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A federal appeals court has agreed to put on hold a Texas social media law, HB 20, that restricts content moderation actions on social media platforms. The Fifth U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals announced that it was granting a September request from social media platforms to block enforcement of the law as trade associations appeal…

On May 14, 2018 the Supreme Court of the United States released its decision in Murphy v. National Collegiate Athletic Association.  This decision invalidates the key Federal prohibition on State-authorized sports gambling businesses, the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (PASPA).  Under PASPA, except in connection with very narrow exemptions, States could not authorize…

In one of its final acts of the October 2016 term, the Supreme Court of the United States recently agreed to hear a New Jersey challenge to the constitutionality of the Professional and Amateur Sports Protection Act (“PAPSA”), a federal statute banning states from authorizing and regulating gambling on sporting events.[1]

As we reported…

Earlier this week, a unanimous but fractured Supreme Court ruled that a controversial provision in the Lanham Act prohibiting the registration of trademarks that disparage “persons, living or dead, institutions, beliefs, or national symbols” violates the First Amendment. This decision may be most remembered for the impact it may have on the NFL’s Washington Redskins,…

Earlier this week, the U.S. Supreme Court handed its decision in ABC v. Aereo, ruling that Aereo’s service of providing its subscribers with streaming broadcasts obtained through the company’s miniature antennas is illegal. The court ruled that over-the-air broadcasts count as a public performance and that Aereo essentially is no different from cable companies, which are subject to limitations on freely transmitting programming under the Copyright Act.
Continue Reading Supreme Court Rules that Aereo Violated Copyrights

In a recent Forbes article, Brad Newberg discussed in depth the Supreme Court’s recent decision in Petrella v. Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer, Inc., and ways for businesses to adapt in light of the shocking decision. With its decision in Petrella, the U.S. Supreme Court made clear that in the world of copyright infringement litigation, time is not always of the essence. The question presented was simple: “[W]hether the equitable defense of laches (unreasonable, prejudicial delay in commencing suit) may bar relief on a copyright infringement claim brought within § 507(b) [of the Copyright Act]’s three-year statute of limitations period.” And the Court’s answer was clear: “[C]ourts are not at liberty to jettison Congress’ judgment on the timeliness of suit. Laches, we hold, cannot be invoked to preclude adjudication of a claim for damages brought within the three-year window.” Yet, the implications of this case going forward are not quite as simple or clear.
Continue Reading Copyright Owners Go the Distance with ‘Raging Bull’ Victory

The Supreme Court came down this week with a watershed decision that may effect businesses small and large which collect and store customers’ personal information. Despite AT&T’s attempt to argue they are a private citizen and, therefore protected under the Freedom of Information Act, the Supreme Court ruled otherwise and clarified the FOIA only applies…

In September 2008, the Virginia Supreme Court unanimously ruled that Virginia’s then-enacted anti-spam laws were per se unconstitutional on the grounds that they violated the First Amendment right of freedom of speech. At the time, Virginia’s anti-spam laws prohibited the sending of unwanted, unsolicited e-mails, both commercial and non-commercial.

The Virginia Supreme Court argued that…