Deals

U.S. to Appeal Ruling Reinstating Plea Deals for Alleged 9/11 Conspirators at Guantanamo

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Washington — The U.S. government is set to appeal a military judge’s decision upholding plea agreements with alleged 9/11 conspirators at Guantanamo Bay, which had been previously nullified by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin. A defense official confirmed on Saturday that the administration finds the plea deals, overturned in August by Austin, to still stand as “valid and enforceable” following a ruling by Col. Matthew McCall. The decision came after a surprise move by Austin, who took responsibility for the plea deal retraction into his hands this summer, away from the military commissions’ convening authority, which … Read more

Jury Sides with Apple in Design Patent Dispute, Deals Blow to Masimo’s Smartwatch Sales

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Wilmington, Delaware — In a notable legal victory, Apple Inc. successfully persuaded a federal jury that two design patents were infringed upon by Masimo Corp.’s smartwatches, leading to a $250 million damages award in favor of the tech behemoth. The verdict came as the latest development in a series of intense patent disputes between the two companies over their smartwatch technologies. During the trial, the jury concluded that Masimo’s W1 and Freedom watch models, along with their charging devices, had willfully infringed upon Apple’s patented designs. Notably, the jury also decided that Masimo did not … Read more

Federal Judge Limits Jurors’ Consideration of Licensing Deals in Western Digital Patent Case

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San Francisco, CA – In a significant legal ruling, a federal judge in California decided on Wednesday that in the patent infringement case against Western Digital, the jury will not be allowed to consider a 2009 licensing agreement that Spex Technologies had with Kingston Technology when determining potential damages. This decision complicates how damages could be assessed in the lawsuit alleging that Western Digital violated Spex Technologies’ data security patent. The court determined the licensing agreement’s details were too intertwined with other elements to isolate the value of the specific patent in question. This ruling … Read more

Study Reveals Ohio Law Favors Gas Drillers Over Landowner Rights in Shale Leasing Deals

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COLUMBUS, Ohio — In the expansive fields of Ohio, where shale reservoirs hold lucrative natural gas deposits, landowners find themselves facing a pressing dilemma. Ohio’s unique legal framework empowers gas drilling companies to compel property owners to enter into lease agreements, even when they are reluctant or outright opposed. This legal mechanism, known as “unitization,” is increasingly under scrutiny for its impact on individual property rights. “Unitization” laws were designed to streamline the extraction process and minimize the environmental footprint by allowing a single operator to extract resources across a unified area, even if it … Read more