Smizer v. Community Mennonite Early Learning Ctr, 2013 WL 5769936 (7th Cir. Oct. 25, 2013) [pdf] Lawrence Smizer was a teacher’s aide at Mennonite Early Learning Center. His sister was apparently involved in a bitter custody dispute involving her son….
We’ve previously covered AFP v. Morel, the case where photographer Daniel Morel is suing AFP, Getty and downstream licenses for allegedly infringing on his copyrighted material. In a nutshell, he took some iconic photos following the Haiti earthquake. AFP sourced…
Last week, the High Tech Law Institute hosted a performance of “The Passionate Patent,” perhaps the only opera ever written that relates in any way, shape or form to patent law. The creators self-describe the opera as “Experience the challenge…
Shepherd v. McGee, 2013 U.S. Dist LEXIS 159432 (D. Or. Nov. 7, 2013) Plaintiff Jennifer Shepherd was a child protective services (CPS) caseworker for the Oregon Dept. of Human Services (DHS). She investigated reports of child abuse and made recommendations…
Most employees think they are indispensable to their employers, but in fact, most employees are easily replaced. A recent legal ruling involved an IT manager who sought job security by holding “the keys to the kingdom”–the passwords to the company’s…
At what point does online mudslinging become actionable defamation? In September, an appellate court in California upheld a wig seller’s liability for defamatory statements made on online forums, focusing on the false factual nature of the claims. Cite: Sanders v….
Be In v. Google, 12-cv-03373-LHK (N.D. Cal. Oct. 9, 2013) Be In developed “CamUP,” described as a “social entertainment consumption platform that allows a group of friends to simultaneously watch, listen, chat and collaborate around shared videos, music, and other…
Hupp v. Freedom Communications, Inc., 2013 WL 5947033 (Cal. App. Ct. Nov. 7, 2013) This is a minor case involving a pro se plaintiff and a straightforward application of the law, so normally I wouldn’t blog it. However, over the…
Last night, I moderated an Oxford-style debate at Zero1, which describes itself as “where art meets technology to shape the future.” The debate motion was “Does the U.S. Patent System Stifle Innovation,” and the two “pro” speakers were UCLA professor…
Perez v. Tedford, SA 13-CV-429-XR (W.D. Tx. Oct. 22, 2013) Plaintiff was a case manager at Communities in Schools of San Antonio. She was aware that an individual was subject to a protective order that prohibited contact with a student,…