K&L Gates Posts Detailed Reporting of Financial Performance

In a highly detailed public disclosure, K&L Gates reports 2012 financial performance. Zero debt, but year over year top-line and bottom-line look very flat.

http://www.klgates.com/files/Upload/2012_Firm_Financials.pdf

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2nd Circuit Breathes Life Into Non-Attorney Ownership in Law Firms

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/11/21/not-dead-yet-2nd-circuit-resurrects-jacoby-meyers-suit/

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8th Circuit Reinstates $220,000 Statutory Damages Verdict

The 8th Circuit reinstated a $ 222,000 damages verdict assessed against Jammie Thomas-Rasset, who after three different trials was found guilty of copyright infringement for having illegally shared songs on the now-defunct file-sharing service KaZaA.  When the Recording Industry originally alleged she had infringed upon its parties’ copyrights, Thomas became “infamous” when she, decided to not settle the claim but instead defend herself in court.   The only other person who opted to defend themselves in court against such copyright infringement claims was Joel Tenenbaum, whose own case was also characterized by courts attempting to lessen the jury-awarded damages.

http://www.ipbrief.net/2012/09/18/8th-circuit-reinstates-222000-verdict-against-thomas-says-public-policy-justifies-high-award-for-copyright-infringement/

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FTC Publishes New Guidelines for Mobile Apps

Mostly a recapitulation of previous FTC guidelines on the issue, but important reinforcements nonetheless regarding the need to be truthful in advertising and to have core privacy protections that would be required, for example, of any dynamic website.

http://business.ftc.gov/documents/bus81-marketing-your-mobile-app

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DC Circuit Court of Appeals Strikes Down Graphic Warnings on Cigarette Packs

A Federal Appeals Court struck down today the FDA's proposed requirements to have cigarette manufacturers place graphic labels on all their packaging (think photos of charred lungs, emaciated people on respirators and so on). Lovely images no doubt that may scare off some, but the Court was not persuaded. They said in part:

“FDA failed to present any data—much less the substantial evidence…showing that enacting their proposed graphic warnings will accomplish the agency’s stated objective of reducing smoking rates” the majority on the three-judge panel wrote.”

This one almost certainly will go to the US Supremes for final deliberation.


http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/08/24/appeals-court-says-no-graphic-warnings-for-cigarette-packs/

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Judicial Conference Committee Rolls Out New Model Rules Relating to Jurors Use of Social Media

The Judicial Conference Committee has rolled out new model rules concerning jurors' use of social media during trial. There have been numerous instances over the past few years of jurors posting comments on Facebook, Twitter and other social media. This is highly inappropriate conduct which several states have already addressed, including in Massachusetts and Arkansas (the latter wherein the Arkansas high court overturned a murder conviction due to inappropriate conduct by a juror who was tweeting about the case throughout the trial). These new model rules are long overdue.

http://blogs.wsj.com/law/2012/08/23/federal-courts-put-twitter-prone-jurors-on-notice/

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Judge Rejects Facebook Settlement

Five Facebook users filed the lawsuit in April 2011, three months after Facebook introduced the ads that include users' names and faces. An earlier ruling in the case ordered Facebook to allow users to opt out of having their information used in the so-called Sponsored Stories.

Facebook and the suing parties struck a deal to resolve the case, but with Friday's ruling, the monetary settlement is back up in the air. The terms Judge Seeborg rejected would have included a $10 million "cy pres" payment to Internet privacy advocacy groups and up to $10 million in fees for the plaintiffs' attorneys.

Per Facebook's public filings, they earn $1 million per day in revenue for these sponsored stories.

http://money.cnn.com/2012/08/20/technology/facebook-sponsored-stories-settlement/index.html?source=cnn_bin

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