Fri 23rd Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

It turns out anyone can be victimized by investment fraud, even Warren Buffett. Buffett’s firm Berkshire Hathaway recently posted a $377 million loss related to investments in a fraudulent solar energy company, according to Bloomberg News. The firm gave $340 million to California-based DC Solar with the expectation that it would be able to use tax credits for solar energy investments to trim its tax bill. Federal prosecutors say DC solar, a mobile solar generator producer, took money from Berkshire Hathaway and other new investors to pay off older investors. The company produced only a fraction of the some 12,000 […]

Wed 21st Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

The Trump administration is offering to extend important legal rights for some of the biggest players in the hemp industry. The United States Department of Agriculture recently announced that hemp farmers can now apply for intellectual property protections for their seed varieties. That would prevent other growers from using those unique types of seeds without permission for up to 20 years. “Certificate owners have rights to exclude others from marketing and selling their varieties, manage the use of their varieties by other breeders, and enjoy legal protection of their work,” the USDA said in an April announcement. Applications will be […]

Mon 19th Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

Lawmakers in the nation’s capital are taking a closer look at illegal sports streaming and the impact that pirated versions of games could have on the intellectual property rights of professional sports leagues, live event producers and television companies. The response may eventually include increasing criminal penalties. “Strong IP rights are vital to making these events possible,” Sen. Thom Tillis (R-N.C.) said during a recent Senate Judiciary Committee hearing. “One of the reasons that illegal streaming has exploded in recent years is that the federal criminal law has not kept pace with the growth of illegal streaming technology.” Tillis is […]

Fri 16th Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

Louis C.K. is making a stab at a comeback, less than two years after sexual misconduct allegations cost the comedian his television show, a Netflix special and a variety of movie roles. The only catch is that the funny man doesn’t want anyone recording his performances as he tries new material out on the road. Comedy clubs are forcing C.K. fans to put their cell phones away if they want to see the shows, New York Magazine reports. They’re also posting notices making clear that the comedian owns the copyright in all of the jokes that he performs and intends […]

Wed 14th Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

Are new copyright protections in Europe a long overdue bolstering of intellectual property rights or a heavy handed attempt to stifle the flow of information? It may depend who you ask. A majority of European Union countries in April voted in favor sweeping new online copyright protections. The directive, which member countries will have two years to start enforcing, requires search engines like Google to pay for aggregated content. It will also make YouTube and other sharing content sharing platforms legally responsible for copyright-protected material that users post without permission from the copyright owner. The law is meant to give […]

Mon 12th Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

Fraud comes in all shapes and sizes, including down home on the range. A Kansas City man is looking at eight years in the slammer for ripping people off in a cattle investment scam. Cameron Hager recently admitted to running a nearly $5 million investment scheme in which he duped investors into helping him buy herds of cattle that he said he would later sell at a substantial profit. The only problem was that he never bought any cattle, despite taking money from nearly 100 investors. Instead, Hager used the cash to pay the mortgage on his home and cover […]

Fri 9th Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

A popular social media application is a new tool for fraudsters trying to rip off would be investors, according to a British watchdog group. Action Fraud says it has seen a spike in get-rich quick schemes on Instagram, the photo sharing app owned by Facebook. Fraudsters regularly use promises of big profits in mere hours and professional looking images to encourage Instagrammers to send more than $600 in initial investments, according to the United Kingdom based group. Action Fraud said it received more than 350 reports of this kind of fraud, totaling more than $3.2 million in losses, in a […]

Wed 7th Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

As the United States and China continue to dig their heels into an ongoing trade debate, intellectual property questions remain a key element of the tensions between the two countries. The intellectual property lawyers at our firm are keeping a close watch on these developments. The focus of late has been on U.S. tariffs on Chinese products on one hand, and China’s efforts to devalue its currency on the other. President Donald Trump’s administration recently tagged China as a currency manipulator, a designation that experts fear will only ramp up the bad blood between the countries. Meanwhile, there appears to […]

Mon 5th Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

Lingerie giant Victoria’s Secret has always had a way of getting consumers’ attention. The company’s latest marketing moves, however, are also raising eyebrows in the intellectual property community. Victoria’s Secret recently sought a pair of trademarks for the name “Victoria’s Secret First Love,” one for beauty products and the other for clothing. If approved by the United States Patent and Trademark Office, the trademarks would give parent company L Brands the exclusive right to use the name in association with its products. Victoria’s Secret started using the name “First Love” at an annual fashion show last year, according to WWD.com. […]

Fri 2nd Aug 2019 | Posted by Glancy Law, on Blog

Skyrocketing health care costs continue to draw the attention of patients and their lawyers, as well as politicians in Sacramento and Washington. But little seems to have been done to actually cut down on medical and related bills. A lawsuit recently brought by California’s top attorney against a huge healthcare provider is being hailed by some as a test case. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra recently got an important early win in a lawsuit against Sutter Health. Becerra says the company overpriced patients and used anticompetitive moves to drive out other healthcare operators in the state. A judge in San […]