Monthly Archives: February 2018

Article in Judges’ Journal is opinion, not actionable under defamation or false advertising law

Posted on February 28, 2018 by rtushnet

Board of Forensic Document Document Examiners, Inc. v. American Bar Ass’n, No. 17 C 01130, 2018 WL 1014510 (N.D. Ill. Feb. 22, 2018) The Board of Forensic Document Examiners, and seven of its members, alleged defamation by an article appearing … Continue reading →

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NY AG proceeds against Charter for throttling providers while boasting of internet speeds

Posted on February 27, 2018 by rtushnet

 People v. Charter Communications, Inc., No. 450318/2017 (N.Y. Sup. Ct. Feb. 16, 2018) Charter allegedly defrauded New York consumers by promising high-speed Internet services and reliable access to online content that it knew it couldn’t or wouldn’t deliver, in violation … Continue reading →

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Reading list: further on global mandatory fair use

Posted on February 27, 2018 by rtushnet

Tanya Aplin & Lionel A. F. Bently, Displacing the Dominance of the Three-Step Test: The Role of Global, Mandatory Fair Use, Forthcoming in Wee Loon Ng, Haochen Sun, and Shyam Balganesh (eds) Comparative Aspects of Limitations and Exceptions in Copyright … Continue reading →

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University-adjacent is not university-approved in supplement ads

Posted on February 27, 2018 by rtushnet

Obesity Research Institute, LLC v. Fiber Research International, LLC, 2018 WL 1001089, No. 15-cv-00595 (S.D. Cal. Feb. 21, 2018) Despite the high-falutin’ names, the parties compete in the market for glucomannan dietary supplements. Glucomannan is a soluble-viscous fiber derived from … Continue reading →

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Crowning inglory: no trade dress in short-lived ads

Posted on February 27, 2018 by rtushnet

EZ Pedo, Inc. v. Mayclin Dental Studio, Inc., No. 16-cv-00731, 2018 WL 934552 (E.D. Cal. Feb. 15, 2018) EZ-Pedo sells “prefabricated pediatric zirconia crowns,” which are colorless, durable, all-ceramic crowns that mask disfiguration or stains on children’s teeth. Mayclin sells … Continue reading →

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Sanderson can’t chicken out of false advertising claims

Posted on February 26, 2018 by rtushnet

Organic Consumers Assoc. v. Sanderson Farms, Inc., 2018 WL 922247, No. 17-cv-03592 (N.D. Cal. Feb. 9, 2018) OCA sued Sanderson, a poultry processor, over ads that allegedly mislead consumers about the nature of Sanderson’s chicken products and farming practices. OCA … Continue reading →

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claiming to provide services then referring out can be false advertising, but P must still show harm

Posted on February 26, 2018 by rtushnet

Larry Pitt & Associates v. Lundy Law LLP, No.. 13-2398, — F.Supp.3d —-, 2018 WL 925011 (E.D. Pa. Feb. 15, 2018) The parties are Philadelphia-area law firms that advertise for personal injury, social security, and workers’ compensation cases. Pitt sued … Continue reading →

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When an author’s name isn’t CMI

Posted on February 26, 2018 by rtushnet

Fischer v. Forrest, Nos. 14 Civ. 1304, 1307, 2018 WL 948758 (S.D.N.Y. Feb. 16, 2018) This very outdoorsily named and themed litigation arose out of the termination of a longstanding business relationship between plaintiff Fischer and defendants, including Brushy Mountain … Continue reading →

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Conference: administrative law/private law interface in IP

Posted on February 26, 2018 by rtushnet

The Administrative-Private Law Interface in IP,  March 29, 2018 A conference co-organized by the Project on the Foundations of Private Law at Harvard Law School and the University of Texas School of Law, sponsored by Qualcomm Inc. More info here. … Continue reading →

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False endorsement: some bad questions to ask in a survey

Posted on February 23, 2018 by rtushnet

Gibson v. BTS North, Inc., 2018 WL 888872, No. 16-24548 (S.D. Fla. Feb. 14, 2018) Plaintiffs are professional models, actresses, and/or businesswoman who earn their livings by promoting her image, likeness, and/or identity to select clients, commercial brands, media, and … Continue reading →

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