Jaffe Legal News Service - Top StoriesThe Jaffe Legal News Service (JLNS) is a free, weekly email tipsheet sent to reporters and editors who either cover the legal industry or who rely on legal experts as part of their reporting. It is a way for law firms to put their news and the expertise of their attorneys in front of more than 850 members of the media who have opted in to receive the feed and see it as a valuable source for story ideas and analysis of legal topics.Belgian Newspapers Want Google to Pay for Linked Content- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Copiepresse, a consortium of Belgian newspapers, is following up on a successful first instance ruling granting injunctive relief against Google by demanding $77 million in damages. The group sued the search engine giant for using snippets of its content to link to the original articles on the newspapers websites. If Copiepresse is successful in its bid for damages against Google, the search engine could face similar actions from other copyright owners. Google maintains it has done nothing...http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7930&Sec... Hiring Outside the H-1B Envelope- (Found June 24, 2008 ) This year, as in the past, word has come from U.S. Immigration officials that the annual H-1B category of visas for non-immigrant skilled professionals has reached its quota, leaving many companies, particularly the in the high-tech sector, wondering how they're going to satisfy their need for employees. "There are only 65,000 H-1B visas available each year, plus 20,000 for individuals with Masters degrees or higher from a US university. This year nearly 163,000 petitions were filed during the..http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7872&Sec... To Recall or Not To Recall- (Found June 24, 2008 ) In January 2008 alone, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission and the U.S. Food & Drug Administration (FDA) put out more than 50 product recalls. Compared with the 80 recalls the FDA listed for the entire year of 2000, the frequency of this measure has clearly been on the rise over the last several years. Recalling a product is an expensive remedy, and typically impacts a company's most valuable asset: its brand name. "The decision whether to initiate a product recall depends on several...http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7844&Sec... Class Action BPA Lawsuits on the Rise- (Found June 24, 2008 ) In the past two months, at least five separate class actions have been filed against the manufacturers and distributors of plastic products containing Bisphenol-A (BPA). BPA is an industrial chemical that is used primarily to make polycarbonate plastic commonly used in eyeglass lenses, medical equipment, water bottles, digital media (e.g., CDs and DVDs), cell phones, consumer electronics, household appliances and sports safety equipment and epoxy resins, which are used in industrial...http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7845&Sec... Congress to Strengthen Consumer Product Safety Commission- (Found June 24, 2008 ) With more than $2 trillion of imported products entering the U.S. every year, consumer product safety is receiving more attention than ever from the government, consumer protection groups, safety advocates and media. In the past year alone, tires, dog food and toothpaste from China have all been recalled. Most troubling were recent toy recalls, including one that involved millions of dangerous toys distributed by Mattel. The challenges of ensuring the safety of consumer products, regardless of..http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7795&Sec... Avoiding Real Estate Trademark Infringement- (Found June 24, 2008 ) When browsing through the real estate section of a newspaper or magazine, it is common to see properties advertised by the name of the development in which they are located. Often times, realtors also include photographs of the development's name at the entrance, together with detailed descriptions of the community. In some instances, this could be deemed trademark infringement. "Realtors marketing listings within a particular neighborhood often go beyond what is permissible under trademark...http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7796&Sec... New Book Reviews Recent Decisions Affecting VA Public Companies- (Found June 24, 2008 ) In the wake of Enron and WorldCom, there have been many changes to the corporate law that directly or indirectly affect Virginia corporations. The third edition of the book Goolsby on Virginia Corporations is just out and it takes an in-depth look at these changes. The third edition includes recent legislative changes, including the 2008 session of the General Assembly and addresses court decisions, in Virginia and elsewhere, and federal regulatory changes and changes in market practices that...http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7797&Sec... PE Funds Turn to Timberland as Volatility Hedge- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Once the domain of more traditional industrial landowners, timberland has become a hot commodity for private equity funds looking for a hedge against volatility. "Timber doesn't give you very exciting out-of-the-ballpark returns, but if you look at any given period you'll almost always see a steady, comfortable return. It's a great investment for people to have. There's little long-term loss, unless you received bad advice up front," says Jeffrey T. Selser, a partner in the Timberlands Practice.http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7798&Sec... Land Mitigation Banks Encourage Conservation- (Found June 24, 2008 ) Mitigation banks, which allow landowners to sell credits for preserving ecologically sensitive land as an offset for third-party development of other areas, represent a new way to encourage conservation. "Traditionally, landowners have had little incentive to preserve areas with high ecological value as these usually have a low financial value. However, mitigation banks give landowners an economic reason to consider conservation where the more traditional conservation easements — which...http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7799&Sec... Visiting Athletes Face Increased U.S. Immigration Scrutiny- (Found June 24, 2008 ) While a very small minority of visiting athletes enter the U.S. on temporary visas with the intention of remaining permanently, the vast majority are only coming to compete or train and then leave within the period allowed by their visa. Yet all international athletes are facing increased scrutiny from U.S. immigration officials. "It's always been an issue, but, since 911 it's become much more difficult for these athletes to enter the U.S.," says Anna R. Welch, an immigration attorney with...http://www.jlns.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=Home.ShowArticleDetail&ArticleID=7871&Sec... |
