New State Privacy Laws Effective in 2023: Get Ready For the Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah Privacy Laws

Written by Susan Kohn Ross, Lucy Holmes Plovnick, and Stacey Chuvaieva Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah have enacted comprehensive state privacy laws that will become effective in 2023.  The Colorado Privacy Act (“CPA”) and the Connecticut Data Privacy Act (“CTDPA”) both go into effect on July 1, 2023. The Utah Consumer Privacy Act (the “UCPA”) becomes effective on December 31, 2023.  The UCPA, CTDPA, and CPA … Continue reading New State Privacy Laws Effective in 2023: Get Ready For the Colorado, Connecticut, and Utah Privacy Laws

The Eleventh Circuit Rules in Favor of Floribama Shore Creators and Opines on the Future of the “Title-Versus-Title Exception” to the Rogers v. Grimaldi Defense

Written by Lindsay R. Edelstein and Marissa B. Lewis The Eleventh Circuit recently affirmed the Northern District of Florida’s summary judgment decision in MGFB Props., Inc., et al. v. Viacom, Inc., holding that use of the name MTV Floribama Shore for a reality show spin-off of Jersey Shore is protected by the First Amendment and does not infringe the trademark of a well-known bar called Flora-Bama Lounge.  … Continue reading The Eleventh Circuit Rules in Favor of Floribama Shore Creators and Opines on the Future of the “Title-Versus-Title Exception” to the Rogers v. Grimaldi Defense

Getting Ready For Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA)

Written by Susan Kohn Ross, Lucy Holmes Plovnick, and Stacey Chuvaieva On November 21, 2022 we reported about the changes taking place to California’s Consumer Privacy Act (here) which are effective January 1, 2023. In this Alert, we turn to the Virginia Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA) which takes effect on January 1, 2023. Inspired by the European GDPR, Virginia’s state privacy law aligns with its … Continue reading Getting Ready For Virginia’s Consumer Data Protection Act (VCDPA)

The CPRA and Recent Privacy Patchwork

Written by Susan Kohn Ross, Lucy Holmes Plovnick, and Stacey Chuvaieva While the U.S. still does not have a federal privacy law, the laws in various states are changing. California was, of course, first, and even its law has changed. Following in 2023 are privacy laws in Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut and Utah. January 1, 2023 is the compliance date for the California Privacy Rights Act … Continue reading The CPRA and Recent Privacy Patchwork

9th Circuit Applies Rogers Test to “Punchbowl” Case

Written by Chloe N. George This week, the Ninth Circuit affirmed the Central District of California’s summary judgment in favor of AJ Press, LLC, owner of Punchbowl News, against Punchbowl, Inc. in a trademark infringement action under the Lanham Act.[1] The Ninth Circuit applied the Rogers test, established by Rogers v. Grimaldi, 875 F.2d 994 (2d Cir. 1989) and adopted by the Ninth Circuit in … Continue reading 9th Circuit Applies Rogers Test to “Punchbowl” Case

SCOTUS to Weigh In on Extraterritorial Reach of the Lanham Act

Written by Brandon E. Hughes The U.S. Supreme Court is poised to review the extraterritorial reach of the Lanham Act in a case that may significantly impact the manner in which trademark owners police and protect their marks abroad.  In Abitron Austria GmbH, et al. v. Hetronic International, Inc., No. 21-1043, 2022 WL 16703748 (U.S. Nov. 4, 2022), the Court will consider whether the Tenth … Continue reading SCOTUS to Weigh In on Extraterritorial Reach of the Lanham Act

Recent China 301 Activities – USTR Questions Released

Written by Susan Kohn Ross Updated 5:30pm PST, November 8, 2022. The 301 litigation at the Court of International Trade remains pending. The Government has filed its “Reply to comments on [R]emand [Determination]” responding to comments filed by Plaintiffs. Thereafter, Plaintiff’s will file their reply which is due by December 5, 2022. Once that filing takes place, the three judge panel will let litigants know … Continue reading Recent China 301 Activities – USTR Questions Released

CA Court of Appeal Clarifies that Purely Online Businesses Are Not Covered by the ADA

Written by Susan Kohn Ross, Jonathan Turner and Celia Guzman In a decision that is expected to curtail the high volume of website accessibility claims, the California Court of Appeal held that (1) purely online businesses are not covered by the Americans with Disabilities Act (“ADA”); and (2) the discriminatory effect of a facially neutral policy or action alone does not satisfy the “intentional discrimination” … Continue reading CA Court of Appeal Clarifies that Purely Online Businesses Are Not Covered by the ADA

California Employers Prohibited from Taking Adverse Action Against Employees during “Emergency Conditions”

Written by Jeremy Mittman and Celia Guzman As of January 1, 2023, Senate Bill 1044 prohibits California employers from taking or threatening adverse action against an employee for refusing to report to, or leaving, the workplace due to a “reasonable belief”that the workplace is unsafe due to an “emergency condition.”  Here’s what you need to know: 1. Emergency Condition.  An emergency condition is defined to … Continue reading California Employers Prohibited from Taking Adverse Action Against Employees during “Emergency Conditions”

California Employers Required to Provide Bereavement Leave to Employees

Written by Jeremy Mittman and Kyle DeCamp California Governor Gavin Newson has approved and signed Assembly Bill (AB) 1949, an amendment to the California Family Rights Act (CFRA) that will take effect on January 1, 2023. AB 1949 now requires covered California employers to provide eligible employees with 5 days of unpaid bereavement leave for the death of a qualifying family member. This bereavement leave … Continue reading California Employers Required to Provide Bereavement Leave to Employees