Law Commons^™

Pooling And Exchanging Competitively Sensitive Information Among Rivals: Absolutely Illegal Not Just Unreasonable, Peter C. Carstensen, Annkathrin Marschall

University of Cincinnati Law Review

An agreement to exchange competitive sensitive information among rivalrous competitors usually results from an intent to inhibit or restrict the discretion of those firms to engage in competition. Basic economic logic about competition leads to that conclusion. Hence, such an exchange is in itself a naked agreement in restraint of trade without legal justification. Currently, case law requires a more convoluted and irrelevant inquiry into market definition and market power before a court can condemn such agreements. This is the result of ambiguous Supreme Court decisions as well as the recognition that in a few instances there are plausible arguments …

Do Not Touch My Data: Exploring A Disclosure-Based Framework To Address Data Access, Francis Morency

Washington and Lee Journal of Civil Rights and Social Justice

Companies have too much control over people’s information. In the data marketplace, companies package and sell individuals’ data, and these individuals have little to no bargaining power over the process. Companies may freely buy and sell people’s data in the private sector for targeted marketing and behavior manipulation. In the justice system, an unchecked data marketplace leaves black and brown communities vulnerable to serious data access issues caused by predictive sentencing, for example. Risk assessment algorithms in predictive sentencing rely on data on individuals and run all relevant data points to provide the likelihood that a defendant will recidivate low …

Developments In The Laws Affecting Electronic Payments And Financial Services, Sarah Jane Hughes, Stephen T. Middlebrook, Tom Kierner

Articles by Maurer Faculty

The past year proved to be a busy period for the regulation of electronic payments and financial services. In this year’s survey, we discuss rulemakings, enforcement actions, and other litigation that has significantly impacted the law governing payments and financial services. Part II addresses the ongoing fight between federal and state authorities over which should properly regulate Fin- Tech entities and describes some new steps the Office of the Comptroller of the Currency (“OCC”) has taken to assert its authority in this area. Part III details an enforcement action that California regulators took against a FinTech company they determined had …

When Is A Warranty Not A Warranty?: Deconstructing The Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act’S Narrow Definition Of “Warranty”, Colin P. Marks

Faculty Articles

Prior to the adoption of the Uniform Commercial Code (“UCC”), warranties of goods required reliance on the affirmation or promise relating to the goods for liability to attach. The UCC changed this standard from a reliance standard to a “basis of the bargain” standard. This shift has caused much confusion as to whether the new standard was meant to completely eliminate reliance as a relevant factor, or if reliance still plays a primary role in warranty analysis. Adding to this area of law is the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act (“MMWA” or “the Act”), which was enacted to address concerns that sellers’ …

The Cfpb’S Endaround, Chris O'Brien

Catholic University Law Review

The financial crisis of 2008 led Congress to enact the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act and establish the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) to better protect consumers. Although Dodd-Frank and the CFPB introduced sweeping changes to many areas of financial lending, automobile dealers and financers were expressly excluded from oversight by the CFPB. Despite this express limitation on the CFPB’s authority, the Bureau nonetheless expanded its definition of “larger participants” to encompass automobile dealers and financiers. This action has resulted in duplicative regulatory oversight and increased costs to consumers, which in turn, imposes additional burdens on those …

Ignorance Over Innovation: Why Misunderstanding Standard Setting Organizations Will Hinder Technological Progress, Kristen Osenga

Law Faculty Publications

On January 17, 2017, the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) sued Qualcomm Inc. in federal district court, alleging antitrust violations in the company's licensing of semiconductor chips used in cell phones and more. The suit alleges, in part, that Qualcomm refuses to license its patents that cover innovations incorporated in technology standards (standard-essential patents, or SEPs), in contradiction of the company's promise to license this intellectual property on fair, reasonable, and nondiscriminatory (FRAND) terms. According to the FTC, Qualcomm's behavior reduces competitors' ability to participate in the market, raises prices paid by consumers for products incorporating the standardized technology, and at …

The Times They Are A-Changin': Innovation In The Modern Music Festival, Molly R. Madonia

Marquette Intellectual Property Law Review

Musical festivals are, and have always been, a way for friends and families to gather together to celebrate the latest and greatest in music, food, and entertainment. From large festivals in major metropolitan cities to small, intimate shows, music festivals have long been a source of enjoyment to music fans and a source of inspiration to up-and-coming musicians. This Article will explore innovation within the modern music festival, including legal, political, and operational changes that affect festivals across the country. So, as Emerson, Lake, and Palmer so eloquently expressed, “Welcome back my friends to the show that never ends, we’re …

Purchase Of Consumer Paper And Subjection To Collateral Forces, Benjamin Geva

Benjamin Geva

The purchase of commercial paper issued in return for consumer goods [hereinafter referred to as consumer paper] is a common and wide-spread sales financing practice. Various judicial techniques and legislative schemes have been employed to disqualify purchasers of consumer paper from becoming holders in due course [hereinafter referred to as HDC], thus rendering these purchasers subject to defenses to the instrument based upon consumer dissatisfaction with the goods. Underlying the denial of HDC sttus to purchasers of consumer paper are the following premises: (1) the sale of consumer goods is not a commercial transaction and should not be governed by …

How Many #Followers Do You Have?: Evaluating The Rise Of Social Media And Issues Concerning In Re Ctli’S Determination That Social Media Accounts Are Property Of The Estate, Patricia A. Leeson

Catholic University Law Review

With the rise of social media use, legal disputes have surfaced with litigants looking to the courts to determine issues of ownership and legal authority. As a matter of first impression, a U.S. Bankruptcy Court in Texas held that a Twitter and Facebook social media account were to be regarded as property of the estate pursuant to Section 541 of the Bankruptcy Code. The court analogized the social media accounts to subscriber lists because they provide valuable access to customers. Although the court addressed the question of whether social media applications are to be regarded as property in bankruptcy proceedings, …

Peeling Back The Student Privacy Pledge, Alexi Pfeffer-Gillett

Scholarly Articles

Education software is a multi-billion dollar industry that is rapidly growing. The federal government has encouraged this growth through a series of initiatives that reward schools for tracking and aggregating student data. Amid this increasingly digitized education landscape, parents and educators have begun to raise concerns about the scope and security of student data collection.

Industry players, rather than policymakers, have so far led efforts to protect student data. Central to these efforts is the Student Privacy Pledge, a set of standards that providers of digital education services have voluntarily adopted. By many accounts, the Pledge has been a success. …

Throwing The Flag On Copyright Warnings: How Professional Sports Organizations Systematically Overstate Copyright Protection, Tyler Mccormick Love

Journal of Intellectual Property Law

No abstract provided.

Going Native: The Rise Of Online Native Advertising And A Recommended Regulatory Approach, A.J. Casale

Catholic University Law Review

J.D. Candidate, May 2016, The Catholic University of America, Columbus School of Law; B.A., 2006, The George Washington University. The author would like to thank the staff and editors of the Catholic University Law Review for their contributions to this Comment.

The Need For An International Convention On Data Privacy: Taking A Cue From The Cisg, Morgan Corley

Brooklyn Journal of International Law

In light of the invalidation of the U.S.-EU Safe Harbor, along with the increase in sales of personal data as a commodity, data privacy has become a major concern amongst different nations. The lack of harmonization of data-privacy laws around the world continues to pose obstacles to the free flow of data across national borders. The free flow of data is, nonetheless, essential the international economy. As a result, nations continue to work together to try to create mechanisms by which data can be transferred across borders in a secure manner. This Note examines the current state of data-privacy law …

Deceptive Advertising And The Federal Trade Commission: A Perspective, Larry T. Pleiss

Pepperdine Law Review

No abstract provided.

Purchase Of Consumer Paper And Subjection To Collateral Forces, Benjamin Geva

University of Richmond Law Review

The purchase of commercial paper issued in return for consumer goods [hereinafter referred to as consumer paper] is a common and wide-spread sales financing practice. Various judicial techniques and legislative schemes have been employed to disqualify purchasers of consumer paper from becoming holders in due course [hereinafter referred to as HDC], thus rendering these purchasers subject to defenses to the instrument based upon consumer dissatisfaction with the goods. Underlying the denial of HDC sttus to purchasers of consumer paper are the following premises: (1) the sale of consumer goods is not a commercial transaction and should not be governed by …

Kentucky Law Survey: Commercial Law And Consumer Credit, Harold R. Weinberg

Law Faculty Scholarly Articles

This article is a survey of commercial law and consumer credit in the Commonwealth of Kentucky. The most significant development during the past survey year was the demise of the holder in due course doctrine and other related doctrines which insulated creditors financing consumer sales from consumer claims and defenses. As a result of this development, consumers will now be able to assert claims or defenses arising out of the sale financed against the financer under certain circumstances. Other developments also surveyed herein relate to the Uniform Commercial Code statutes of frauds and prejudgment creditors’ remedies.

The Evolving Duty Of An Innocent Buyer To Inquire Into His Bargain Under Section 2(F) Of The Robinson-Patman Act, Bradley Louis Williams

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Primer On The Law Of Deceptive Practices, Edward D. Mcdevitt

West Virginia Law Review

No abstract provided.

Souped Up Affirmative Disclosure Orders Of The Federal Trade Commission, William F. Lemke Jr.

University of Michigan Journal of Law Reform

Under section 5(b) of the Federal Trade Commission Act the Commission is given authority to conduct hearings, make findings and issue cease and desist orders requiring any person, partnership or corporation to cease and desist from use of unfair methods of competition or unfair or deceptive practices in commerce. The Commission also issues consent orders in cases which are concluded by agreement between the Commission and the allegedly offending party. Consent orders have the same force and binding effect as those issued after hearings and findings. Although it is well established that the Commission has very broad discretion and authority …

In Aggravation Of Merger, G. E. Hale, Rosemary D. Hale

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

A Consignment Approach To Vertical Marketing Restrictions (United States V. Arnold, Schwinn & Co.), James K. Gardner

Indiana Law Journal

No abstract provided.

Removal Of Judicial Functions From Federal Trade Commission To A Trade Court: A Reply To Mr. Kintner, Raoul Berger

Michigan Law Review

Not long ago, Attorney General Rogers stated that, "The entire field of administrative law and of Government regulation may require a searching re-examination of some of the premises on which we have based our conclusions." What lifts this utterance to the level of "man bites dog" is that the Attorney General almost alone among federal administrators does not insist that the administrative process, in major outline, is forever frozen. The orthodox administrative view is exemplified by Mr. Earl W. Kintner's (formerly General Counsel and now Chairman of the Federal Trade Commission) numerous strictures upon the American Bar Association proposal that …

Trade Regulations-Deceptive Practices, Earl R. Boonstra

Michigan Law Review

Petitioner, an importer, distributed catalogs among some 25,000 retailers describing his porcelain line as follows: "IMPORTED Hand Decorated 'Du Barry' Porcelain," and " 'Du BARRY' Porcelain table lamps are nationally famous as reproductions of rare, original French and English 'old pieces.'" The Federal Trade Commission found that the advertising impliedly represented that the origin was French or British, whereas the products were made in Japan. A cease and desist order was issued prohibiting use of the legend, "Imported-Du Barry,'' or any other legend suggesting French origin, without clearly disclosing the fact of import from Japan. Held, affirmed. The order …

Price Discriminations And Their Justifications Under The Robinson-Patman Act Of 1936, John T. Haslett

Michigan Law Review

The Robinson-Patman Act was approved by the President on June 19, 1936. The purpose of the act was to amend section 2 of the Clayton Act, which prohibited price discriminations in interstate commerce. Congress, by amending section 2 of the Clayton Act, broadened the scope of the section by extending its purposes and prohibitions to price discriminations not formerly covered and by prohibiting other forms of discrimination which give favored purchasers undue cost advantages over their non-favored competitors. It also reduced the extent of requisite competitive injury.

Administrative Law-The Choice Of Remedy-Modification Of Administrative Order By Court, John W. Potter S.Ed.

Michigan Law Review

The Federal Trade Commission in proceedings under section 5 of the Federal Trade Commission Act found, inter alia, that petitioner, a manufacturer of overcoats, used a deceptive and misleading trade name, Alpacuna, which induced the erroneous belief that its coats contained vicuna. The commission issued a cease and desist order banning the use of the word Alpacuna to describe petitioner's coats. The circuit court of appeals found that the commission's findings were supported by substantial evidence, but felt that the remedy was unduly harsh because of the fact that the public interest could have been adequately protected by using qualifying …

Unfair Competition- Unlawful Trade Practices -Michigan Statute - Misleading Practices By ''Wholesale Sellers", Jay W. Sorge

Michigan Law Review

During recent years "phony" wholesalers have been defrauding the public by selling merchandise at "wholesale" prices which are actually higher than the retail prices of the same articles. These sales are made by three methods: (a) through the use of open showrooms, in which the articles are displayed as they would be at a wholesale house, although the actual business carried on is with individuals; (b) by distributing courtesy cards entitling the bearer to discounts at certain retail or wholesale houses, and (c) by sending out to members of organizations or to individuals catalogs which advertise standard brands at low …

Maintenance Of Resale Prices, Paul L. Sayre

Articles by Maurer Faculty

No abstract provided.