HOT DOCS

ANTITRUST – Polypore Int’l Inc. v. F.T.C.

OPINION – Polypore acquired a competitor, and was ordered to divest itself of the acquisition’s assets by the F.T.C. Polypore argued that the acquired company was only a potential competitor, but the court ruled that section 7 of the Clayton Act deals with probabilities of monopoly, not certainties. Section 7 stops monopolies before the customer’s options disappear. (11th Cir.)

TRADE SECRETS – Millennium Labs. Inc. v. eLab Consulting Svcs.

OPINION – eLab hosted Millennium’s website, and later started a business that was a competitor to Millennium. Millenium demanded the return or destruction of its confidential information. eLab claimed it was destroyed, but also that the information was not confidential. The court ruled that there was no agreement to keep the information secret. (S.D. Cal.)

EMPLOYMENT – Rattigan v. Holder

OPINION – A Muslim FBI employee may pursue his civil rights lawsuit alleging the bureau launched a retaliatory investigation into his security clearance after he complained about discrimination, but must show that the probe resulted from a knowingly false report, the D.C. Circuit has ruled. (D.C. Cir.)

PRODUCTS LIABILITY – Nemmers v. Ford Motor Co.

OPINION – The 8th Circuit has upheld a jury verdict in favor of Ford Motor Co., rejecting a woman's claim that a defective 2002 F-250 pickup truck made the injuries she suffered in a rollover accident worse. (8th Cir.)

LICENSING – Everlast World’s Boxing Headquarters Corp. v. Ringside Inc.

COMPLAINT – Everlast licensed Ringside to produce boxing products using Everlast trademarks. Everlast claims that Ringside has failed to pay royalties, and has thus terminated the licensing agreement. Everlast seeks an injunction on Ringside’s use of the trademarks, as well as damages for trademark dilution and unjust enrichment. (S.D.N.Y.)

COURT WIRE: JUST FILED