Legal

Kim Kardashian Accused of Copying Alexis Bitter's Jewelry Designs
October 7, 2011

Copycatting another designer's ideas never turns out well. Especially when that designer often lends you nice jewelry. Because as Kim Kardashian learned recently, that designer will take away all those nice, free jewels and bad-mouth you to the press. 

Does Barnes & Noble Buying Borders' Email List for $14M Cross the Line?
October 7, 2011

The disconnect between how executives and consumer privacy advocates view email marketing was never more obvious than during the latest hijinks surrounding Barnes & Noble's acquisition of Borders' customer data, including email addresses. As part of the Borders bankruptcy proceedings, Barnes & Noble paid $13.9 million for Borders' intellectual property, including its 48-million customer database.

Amazon Settles Tax Dispute in Tennessee
October 7, 2011

Gov. Bill Haslam confirmed a sales tax deal with online retailer Amazon.com on Oct. 6, announcing thousands of additional jobs and what he hopes will be the resolution of a long-running dispute within the business community.

Woman Wins Wal-Mart Lawsuit Over 2 Cents
October 5, 2011

Mary Bach of Pennsylvania sued Wal-Mart for charging her two cents more than the price on the tag for a package of sausages. Bach was awarded $180, but her aim wasn't to recoup savings she could have lost between the sofa cushions.

Liz Claiborne Wins Dismissal of Investor Lawsuit
October 3, 2011

Liz Claiborne has won the dismissal of a shareholder lawsuit that accused the company of misrepresenting its relationships with Macy's and J.C. Penney. U.S. District Judge Richard Holwell said that the investors failed to show that Liz Claiborne intended to mislead them about the relationships.

Collecting Customer ZIP Codes? 
Beware the Legal Risks
October 1, 2011

The Supreme Court of California recently ruled that collecting ZIP codes from customers who paid by credit card may subject merchants to class-action lawsuits. Dozens of such actions have already been filed, including against retailers "yet to be named." Reported settlements paid by some companies have exceeded $25 million. The lesson is clear: All retailers should review their customer information collection practices in light of California law (and other states) to avoid becoming the target of class-action lawyers.

Reebok to Refund $25M in Deceptive Ad Settlement
September 29, 2011

Reebok agreed to refund $25 million to customers who bought its popular EasyTone and RunTone shoes as part of a settlement with the Federal Trade Commission, which says the company didn't have the science to back its “better way to a better butt” claims.

More Groupon Employees Sue Over Unpaid Overtime
September 28, 2011

Groupon was hit with a second employee lawsuit alleging that the company failed to pay overtime. It's only the latest in a series of major setbacks for the social coupon site, casting its future into doubt.