Chubby Checker lawsuit over raunchy smartphone app can go forward

A trademark lawsuit filed by entertainer Chubby Checker focused on a smart phone app of the same name, can go forward, U.S. District Judge William Alsup ruled Friday. The app in question reportedly estimates the size of a man’s genitals based on his shoe size, Reuters reports. Hewlett Packard, the…

Aug 16, 2013 7:12 PM CDT

Transgender students in California may use restrooms based on gender identity under new law

A new California law allows transgender students in public schools to compete in sex-segregated sports and use facilities such as restrooms and locker rooms based on their gender identity. Gov. Jerry Brown signed the law on Monday, report the San Francisco Chronicle and the Los Angeles Times. It takes effect…

Aug 14, 2013 2:51 PM CDT

Judge refuses to block release of new ‘Lovelace’ movie

A federal judge in Manhattan has refused to issue a temporary restraining order to stop the Friday release of the new movie biopic Lovelace. U.S. District Judge Thomas Griesa denied the TRO request Wednesday, Reuters reports. Lovelace tells the story of Linda Lovelace, who starred in the 1972 porn film…

Aug 8, 2013 7:51 PM CDT

Is poker more a game of skill? 2nd Circuit says question need not be answered to uphold conviction

A federal appeals court has reinstated the conviction of a man who ran an underground poker club, saying his business is illegal under federal law even if the game involves more skill than luck. The New York-based 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals reinstated the conviction of Lawrence DiCristina in…

Aug 7, 2013 3:22 PM CDT

Want to avoid serious brain and neck injuries? Don’t play football, helmet warning says

The warning label used by football helmet maker Schutt Sports offers some sobering advice. “No helmet system can protect you from serious brain and/or neck injuries including paralysis or death,” the label says. “To avoid these risks, do not engage in the sport of football.” Rawlings followed Schutt’s lead when…

Aug 6, 2013 11:30 AM CDT

First Amendment doesn’t protect video game maker for using athlete avatar, 9th Circuit says

A federal appeals court is allowing a former college athlete to pursue a right-of-publicity lawsuit against a video game maker that used an avatar with his jersey number and looks. The San Francisco-based 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals found that the company, Electronic Arts Inc., was not protected by…

Aug 1, 2013 1:17 PM CDT

Record industry tussles over whether a resale market for online music violates the Copyright Act

Aug 1, 2013 8:20 AM CDT

Suit claims ‘American Idol’ execs disqualified black contestants ‘to scandal-monger Nielsen ratings’

A 429-page discrimination lawsuit filed by Corey Clark and nine other former American Idol contestants claims that the show exploited the criminal backgrounds of the black contestants. The Hollywood Reporter posted the complaint. Rather than allowing African-Americans to compete on their strengths as artists, the suit says, the show’s top…

Jul 29, 2013 7:04 PM CDT

Is Lance Armstrong using a ‘shameless’ defense in Postal Service bid to recover marketing bucks?

Is cyclist Lance Armstrong offering a “shameless” legal defense in a motion to dismiss a $120 million whistleblower suit? That’s the contention of a Bloomberg BusinessWeek editor, who says Armstrong’s claim is “part of the great American legal tradition of offering shameless defense arguments.” The suit against Armstrong, initially filed…

Jul 25, 2013 2:15 PM CDT

Should NCAA pay former college stars for using their images?

Ed O’Bannon was the star of UCLA’s basketball team in the mid-1990s. He led the team to the 1995 NCAA championship and was named the Final Four Most Outstanding Player. Replays of his classic games are often shown on sports networks. Today, O’Bannon sells cars in Las Vegas. When his…

Jul 19, 2013 11:08 PM CDT

Law prof asks: What’s wrong with performance-enhancing drugs for athletes?

Why ban performance-enhancing drugs in professional sports? Case Western Reserve law professor Max Mehlman says athletes have always tried to improve their performance. Fiberglass poles boosted pole vaulting records, for example, and no one thought it was a big deal, Mehlman tells the Cleveland Plain Dealer. “There is nothing fundamentally…

Jul 16, 2013 11:00 AM CDT

Mediation ordered between NFL and players in head-injury dispute

A federal judge has ordered the National Football League and players into mediation to try to resolve litigation over head injuries. U.S. District Judge Anita Brody in Philadelphia appointed a retired judge, Layn Phillips, to mediate the case, which involves a claim from more than 4,000 football players who allege…

Jul 10, 2013 6:19 PM CDT

Like other athletes, Aaron Hernandez had a criminal defense lawyer while still in college

It isn’t just in his current first-degree murder case that ex-NFL player Aaron Hernandez has been dealing with a criminal defense lawyer. Dating back as far as 2007, when he was still a juvenile and playing for the University of Florida’s football team, Hernandez was represented by Huntley Johnson on…

Jul 9, 2013 5:37 PM CDT

Ex-Miss USA contestant must pay $5M to Donald Trump; judge blames her ‘poor choice of counsel’

A former beauty contestant must pay $5 million to Donald Trump for defaming his Miss USA pageant, a federal judge in Manhattan has ruled. Upholding an arbitration award, which determined that the well-known millionaire’s company had suffered a seven-figure loss from a potential sponsor after she resigned as Miss Pennsylvania…

Jul 8, 2013 7:25 PM CDT

Day starts at 5:30 am for top lawyers at two gambling companies

Tim Donovan and Brian Larson are top lawyers for two well-known gambling companies. Each starts the day at 5:30 a.m., partly in order to have time to focus on work before the day’s onslaught of email, phone calls and issues begins. But the phone still rings, with calls from those…

Jul 2, 2013 4:15 PM CDT