Legal - SlashGear

Posts Tagged ‘legal’

Xbox 360 piracy bans prompt inevitable class action suit

By Chris Davies on Friday, Nov 20th 2009 No Comments

Been subject to the recent Microsoft ban-fest on Xbox Live, where up to 1m accounts are believed to have been locked out after being modified to play pirate discs? Livid and refusing to take responsibility? Then lawfirm AbingtonIP may be your salvation; they're organising a class action lawsuit which alleges that Microsoft not only over-reacted and ended up blocking accounts where users weren't involved in piracy, but that they did so at least partially to boost Xbox Live re-subscriptions with the advent of MW2 and Halo 3: ODST.

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Intel and AMD settle ongoing litigation; antitrust claims yanked

By Chris Davies on Thursday, Nov 12th 2009 No Comments

With the news that Intel and AMD have settled their antitrust, patent and license disagreements, it's all love, hugs and snuggles in the big, scary world of silicon today. The two companies have settled all of their ongoing legal disputes, with a new, five-year cross license agreement and Intel paying AMD $1.25bn together with agreeing "to abide by a set of business practice provisions" that, as yet, we don't know full details regarding.

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Verizon sued by AT&T over “misleading” 3G adverts

By Chris Davies on Wednesday, Nov 4th 2009 1 Comment

AT&T’s occasionally janky 3G coverage has become a generally acknowledged thorn-in-the-side for iPhone users, but the carrier still isn’t pleased that arch-rival Verizon Wireless have called them on it. Verizon’s “There’s a map for that” adverts compare AT&T’s 3G network with their own, an act which the latter claims is “misleading” and – as you’d imagine was Verizon’s intention, really – has caused them to lose “incalculable market share”. While subscribers would be happy with AT&T deciding to fill in those gaps, the carrier has taken the easier option and filed a lawsuit against Verizon.

Verizon There_s a Map for That commercial

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Spring Design reveal NDA details over B&N nook copy case

By Chris Davies on Wednesday, Nov 4th 2009 No Comments

We’re used to copyright and industrial espionage claims being more like cases of trademark squatting these days, so to find something ostensibly as straightforward as Barnes and Noble’s alleged “copying” of Spring Design’s Alex concept is almost refreshing. The startup claims B&N led them to believe that they were interested in producing the Alex dual-display Android ebook reader, before breaking off contact and then, shortly after, announcing the nook. Now Spring Design has shared their NDA agreements and details of the lawsuit with Engadget.

spring design alex barnes and noble nook 540x433

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Barnes and Noble nook stole Spring Design secrets claims ebook lawsuit

By Chris Davies on Tuesday, Nov 3rd 2009 No Comments

Back in the run-up to Barnes and Noble’s launch of their nook ebook reader, hitherto-unheard of Spring Design grabbed some headlines with their Alex dual-display ebook design. At the time there was some speculation that the two devices were one and the same, though that turned out not to be the case; according to Spring Design and a lawsuit against B&N, however, the two do in fact share some design DNA. Spring Design allege that B&N knowingly “misappropriated trade secrets and violated the parties’ non-disclosure agreement” in designing the nook.

spring design alex barnes and noble nook 540x433

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Game & DVD age restrictions undermined after UK legal blunder

By Chris Davies on Tuesday, Aug 25th 2009 No Comments

Retailers in the UK are currently under no legal obligation to observe the age classifications on violent or sexually-explicit video games or DVDs, thanks to a legal blunder. The issue is being blamed on an administrative oversight by the Conservative government 25 years ago, where they neglected to inform the European Commission about the 1984 Video Recordings Act.

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UK could become key counterfeit route after trademark ruling

By Chris Davies on Friday, Aug 14th 2009 No Comments

counterfeit phones While endearingly janky devices like the Nokla E97 aren’t usually to be found on Western shelves, that could change thanks to a key High Court ruling in the UK. The case had been brought by Nokia, who alleged that Her Majesty’s Revenue & Customs (HMRC) in the UK had acted unfairly when allowing a shipment of counterfeit goods bearing Nokia’s trademarks free passage through the country after discovering they were not intended for sale there.

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AT&T ban class action suits in Terms of Service [Updated]

By Chris Davies on Monday, Aug 10th 2009 No Comments

att death star logo AT&T have changed their terms of service to preclude class action suits, seemingly in an attempt to single out contrary customers and avoid facing expensive group challenges. The company’s agreement – which applies to both new and existing customers – now states that “by entering into this Agreement, you and AT&T are each waiving the right to a trial by jury or to participate in a class action.”

Update: AT&T have commented on the situation, including pointing out that the arbitration clause has been been this way since January 2001. More after the cut

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Sharp LCD panels face US import ban over Samsung IP violation

By Chris Davies on Thursday, Jun 25th 2009 No Comments

Samsung may have managed to get several models from Sharp’s TV and monitor ranges banned from import into the US, after convincing the U.S. International Trade Commission that the products infringe one of its patents. The IP refers to LCD display technology, with sets from Sharp’s Aquos range of HDTVs named as potentially in violation.

sharp aquos 480x471

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File-sharer found guilty: $1.92m damages awarded

By Chris Davies on Friday, Jun 19th 2009 No Comments

gavel Drinks are on the RIAA this weekend, as the jury in Jammie Thomas-Rasset’s file-sharing retrial have awarded record labels a huge $1.92 million in damages. Thomas-Rasset was found to be guilty of “willfully” sharing 24 songs via Kazaa, and charged $80,000 per song; that’s more than eight-times the amount awarded in the first trial.