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In a significant judicial decision, a Trump-appointed judge has invalidated the FTC’s ban on employer-imposed noncompete agreements. The ruling described the ban as “arbitrary and capricious” and deemed it unreasonably overbroad without adequate justification. Legal implications of this decision are discussed in depth in the Financial Times.
Meanwhile, the FTC’s investigation into the Kroger-Albertsons merger has uncovered questionable conduct from Albertsons executives, who allegedly engaged in deleting messages during the probe. Such actions raise serious concerns about compliance and the effectiveness of legal counsel advising these executives. Further details can be found in the Global Competition Review.
In the realm of intellectual property, Anthropic faces a copyright lawsuit from a group of authors. The plaintiffs assert that their works were used without permission to train Anthropic’s AI models, distinguishing this case from previous litigation that merely contested the use of copyrighted material for training purposes. For more on this unfolding legal battle, see Bloomberg Law News.
Amazon’s troubles continue as the company finds itself unable to overturn a ruling requiring it to pay over half a billion dollars in patent infringement damages. This decision, coupled with an additional $148 million in interest, is detailed by Law360.
In a separate high-profile case, Bob Menendez is seeking a new trial following his recent guilty verdicts. Arguments and motions surrounding this request can be reviewed in the NY Law Journal.
Additionally, the controversy over the mandatory membership of the Wisconsin bar continues to unfold. A lawsuit challenging the bar’s efforts to promote professional diversity on First Amendment grounds is moving forward, even though participation in these initiatives is voluntary. Reuters covers this development in depth here.
On a more theoretical note, an interesting draft article questions the feasibility of Originalism as the sole acceptable method of constitutional interpretation, especially considering its practical challenges before the age of the internet. This draft can be accessed on SSRN.
To read the full rundown of today’s docket, head over to Above the Law.