges for the legal profession amid the rise of generative artificial intelligence, including privilege complications, demands for new types of legal skills, and the ethics of a ChatGPT-authored motion.
AI In Employment Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

This year, the most popular employment law topics related to artificial intelligence in Law360's Expert Analysis section included ChatGPT, new AI legislation, and diversity, equity and inclusion.
AI In Health Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

As the use of artificial intelligence accelerated this year, Expert Analysis writers examined AI's significant impact on the healthcare sector, ranging from key compliance considerations for companies utilizing AI tools to regulators' efforts to keep up with rapidly evolving technologies.
AI In IP Law: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

Keeping up with generative artificial intelligence was the name of the game for intellectual property lawyers in 2023 as the government worked to determine whether AI-generated output is protectable under the law and guest writers assessed the technology's risks and rewards.
Managing AI Risks: The Top Guest Articles Of 2023

Amid the rapidly developing legal landscape around artificial intelligence, Law360 Expert Analysis writers tackled a range of compliance and litigation challenges, providing insights on privacy in the age of AI, the role of class actions in AI risk mitigation, and the creation of corporate AI policies.
The Most-Read Legal Industry Law360 Guest Articles Of 2023

A range of legal industry topics drew readers' attention in Law360's Expert Analysis section this year, from associate retention strategies to ethical billing practices.
Artificial Intelligence Is In Need Of Regulation — But How?

Since most of the artificial intelligence-related laws in 2023 were part of more extensive consumer privacy law, the U.S. still has a lot of work to do to build consensus on how to oversee AI, and even who should do the regulating, before moving forward on specific and reasonable guidelines as AI's capabilities grow, say Nick Toufexis and Paul Saputo at Saputo Toufexis.