law.com - Article

law.com - Article: "Senate Fights Off Changes to Class Action Suit Legislation Jesse J. Holland The Associated Press 02-10-2005 The GOP-controlled Senate on Wednesday fought back attempts to change legislation that would send most class action lawsuits to federal court, increasing the likelihood that the measure will pass Congress and be signed by President Bush. Under an agreement between the two houses, if senators don't change the legislation, the House will pass it quickly and send it to the White House. Bush, speaking in the Commerce Department building just blocks from Capitol Hill, pressured senators to pass the bill without any changes. 'They're trying to amend the bill,' Bush said Wednesday. 'That's code word for they're trying to weaken the bill. They're trying to make the bill not effective.' Bush and other supporters say the bill, which would send most multistate class action lawsuits to federal court instead of allowing them to be heard in state courts, is needed because lawyers try to file their lawsuits in states where they can get large payouts. Senators who back the bill say greedy lawyers make more money from such cases than do the actual victims, and that lawyers sometimes threaten companies with class action suits just to get quick financial settlements. Opponents of the bill say it is aimed at helping businesses escape multimillion-dollar judgments for their wrongdoing and would hurt lawyers trying to litigate those cases. The Senate rejected, 60-39, an amendment by Sen. Mark Pryor, D-Ark., that would have made state attorneys general exempt from the legislation's restrictions. He and 46 state attorneys general argued the bill could reduce their power to sue, because attorneys general sometimes act as the class " Article continues, click on link above...

Pivotal Patent Case Hits Federal Circuit

law.com - Article

The New York Times > Technology > As Piracy Battle Nears Supreme Court, the Messages Grow Manic

The New York Times > Technology > As Piracy Battle Nears Supreme Court, the Messages Grow Manic: " As Piracy Battle Nears Supreme Court, the Messages Grow Manic By TOM ZELLER Jr. Published: February 7, 2005 Garret the Ferret is one hip copyright crusader. The cartoon character urges young cybercitizens toward ethical downloading and - in baggy jeans and a gold 'G' medallion - reminds them that copying and sharing software is uncool. He is also a byproduct of the long-roiling public relations battle between copyright owners, who say they are threatened by digital piracy, and technology advocates opposed to strict controls on the copying of digital media, and on the kinds of software that make piracy so easy. With the Supreme Court scheduled next month to hear a pivotal case pitting copyright holders (represented by MGM Studios) against the makers of file-sharing software (Grokster and StreamCast Networks), some participants are putting their message machines into high gear. But winning hearts and minds - of teenagers, consumers and lawmakers - has never been a simple matter. 'It's hard for two reasons,' said Rick Weingarten, the director of the Office for Information Technology Policy at the American Library Association, which has been explor"

Legal issues kill literacy bill for new drivers

Legal issues kill literacy bill for new drivers