Technology

  • May 17, 2024

    Qorvo Wins $38.6M In Akoustis Trade Secrets And Patent Trial

    A Delaware federal jury on Friday told Akoustis Technologies Inc. to pay wireless company Qorvo Inc. nearly $38.6 million for misappropriating its trade secrets and infringing its patents, following a two-week trial over radio frequency filter technology.

  • May 17, 2024

    Scammer Cops To SIM Scheme Including $400M Crypto Theft

    A Colorado woman on Thursday pled guilty in D.C. federal court for her part in a SIM swapping scheme that appears to encompass more than $400 million stolen from the now-bankrupt cryptocurrency exchange FTX.

  • May 17, 2024

    Judge Doubts 9th Circ. Ruling Upends VC's Fraud Conviction

    A California federal judge appeared skeptical Friday of convicted self-described "millennial" venture capitalist Michael Rothenberg's renewed request for a new trial or acquittal in light of a recent Ninth Circuit decision clarifying "materiality" in the federal criminal fraud statutes, doubting that Rothenberg was prejudiced by jury instructions addressing materiality.

  • May 17, 2024

    FCC Asked To Clarify PEG Capital Costs Aren't Franchise Fees

    Cities want the Federal Communications Commission to make clear in a new rule requiring "all-in" cable pricing disclosures that capital costs involved in public and educational channels don't fall under the definition of franchise fees.

  • May 17, 2024

    Boeing Jury Urged To Award Startup At Least $163M At IP Trial

    An electric-jet company told a Seattle jury Friday that Boeing misappropriated its trade secrets to build a copycat plane under the guise of investing in the startup, entitling it to an award of more than $163 million.

  • May 17, 2024

    Two Guilty Of Wire Fraud And Conspiracy In Forex Case

    A Colorado federal jury on Friday found two men guilty of wire fraud and conspiracy related to their work soliciting tens of millions of dollars from investors for their foreign exchange investment business.

  • May 17, 2024

    Tech Co. Can Force Solo Arbitration In 401(k) Forfeiture Suit

    A former Tetra Tech Inc. employee must individually arbitrate her suit alleging the company misused forfeited 401(k) contributions, a California federal judge said Friday, ruling federal benefits law doesn't override the arbitration agreement's bar on planwide reimbursement.

  • May 17, 2024

    DC Circ. Affirms Ex-HUD Official's Conviction For False Docs

    The D.C. Circuit on Friday upheld the documents falsification conviction of a former high-ranking staffer within the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's Office of the Inspector General, rejecting his arguments that prosecutors had diverged at trial from the charges laid out in an indictment.

  • May 17, 2024

    Broadband Advocates Decry Delays On Senate Spectrum Bill

    Broadband advocates who work on fixing the "digital divide" said they are dismayed the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee again delayed a markup Thursday to advance legislation renewing the soon-to-expire Affordable Connectivity Program.

  • May 17, 2024

    Royalty Suit Aims To Make Spotify Nix 'Bundled' Subscription

    In a lawsuit against Spotify, the nonprofit the U.S. Copyright Offices uses to distribute royalties alleged Thursday that the audio streaming service's new premium subscription package could cause illegal underreporting of royalties and cost songwriters and music publishers "hundreds of millions of dollars."

  • May 17, 2024

    Koch-Tied Group Says Transparency Law Offends Federalism

    The Corporate Transparency Act is unconstitutional because it does not regulate interstate commerce yet mandates that state-registered entities disclose personal information, a conservative group affiliated with the billionaire Koch brothers told the Eleventh Circuit on Friday.

  • May 17, 2024

    Dolce & Gabbana Sued Over 'Worthless' Digital Outfit NFTs

    Luxury fashion brand Dolce & Gabbana has been hit with a shareholder class action in New York federal court, alleging it sold consumers "essentially worthless" non-fungible tokens that it misrepresented as high-value and abandoned the project while retaining over $25 million that was used to fund it.

  • May 17, 2024

    'Wolfman' Blasts Paramount's Bid To Toss 'Top Gun' IP Suit

    The actor who played Henry "Wolfman" Ruth in the original "Top Gun" movie has urged a California federal court not to dismiss his right-of-publicity complaint against Paramount Pictures for using his image in the 2022 blockbuster sequel, saying the film studio is incorrect to argue the First Amendment shields it from the suit.

  • May 17, 2024

    Utilities Need More Airwaves To Drive Growth, FCC Hears

    Utilities need more spectrum to keep their networks running smoothly as they move toward digitizing the electric grid, which is already under significant strain, a wireless service provider has told the Federal Communications Commission.

  • May 17, 2024

    Judge Won't Bar Thermo Fisher Exec's Jump To Repligen

    A Massachusetts judge won't block a former Thermo Fisher Scientific executive from jumping to smaller rival Repligen, calling a noncompete agreement signed by the employee overbroad and suggesting that it was really aimed at stifling competition in a ruling released Friday.

  • May 17, 2024

    PTAB Denies Institution Of Review Of Mel NavIP Patent

    The Patent Trial and Appeal Board has said it wouldn't be reviewing an automotive navigation device patent, handing a win to Hyundai Motor Co. in the patent dispute.

  • May 17, 2024

    Ga. OB-GYN Office Says Data Breach Class Action Falls Flat

    An Atlanta OB-GYN practice has urged a Georgia federal judge to dismiss a proposed class suit over a data breach that allegedly impacted the personal and protected health information of tens of thousands of patients, arguing the lead plaintiff has failed to meet the requirements of the Class Action Fairness Act.

  • May 17, 2024

    Google Says Payment Means No Need For DOJ Ad Tech Jury

    Google is arguing in Virginia federal court the government has no right to a jury trial in a case accusing the company of monopolizing key digital advertising technology, especially after Google issued a check for the money enforcers could be awarded if they won.

  • May 17, 2024

    Industry Emboldened After Justices Galvanize Agency Attacks

    In the year since the U.S. Supreme Court said "extraordinary" and "far-reaching" attacks on administrative enforcers can skip agency tribunals and go straight to federal district court, ambitious challenges to regulatory powers are rapidly gaining traction, and the high court is poised to put them on an even firmer footing.

  • May 17, 2024

    Calif. Jury Finds Samsung Breached Contract With Netlist

    A Los Angeles federal jury found on Friday that Samsung materially breached a contract with chipmaker Netlist by cutting off its supply of crucial memory products, delivering a significant win for Netlist in its multi-jurisdictional patent fight with Samsung even though no monetary damages were at stake.

  • May 17, 2024

    Calif. Man Who Cooperated In $5M Insider Case Avoids Prison

    A Manhattan federal judge on Friday allowed a California information technology pro to avoid prison for his role in a $5 million insider-trading ring involving laser company Lumentum Holdings Inc.'s secret merger plans, citing his extensive cooperation with prosecutors.

  • May 17, 2024

    McDermott Adds Dechert Blockchain Ace In Calif. Offices

    McDermott Will & Emery LLP is growing its transactions team, announcing Friday it is bringing in a Dechert LLP blockchain and digital assets expert as a partner in its Orange County and Silicon Valley offices.

  • May 17, 2024

    Winston & Strawn Leads Asia-Focused SPAC $100M IPO

    Shares of RF Acquisition II, a special-purpose acquisition company targeting the technology sector in Asia, began trading publicly on Friday following the company's $100 million initial public offering.

  • May 17, 2024

    Blackstone Leads $7.5B Financing For AI-Focused CoreWeave

    Artificial intelligence-focused infrastructure provider CoreWeave said Friday it had secured an agreement for a $7.5 billion debt financing facility provided by Blackstone with strategic participation from hedge fund Magnetar Capital, the co-lead investor, and tech investor Coatue.

  • May 16, 2024

    9th Circ. Won't Let Alexa Users Revive Voice Data Privacy Row

    The Ninth Circuit on Thursday refused to reinstate a proposed class action alleging Amazon's Alexa software illegally collects voice data to target users with advertisements, agreeing with the lower court that the e-commerce giant had clearly disclosed the practice and the plaintiffs hadn't shown they were harmed.

Expert Analysis

  • New Concerns, Same Tune At This Year's SIFMA Conference

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    At this year's Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association conference on legal developments affecting the financial services industry, government regulators’ emphasis on whistleblowing and AI washing represented a new refrain in an increasingly familiar chorus calling for prompt and thorough corporate cooperation, say attorneys at Fried Frank.

  • HHS' Updated Tracking Tech Guidance Offers Little Clarity

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    The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services' Office for Civil Rights' updated guidance on the use of online tracking technologies appears more focused on legal issues raised in ongoing litigation with the American Hospital Association and less on practical guidance for covered entities, say attorneys at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Ready Or Not, Big Tech Should Expect CFPB Surveillance

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    In light of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's proposed plan to supervise large companies providing the vast majority of digital money transfers, not only will Big Tech have to prepare for regulation previously reserved for traditional banks, but the CFPB will also likely face some difficult decisions and obstacles, says Meredith Osborn at Arnold & Porter.

  • 3 Cybersecurity Takeaways From White House Tech Report

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    Tech companies and software developers should take stock of the Biden administration's push for improved cybersecurity in a recent White House report, especially given that the report lays new building blocks related to potential liability for developers, say attorneys at Sidley.

  • Contract Disputes Recap: Facts Differ But Same Rules Apply

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    Zachary Jacobson and Sarah Barney at Seyfarth examine two decisions illustrating that reliance on a technicality may not save an otherwise untimely appeal, and that enforcement of commercial terms and conditions under a federal supply schedule contract may be possible.

  • Untangling The Legal Complexities Of Trade Secrets And AI

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    With broad adoption of generative artificial intelligence, some have suggested trade secret law is the best means for protecting innovations, but while this protection may apply to all forms of information, the breadth of coverage may make identifying the information and later misappropriation difficult, say Joshua Lerner and Nora Passamaneck at WilmerHale.

  • Series

    Spray Painting Makes Me A Better Lawyer

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    My experiences as an abstract spray paint artist have made me a better litigator, demonstrating — in more ways than one — how fluidity and flexibility are necessary parts of a successful legal practice, says Erick Sandlin at Bracewell.

  • Examining The Arbitration Clause Landscape Amid Risks

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    Amid a new wave of mass arbitrations, recent developments in the courts and from the American Arbitration Association suggest that companies should improve arbitration clause drafting to protect themselves against big-ticket settlements and avoid major potential liability, say attorneys at Benesch.

  • How Activision Ruling Favors M&A Formalities Over Practice

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    The Delaware Chancery Court’s recent nod to a proposed class action, alleging shareholder notice violations in Activision Blizzard’s sale to Microsoft, puts practitioners on notice that customary merger and acquisition market practices do not offer protection from potential liability, say John Stigi and Eugene Choi at Sheppard Mullin.

  • Past CCPA Enforcement Sets Path For Compliance Efforts

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    The California Privacy Protection Agency and the California Attorney General's Office haven't skipped a beat in investigating potential noncompliance with the California Consumer Privacy Act, and six broad issues will continue to dominate the enforcement landscape and inform compliance strategy, say attorneys at Reed Smith.

  • How Policymakers Can Preserve The Promise Of Global Trade

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    Global trade faces increasing challenges but could experience a resurgence if long-held approaches adjust and the U.S. accounts for factors that undermine free trade's continuing viability, such as regional trading blocs and the increasing speed of technological advancement, says David Jividen at White & Case.

  • 10 Areas To Watch In Aerospace And Defense Contracting Law

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    The near future holds a number of key areas to watch in aerospace and defense contracting law, ranging from dramatic developments in the space industry to recent National Defense Authorization Act updates, which are focused on U.S. leadership in emerging technologies, say Joseph Berger and Chip Purcell at Thompson Hine.

  • Opinion

    Proposed MDL Management Rule Needs Refining

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    Proponents of the recently proposed Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 16.1 believe it may enhance efficiency in multidistrict litigation proceedings if adopted, but there are serious concerns that it could actually hinder plaintiffs' access to justice through the courts — and there are fundamental flaws that deserve our attention, says Ashleigh Raso at Nigh Goldenberg.

  • Meta Data Scraping Case Has Lessons For Platforms, AI Cos.

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    The California federal court ruling that artificial intelligence company Bright Data's scraping of public data from Meta social media sites does not constitute a breach of contract signals that platforms should review their terms of service and AI companies could face broad implications for their training of algorithms, say attorneys at Arnold & Porter.

  • Opinion

    Judicial Independence Is Imperative This Election Year

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    As the next election nears, the judges involved in the upcoming trials against former President Donald Trump increasingly face political pressures and threats of violence — revealing the urgent need to safeguard judicial independence and uphold the rule of law, says Benes Aldana at the National Judicial College.

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