In a December 2, 2024, press release, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced the filing of a court order requiring online marketplace GOAT to pay more than $2 million for violating FTC rules and the company’s own...more
In an October 16, 2024, press release, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) announced its final Negative Option Rule, requiring businesses to make it as easy for consumers to cancel their enrollment in recurring subscriptions...more
The FTC’s Warning Letters -
Earlier this month, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sent eight companies warning letters regarding their warranty practices, alerting them that certain restrictive warranty language may violate...more
As 2024 gets underway, the nonprofit sector will continue to face new challenges in addition to grappling with ongoing challenges that continue to impact the sector. Our interdisciplinary team, serving thousands of nonprofits...more
3/5/2024
/ 501(c)(3) ,
501(c)(4) ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
California Privacy Protection Agency (CPPA) ,
Compliance ,
Crowdfunding ,
Department of Labor (DOL) ,
Employees ,
Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA) ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Fundraisers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
IRS ,
Liability ,
Machine Learning ,
NAICS ,
Nonprofits ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Privacy Laws ,
Ransomware ,
SNDAs ,
Tax Exemptions
2023 was a pivotal year for the emerging companies, creating new categories of winners and losers across the board. Emerging companies incorporating artificial intelligence or that have clear line of sight to positive cash...more
2/20/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Corporate Executives ,
Corporate Transparency Act ,
Down Rounds ,
Early Stage Companies ,
Emerging Growth Companies ,
Entrepreneurs ,
Estate Planning ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Financing ,
FinCEN ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Funding ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Proposed Rules ,
Ransomware ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Social Media ,
Startups ,
The Copyright Act ,
Venture Capital ,
Wage and Hour ,
Websites
2023 was a pivotal year for the beverage and food industry globally, creating new categories of winners and losers across the board. With a full year of operations largely relieved of pandemic-era restrictions, restaurant...more
2/15/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
Beverage Manufacturers ,
Corporate Transparency Act ,
Estate Planning ,
Food Manufacturers ,
Investors ,
Mergers ,
NLRA ,
NLRB ,
Non-Compete Agreements ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Ransomware ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Restaurant Industry ,
Social Media ,
Unions ,
Wage and Hour
The fashion and retail industry experienced another year of considerable change in 2023. As advancements in artificial intelligence (AI) spurred innovation within the industry, consumers and regulators worldwide called for...more
1/30/2024
/ Acquisitions ,
Artificial Intelligence ,
California ,
Class Action ,
Consumers ,
Copyright Infringement ,
Corporate Transparency Act ,
Due Diligence ,
E-Commerce ,
Environmental Social & Governance (ESG) ,
Fabrics ,
Fair Use ,
Fashion Industry ,
FinCEN ,
Forced Labor ,
FTC Act ,
FTC Endorsement Guidelines ,
Initial Public Offering (IPO) ,
Innovation ,
Labor Code ,
Luxury Goods ,
Machine Learning ,
Mergers ,
New Legislation ,
Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) ,
Popular ,
Professional Regulators ,
Ransomware ,
Real Estate Market ,
Reporting Requirements ,
Retailers ,
Sustainability ,
The Copyright Act
The US Supreme Court rejected First Amendment defenses raised by the maker of whiskey bottle-shaped dog chew toys branded BAD SPANIELS based on claims of trademark infringement and dilution of JACK DANIEL’S marks.
...more
8/17/2023
/ Cease and Desist ,
Dilution ,
First Amendment ,
Intellectual Property Protection ,
Jack Daniels Properties Inc v VIP Products LLC ,
Lanham Act ,
Likelihood of Confusion ,
Parody ,
Rogers Test ,
SCOTUS ,
Trade Dress ,
Trademark Infringement ,
Trademark Litigation ,
Trademarks
The sale of stolen, counterfeit or dangerous consumer products through online marketplaces is receiving attention from legislators. The Integrity, Notification, and Fairness in Online Retail Marketplaces for Consumers Act...more
1. Consumer Law Reforms -
2023 will see an increase in class action lawsuits targeting per- and poly-fluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in consumer products as more PFAS-limiting laws go into effect. Specifically, we expect food...more
4/4/2023
/ Artificial Intelligence ,
Automatic Renewals ,
Cryptoassets ,
Fake Reviews ,
Federal Trade Commission (FTC) ,
Influencers ,
Non-Fungible Tokens (NFTs) ,
PFAS ,
Popular ,
Privacy Laws ,
Product Packaging ,
Proposition 65 ,
ROSCA ,
Subscription Services ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Unfair or Deceptive Trade Practices
A federal district court judge recently refused to dismiss a trademark infringement claim against an influencer engaged by Rodan & Fields to promote one of its new cosmetic products. Notably, the infringement claim targets...more
As online shopping picked up during the COVID-19 pandemic due to brick-and-mortar closures, so too have questions about liability for online marketplaces.
Traditionally, online marketplaces—e-commerce platforms that offer...more
The Seventh Circuit recently resolved a false advertising lawsuit involving beer giants Anheuser-Busch, the maker of Bud Light, and Molson Coors, which makes Miller Light and Coors Light. At the center of the dispute – one of...more
The Gap, Inc. recently settled a class action lawsuit alleging that the retailer employed a misleading pricing scheme in The Gap and Banana Republic outlets and factory stores. The plaintiffs claimed that the company, which...more