Limiting

UT Austin Students Challenge New Law Limiting Expressive Activities, Citing Threats to Musical Freedom

by

Austin, Texas — A group of students at the University of Texas at Austin, including Santiago Lopez, is taking a stand against a new state law that limits expressive activities on public university campuses. Lopez, who joined the Society of Unconventional Drummers shortly after starting his studies, is passionate about the club’s mission to demonstrate that anyone can create music from everyday objects, such as buckets and bicycles. The Society of Unconventional Drummers, known as SOUnD, ends each semester with a performance celebrating their innovative music-making. However, under Senate Bill 2972, enacted on September 1, … Read more

"SoundExchange Challenges Ruling Limiting Its Legal Powers in $150M SiriusXM Royalty Dispute"

by

NEW YORK — SoundExchange, a U.S. performance rights organization, has expressed strong disapproval of a federal court’s recent decision that effectively blocks it from taking legal action against broadcasters. The organization labeled the ruling “entirely wrong on the law.” In a decision delivered by Judge Naomi Reice Buchwald of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, the court dismissed SoundExchange’s $150 million lawsuit against SiriusXM. The judge ruled that Congress has not conferred the necessary legal authority to SoundExchange to pursue lawsuits on behalf of artists and record labels, which the … Read more

Transgender Inmate Challenges Kentucky’s New Law Limiting Hormone Therapy in Landmark Lawsuit

by

LEXINGTON, Ky. — A transgender woman imprisoned in Kentucky has filed a lawsuit against the state’s Department of Corrections, challenging a new law that limits her access to hormone replacement therapy. The lawsuit, initiated by the American Civil Liberties Union of Kentucky on behalf of Maddilyn Marcum, contends that the law infringes upon both her Eighth Amendment rights, which protect against cruel and unusual punishment, and her rights under the Fourteenth Amendment’s Equal Protection Clause. Earlier this year, the Republican-led Kentucky General Assembly enacted Senate Bill 2, which prohibits the Department of Corrections from prescribing … Read more

Bayer Seeks Appeal in High-Stakes Roundup Case Amid New State Legislation Limiting Legal Liabilities

by

Atlanta, GA – In a significant legal development, Bayer announced its intention to challenge a Georgia court’s verdict that the company hopes to overturn, arguing that the damages awarded were excessive and unconstitutional. The controversial case highlights ongoing disputes about the risks associated with widely used herbicides. The trial, which concluded with substantial damages awarded against Bayer, centered on the company’s popular weedkiller, Roundup. Bayer’s appeal will focus on multiple purported trial court errors, including the exclusion of evidence that the plaintiff had purchased other herbicides and the barring of testimony about other pesticides stored … Read more