Lawyer Puts Photo of Client’s Leopard-Print Undies on Facebook; Murder Mistrial, Loss of Job Result

Fermin Recalde had sought several times without success to get a new assistant public defender assigned to represent him in his South Florida murder case. But he ultimately succeeded Wednesday, midway through trial, after his public defender posted a photo of his leopard-print underwear on her personal Facebook page, the…

Sep 13, 2012 9:19 PM CDT

Microsoft Suit: Some Malware Is Preinstalled; Not Just an IP Issue But a Security Issue, Lawyer Says

For years, users have been blamed when malware infects their computers and repeatedly warned not to open attachments from unknown email senders or download software from dubious sources. But a major manufacturer now says that malware sometimes is already preinstalled when purchasers first open the packaging of their new computers.…

Sep 13, 2012 7:09 PM CDT

8th Circuit OKs $222K Award But Avoids Ruling on Key Issue in Historic RIAA File-Sharing Case

After three jury trials, it appears that the legal saga of the first individual to fight a Recording Industry Association of America demand for payment for illegal downloading of copyrighted music still hasn’t come to an end. In a procedurally complex decision Tuesday, a federal appeals court panel held that…

Sep 11, 2012 8:52 PM CDT

Judge Approves E-Book Price-Fixing Settlement, Quotes Emily Dickinson Poem

A federal judge has approved a price-fixing settlement between the U.S. Justice Department and three electronic book publishers in an opinion (PDF) that quotes Emily Dickinson. U.S. District Judge Denise Cote found the settlement is in the public interest. The settling defendants are HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster and the Hachette…

Sep 6, 2012 8:04 PM CDT

Is Online Assertion that Doc Is ‘a Real Tool’ Protected Opinion? Minn. Top Court Mulls the Issue

An assertion that a Duluth neurologist is “a real tool” is at the center of a defamation battle pending before Minnesota Supreme Court. Dennis Laurion criticized Dr. David McKee’s bedside manner on several doctor-rating websites, the Minneapolis Star Tribune reports. McKee had treated Laurion’s elderly father after a stroke, and…

Sep 5, 2012 1:31 PM CDT

Faced with a Five-Page Limit, Lawyer Files Cartoon Amicus Brief with Proper Font Size

Updated: A lawyer who opposes the Justice Department’s proposed antitrust settlement with three publishers of e-books has filed an amicus brief (PDF) in the form of a comic strip. Bob Kohn tells Bloomberg and the New York Times Media Decoder blog that he opted for the unusual format after U.S.…

Sep 5, 2012 12:39 PM CDT

Lawyer Documents Her Data Trail, Revealing Corporate Role in Daily Lives

Big brother is a corporation, and it’s watching. The executive director of the National Lawyers Guild, Heidi Boghosian, documented her one-day “data trail” for the New York Times blog the Caucus. Boghosian has written a book expected to be published next year called Spying on Democracy: A Short History of…

Sep 5, 2012 11:00 AM CDT

Name That Domain: Generic Top-Level Domains Get the Green Light

Sep 1, 2012 8:40 AM CDT

‘Like’ Is Unliked: Clicking on a Facebook Item Is Not Free Speech, Judge Rules

Sep 1, 2012 8:00 AM CDT

No Hiding It: Secrecy Is a Goner

Sep 1, 2012 5:50 AM CDT

Twitter Lawyer Announces Appeal in Tweet, Argues Users Have Standing to Challenge Subpoenas

Twitter is supporting Occupy Wall Street protester Malcolm Harris in an appeal that argues he has standing to challenge subpoenas issued by the Manhattan District Attorney’s office. Twitter legal counsel Ben Lee announced the appeal in a tweet, IDG News Service reports. “Twitter users own their tweets,” he wrote in…

Aug 29, 2012 3:52 PM CDT

BigLaw Firm’s Alleged Blog Disclosure Results in Defamation Claim by Ex-Associate

A former Ropes & Gray associate who sued the firm for racial discrimination and retaliation is adding additional claims as a result of the law firm’s alleged disclosure to a legal blog. A federal judge in Boston is allowing former associate John Ray III to add defamation and invasion of…

Aug 27, 2012 3:46 PM CDT

Record $22.5M Google Pact Sparks Self-Scrutiny by Other Companies re Privacy, Data Security

It isn’t just individuals who can find companies’ privacy and data security policies confusing. Companies themselves don’t always follow their own rules for protecting user information. Now, in the wake of a record $22.5 million settlement by Google Inc. with the Federal Trade Commission, albeit without admitting any liability, other…

Aug 21, 2012 10:07 PM CDT

Tax-Free Ride Is Ending for Online Shoppers in California, Pennyslvania

As congressional support builds for a federal internet sales tax law, online shoppers in Pennsylvania and California will pony up to the taxman next month. Starting Sept. 1, Pennsylvanians will pay a 6 percent or more sales tax, depending on the county, for online items purchased from retailers with a…

Aug 21, 2012 6:16 PM CDT

Lawyer Accused of Girlfriend’s Murder Slams Her and Makes Excuses for Himself in Facebook Post

A University of Florida law graduate charged with the first-degree murder of his girlfriend in their Queens, N.Y., apartment composed a Facebook post criticizing his girlfriend and talking about how he felt the night of the murder and the day after. “The night in question? In all honesty, it was…

Aug 16, 2012 7:14 PM CDT