The Bottom Line Since 1991, the Telephone Consumer Protection Act (TCPA) has set out to end unwanted contact from telemarketers, generally prohibiting (among other things) the use of an “Automated Telephone Dialing System” (ATDS) to call wireless phone numbers without the appropriate level of Continue Reading
Supreme Court Unanimously Rules That Willfulness Is Not Required to Recover Profits
The Bottom Line The U.S. Supreme Court resolved a circuit split on April 23, 2020, by unanimously holding in Romag Fasteners, Inc. v. Fossil Group, Inc., et al. that a brand owner is not required to prove that a trademark infringer acted willfully in order for the owner to be awarded Continue Reading
Supreme Court Rules that Federal Law Protects Gay and Transgender/Transitioning Employees from Workplace Discrimination
The Bottom Line On June 15, 2020, the Supreme Court issued a landmark decision in a L.G.B.T. civil rights case that is important for employers to note, as it is likely to apply broadly to gender-based policies in the workplace. In one of the three cases decided by the Supreme Continue Reading
No Longer “FUCT” — Scandalous Mark Provision Struck Down by Supreme Court
6th Edition: Trends in Marketing Communications Law What constitutes a “scandalous” trademark? The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) has been grappling with this question since the enactment of the 1905 Trademark Act, later codified in the 1946 Lanham Act, which forbids Continue Reading
Behind State Lines: Is It Time to Cash in on Legalized Sports Betting?
6th Edition: Trends in Marketing Communications Law The Supreme Court’s 2018 decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association (Murphy) to overturn the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA) seemingly opened the door for states to legalize sports betting. Continue Reading
Patent Troll Suits Down, Not Out in 2018
6th Edition: Trends in Marketing Communications Law Over the past half-decade, Congress and the courts have made aggressive efforts to curb the worst abuses of the patent system. In 2013, Congress passed the America Invents Act (AIA), which established the Patent Trial and Appeal Board (PTAB) to Continue Reading
Supreme Court Settles Circuit Split on When a Plaintiff May Sue
6th Edition: Trends in Marketing Communications Law The Supreme Court handed down a unanimous copyright decision in March 2019 with implications for anyone involved in a copyright dispute, as well as for marketers and brands that create and use copyrighted materials. In Fourth Estate Public Continue Reading
Supreme Court Rules “Amazon” / “Nexus” Taxes Are Permissible
The Bottom Line The Supreme Court’s Wayfair decision confirmed that states may collect sales tax on internet sales between consumers and retailers who don’t have a physical presence in the state.In anticipation of a flurry of related legislation, online retailers, marketing affiliates and all Continue Reading
New York Appellate Court Enforces Lease Provision Waiving Commercial Tenants’ Right to Seek Yellowstone Injunction, Strengthening Landlords’ Right to Evict
The Bottom Line Commercial tenants entering into new leases should review draft agreements carefully for explicit waivers of the right to seek Yellowstone relief and less obvious waivers of that right that are drafted more vaguely, such as provisions that:waive a tenant's right to seek Continue Reading
Supreme Court Seeks to Curb the Worst Abuses of the Patent System
5th Edition: Trends in Marketing Communications Law Congress, commentators and a wide variety of industry leaders have long noted that the patent system was broken. Besieged by a tide of weak patents and baseless patent troll litigations, these stakeholders argued that the current patent climate Continue Reading