Federal Rule of Civil Procedure 23 requires two forms of class notice. Rule 23(c)(2) requires notice to a potential class member that a class has been certified and substance of the class claims. Rule 23(e) requires notice that a settlement has been negotiated, which will require court approval, and the steps that each potential class

“Parody” is a technique used by artists in various forms of entertainment, from comedians to radio disc jockeys to authors. “Parody,” in the copyright sense, generally involves using someone else’s copyright-protected work and results in copyright infringement, absent a license for the use. In some cases, however, an infringer can successfully claim “fair use” as

Long-arm jurisdiction over non-domiciliaries is an issue that continues to  bedevil practitioners and litigants in the Internet age. In New York, CPLR  302(a)(1)1 authorizes jurisdiction over a non-domiciliary that  “transacts any business” within the state. The test, however, can be difficult  to apply when a commercial entity uses technology to project itself into New  York

Nearly 15 years ago, Congress passed the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (“ACPA”).[1] The ACPA amended the federal trademark law known as the Lanham Act by adding two new causes of action aimed at cybersquatting.[2] Under the ACPA, a person may be civilly liable “if … that person has a bad faith intent to profit from

In its recent decision, Cutino v. Nightlife Media, Inc., 2014 U.S. App. Lexis 15179 (Fed. Cir. Aug. 7, 2014) (“Nightlife Media”), the Federal Circuit underscored its preference for adjudicating, on the merits, trademark opposition proceedings.  The court directed the Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) to consider whether one of three federal trademark registrations, owned

Online technology, as this column frequently has noted, presents numerous challenges to attorneys during litigation,[1] while managing their firms and marketing their services,[2] and in trying to keep up with the newest legal developments and rulings.[3]  A recent decision in a case of first impression by Judge Katherine B. Forrest of the U.S. District Court

On June 18, 2014, the United States Patent and Trademark Office Trademark Trial and Appeal Board (“TTAB”) issued a blockbuster 2 to 1 decision cancelling six federal trademark registrations owned by the Washington Redskins.  All six registrations feature some variation of the term “REDSKINS” used in connection with professional football services. 

The decision was issued

On a nearly daily basis, each of us is asked or asks others to agree to be bound by “terms of use” or “terms of service” (TOS) as a condition of using an Internet website or obtaining goods or services offered through a website. Whether or not TOS are enforceable continues to be a question

In an ironic twist, China’s largest search engine, Baidu, has successfully argued that it was entitled to First Amendment protection in regard to its search engine results in the United States, which excluded statements by the plaintiffs, a group of New York residents who “advocated” for “the Democracy movement in China.”   In a question of

All of the elements necessary for defamation claims seem to have coalesced on the Internet. There is the ease of posting content, including videos, on blogs and chat sites; the ubiquity of tweets, email, blogs and text messages; the pervasive abandonment of personal privacy; and the ability for almost anyone to quickly set up a