Posts by ADLI Law Group
Got Bad Reviews? That’s Too Bad, Under New Law
It’s been said that “opinions are like a________s – everyone has one”. But they can do serious damage to a business when they take the form of negative reviews online. People are entitled to express their opinions (it’s that pesky free speech thing). Reviews have become powerful influencers. Most of us won’t consider buying or…
Read MoreNo Fake News Here. Your Website or App Content Can Get You Sued for Copyright Infringement, Unless It Complies with New Law
President Trump regularly says you can’t trust the media. He’s 100% right — if he’s talking about a type of digital media. This would be the third-party content, such as videos, photos, and posts to chat rooms, bulletin boards, and discussion forums, that are hosted on a site or app (“Site(s)” for purposes of this…
Read MoreTrade Secrets: The Growing Battlefront
Earlier this year, the most publicized trade secret case of our lifetimes played out in court between two giants, Waymo LLC (actually a subsidiary of Google’s parent company, Alphabet Inc.) and Uber Technologies, Inc. Both companies were developing self-driving car technology, a game-changer in transportation that may forever transform how we get from one place…
Read MoreCalifornia’s Take on Non-Compete Agreements
It is a common refrain by executives, managers, and employees generally: Can my former employer really enforce the non-competition agreement I signed when I first joined the company? The answer, as is often the case in the legal realm, is yes, no and maybe. California, unlike many other states, has laws against “restraint of trade.”…
Read MoreWhat’s in A Name? Everything If Your Name Is Kylie Jenner
We’re saturated with Kylie Jenner. She has a celebrity. She’s all over reality TV as a Kardashian adjunct. She regularly graces the covers of tabloids. She has tens of millions of followers as a social media icon. She has a burgeoning career as a fashionista, either selling or planning to sell clothing, cosmetics and accessories.…
Read MoreWho’s An Employee? The Impact of Dynamex, Daily Journal (July 2, 2018)
In an article for the Daily Journal, Dr. Dariush Adli examines the landmark decision, where the California Supreme Court changed the standard for designating employees as independent contractors, making it much more difficult to classify employees as independent contractors. The article discusses the implications of the decision on California’s Gig economy as well the potential…
Read MoreShould Musical Works be Entitled to ‘Broad’ or ‘Thin’ Copyright Protection?, The Recorder (June 12, 2018)
In an article for The Recorder, Dr. Dariush Adli examines the hotly disputed legal issue between the majority and dissent in the recent, highly publicized, U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit “Blurred Lines” decision. That decision weighed in on whether Marvin Gaye’s 1976 hit song “Got to Give it Up” was entitled to…
Read MoreAnti-SLAPP: When State and Federal Rules Collide
The degree to which California’s anti-SLAPP provisions conflict with the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure is an issue that has been hotly disputed since California Code of Civil Procedure § 425.16 was enacted in 1992. Recently, the Ninth Circuit held that when California’s anti-SLAPP statute is utilized in federal court, the court will review the…
Read MoreWhen Court Powers Supersede the Will of the Parties
On May 18, 2018, the Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court’s grant of summary judgment on an issue raised sua sponte by the court, despite the fact that the parties had negotiated and agreed that the defendant would not seek summary judgment on the issue. On December 22, 2011, the plaintiff in the case on…
Read MoreSubsidized Free Speech
A group of California grape growers/shippers brought an action in the County of Fresno against the California Table Grape Commission, contending that the Commission’s collection of assessments under the Ketchum Act (Food & Agr. Code § 65500 et seq.) to subsidize promotional speech on behalf of all California table grapes violates the growers’ right to…
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