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Judge Sets Hearing on Allegations of Undisclosed Profits in State Contract Involving Former Officials

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CHICAGO — A legal dispute has cast a shadow over a state program designed to expedite payments to contractors, with accusations that undisclosed financial arrangements involving well-connected political figures potentially breached state contracted terms. Scheduled for a January 31 hearing by Judge Jerry Esrig at the Daley Center, the lawsuit targets the Vendor Assistance Program (VAP), alleging the company failed to reveal that former state legislator James DeLeo and influential lobbyist Nancy Kimme profited from the scheme. Over a decade ago, Illinois implemented a financial initiative allowing certain businesses to purchase unpaid state bills, aiming … Read more

California Sets Groundbreaking AI and Performer Rights Laws: New Measures to Shield Artists from Unauthorized Digital Replicas

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Sacramento, CA – California has positioned itself at the forefront of safeguarding performers in the era of generative artificial intelligence. Governor Gavin Newsom signed two landmark bills into law on September 17, 2024, strengthening the rights of both deceased and living performers against unauthorized uses of their digital likenesses or voices. These groundbreaking legislations, Assembly Bill 1836 and Assembly Bill 2602, address the increasing use of AI to create eerily realistic digital replicas in film, music, and television, which could potentially exploit performers’ likenesses without their consent. The new laws, which are scheduled to take … Read more

Jury Awards Lashify $30.5 Million in Patent Infringement Case Against Worldbeauty, Sets Precedent for Future Royalties

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Austin, Texas — In a landmark decision, a federal jury in Texas has ordered Qingdao Lashbeauty Cosmetic Co., Ltd., known commercially as Worldbeauty, to pay Lashify $30.5 million for lost profits due to patent infringement. The court decision also imposed a 30 percent royalty on future sales of Worldbeauty’s products that infringe on Lashify’s patented artificial eyelash extension system. The verdict, delivered on August 23, concluded the lawsuit initiated by Lashify in the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Texas in 2022. The Los Angeles-based beauty innovator, acclaimed for its Gossamer lash system, … Read more

Judge Sets Tight Deadlines as Trump’s Legal Team Prepares for Public Release of Evidence in Election Subversion Case

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WASHINGTON — U.S. District Judge Tanya Chutkan indicated she will deliver a prompt decision in the high-profile federal election subversion case against former President Donald Trump. The move came after Trump’s attorneys were given new deadlines to counter a motion concerning the public release of evidence in the proceedings, overseen by special counsel Jack Smith. Judge Chutkan set an October 1 deadline for Trump’s defense team to submit their arguments against the disclosure of evidence and an additional deadline of October 10 for responses to the motion’s appendix. Smith, leading the high-stakes investigation, recently pushed … Read more