Justia Law Blog

Dial 1 For Housekeeping – Justia Weekly Writers’ Picks Updated: by

Seaton v. TripAdvisor,  US 6th Cir. (8/28/13) Communications Law, Constitutional Law, Injury Law, Internet Law Grand Resort, which has operated in the Great Smoky Mountains since 1982, claims that TripAdvisor’s publication of a survey that concluded that Grand Resort was the dirtiest hotel in America caused irreparable damage to its…

EveryMD Sues Facebook Over Messaging Communications Patent Updated: by

In a recent filing, EveryMD LLC—perhaps best known for its (in)famous lawsuit against Rick Santorum, Mitt Romney, Newt Gingrich, and approximately four million Facebook business account holders—is suing Facebook for allegedly infringing on its patent on its system for online communication that underlies its model for allowing patients to email doctors directly.…

You Kids Turn Down that Noise! Justia Weekly Writers’ Picks Updated: by

Shore v. Maple Lane Farms, LLC, Tennessee Supreme Court (8/19/13) Agriculture Law, Injury Law, Zoning, Planning & Land Use Certain amplified music concerts were conducted on farm land in a rural county. The county board of zoning appeals later ordered the business owners who hosted the concerts to limit the…

Justia Weekly Writers’ Picks: Wake Me Up When the Law Suit Ends Updated: by

Seltzer v. Green Day, Inc., et al., US 9th Cir. (8/7/13) Copyright, Intellectual Property, Trademark Plaintiff filed suit against Green Day and others, alleging violations of the Copyright Act, 17 U.S.C. 101 et seq., and the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1051 et seq., because Green Day used plaintiff's illustration, "Scream…

Justia Weekly Writers’ Picks: Go Wide Updated: by

Brown v. Electronic Arts, Inc., US 9th Cir. (7/31/13) Civil Rights, Constitutional Law, Consumer Law, Entertainment & Sports Law, Intellectual Property, Trademark Retired Hall of Fame football player, James "Jim" Brown, filed suit against EA, alleging that EA violated section 43(a) of the Lanham Act, 15 U.S.C. 1125(a), through the…

FISA Court: Updates to the Public Docket and More Updated: by

The US Government  responded yesterday to the FISC’s order to conduct a declassification review in the Yahoo case. Their response asks for 45 and 60 days to complete the full review. They cite the need for interagency coordination, the volume and type of materials, and multiple FOIA requests in support…

U.S. House of Representatives Makes U.S. Code Available in Bulk XML Updated: by

There’s great news out of Washington today on the open government and transparency front. House Speaker John Boehner  and Majority Leader Eric Cantor have announced via press release that the United States Code (the “Code”) will now be available for download in XML format. Users will be able to download…

Pending Cases on the FISA Public Court Docket Updated: by

The Foreign Intelligence Surveillance Court has created a public docket for declassified opinions. The documents have been released through the efforts of providers like Yahoo, Microsoft, and Google, as well as advocacy groups like the ACLU and the EFF, who filed requests to publish the opinions and filings in the…

I Say Natasha, You Say Nikita – Justia Weekly Writers’ Picks Updated: by

Hobbs v. John, U.S. 7th Cir. (7/17/13) Copyright, Entertainment & Sports Law In 1982 Hobbs was working as a photographer on a Russian cruise ship where he had a brief affair with a Russian waitress. Based on the experience, he wrote a song, “Natasha” about an ill-fated romance between a…