Megaupload
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Crime, Google / Search Engines, Non-Sequiturs, Rank Stupidity, Robert Bork
Non-Sequiturs: 11.07.12
* Google asked Gregory Sidak and Judge Robert Bork to write a report on its antitrust investigations. [Criterion Economics] * Megaupload founder Kim Dotcom just caught a tough break, courtesy of the government of… Gabon? [Threat Level / Wired] * Marco Delgado, lawyer and former trustee of Carnegie Mellon University, is accused of laundering half a billion dollars for a Mexican drug cartel. [Post-Gazette] * I’m very, very uninterested in getting tangled in racial debates after the election. But this stuff is messed up and scary. [Gawker] * And this too. Ick. [Jezebel] * Next time you plan a robbery, maybe plan on taking a nap before you reach the front door of your score. [Legal Juice] -
Education / Schools, Kids, Non-Sequiturs, United Kingdom / Great Britain, Weddings
Non-Sequiturs: 10.09.12
* Can we please fill this Facebook pay-for-posts rabbit hole with cement, ASAP? Then let’s grow a forest on top of the cement, and then napalm the whole thing for good measure. [Not-So Private Parts / Forbes] * In America, law school dropouts turn to aggressive blogging. In Syria, they join the rebel army. [LA Times] * A U.S. judge upholds the government’s indictment of Kim Dotcom and Megaupload, despite the whole “they’re based in another hemisphere” snag. The only tricky part is getting him here. [Ars Technica] * This insane wedding ended with a dead uncle, a relative in jail, and several dozen cops on the scene. I”ll bet ten-to-one Zach Galifianakis was somewhere nearby. [Dealbreaker] * Hello, Jimmy, welcome to the Pleasantville Middle School Scrapbooking Club! We’re so glad to have you. But, first, could you please pee in this cup? [Overlawyered] * This is an amusing video of British law students sucking up to William and Kate. More importantly, a reminder that Kate is gorgeous, even when she is unpixelated and wearing clothes. [Legal Cheek] - Sponsored
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Copyright, Cyberlaw, Department of Justice, Entertainment Law, Technology
MegaMeltdown: New Zealand's Prime Minister Apologizes to Kim Dotcom
Kim Dotcom strikes another victory, this time in the form of a personal apology from New Zealand's prime minister.
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Cars, Cyberlaw, Department of Justice, Federal Government, Intellectual Property, Technology
Kim Dotcom Can Finally Pay His Lawyers; And There Will Be Much Rejoicing
A New Zealand Court allowed the Megaupload leader to have access his money so his lawyers can finally get paid... -
Cars, Cyberlaw, Department of Justice, Entertainment Law, Federal Government, Intellectual Property, Technology
The DOJ Wishes Megaupload Would Just Die Already
What's happening these days in the DOJ's case against Megaupload? -
Department of Justice, Facebook, Google / Search Engines, Insider Trading, Intellectual Property, Morning Docket, Technology, Trials
Morning Docket: 08.01.12
* In the Apple-Samsung trial yesterday, Apple’s attorneys accused Samsung of intentionally copying the iPhone. Samsung’s attorney was like, Bro, step off. And then Judge Lucy Koh and all the members of the gallery and the jury crowded around in a circle and started yelling Techno-fight! Techno fight! [Wall Street Journal]
* Matthew Kluger, formerly of Wilson Sonsini and more recently convicted and sentenced to 12 years in prison for insider trading, gives an interview about what motivated him to commit his crimes. [Bloomberg]
* France is not happy that Google did not delete all its Street View information from the country after it promised to. Shockingly, some parts of the world apparently still value data privacy. How quaint! [New York Times]
* Former Perkins Coie partner Harold DeGraff must arbitrate his compensation battle with his former law firm. But the process will not have to be kept confidential. [Thomson Reuters]
* I’m pretty sure at this point the DOJ is just consulting a Ouija board in its increasingly feeble attempts to prosecute Megaupload. [Wired /Threat Level]
* UBS is not happy that it lost $356 million on the Facebook IPO. Now it’s suing NASDAQ over the snafu. [CNNMoney]
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Books, California, Fast Food, Food, Non-Sequiturs, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Non-Sequiturs: 07.10.12
* What if — gasp — we rewrote the U.S. Constitution today? Take a look at this discussion once you’ve picked up your shattered originalist jaw from the floor. [Room for Debate / New York Times] * Kim Dotcom’s extradition hearing has been postponed until next spring. Maybe this will allow him more time to throw bodacious pool parties. [Threat Level / Wired] * A photo of $211,223.04 that Matthew Inman of the Oatmeal raised for charity. Hopefully this means that the Oatmeal/Charles Carreon lawsuit circus is finally leaving town. [The Oatmeal] * “Bada da da daaah… I’m loving it! Now give me my Big Mac or I’ll shoot you in the face.” [Legal Juice] * A San Francisco restaurant finds an creative way around California’s new foie gras ban. Force-fed duck liver 4Lyfe! [Inside Scoop SF] * The Supreme Court Term feels like a distant memory, but now’s a good time to look back on it with added perspective. Courtesy of MoloLamken, here’s a great guide to the big business cases of the Supreme Court Term just ended. Download or print it, then read it at your leisure. [MoloLamken (PDF)] * A nice review of Inside Straight columnist Mark Herrmann’s new book. (The ATL commenters even get a shout out. Boo yah!) [Legal Writing Prof Blog] -
Football, Intellectual Property, Joe Biden, Non-Sequiturs, Technology
Non-Sequiturs: 07.03.12
* Nothing says justice like for-profit probation companies. [New York Times] * Was this really a courtroom exchange involving Redskins tight end Fred Davis, or was it a weird performance art piece/Abbott and Costello comedy routine? [Washingtonian] * There is no such thing as a free trip to Disney World. Well, technically there is. There are many, in fact, at least until you get caught. [Legal Juice] * The insane legal fight between the Oatmeal and Charles Carreon continues to get weirder. Oh yeah, and serial suer extraordinaire Jonathan Lee Riches has hopped into the fray as well. [Lowering the Bar] * Kim Dotcom says the order to go after Megaupload came all the way from the top. WHAT DOES JOE BIDEN WANT??? [TorrentFreak] * RIP Andy Griffith, a.k.a. Matlock, one of the most famous television attorneys of all time. My grandmother is probably very sad today. [WSJ Law Blog] - Sponsored
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Cyberlaw, Department of Justice, Entertainment Law, Federal Government, Intellectual Property, Technology
DOJ Case Against Megaupload Continues Crumbling, and I Have To Admit It's Fun to Watch
A New Zealand judge rules the search warrant conducted against Kim Dotcom illegal, and schadenfreude starts to kick in… -
Barack Obama, Bernie Madoff, Copyright, Department of Justice, Health Care / Medicine, Law Schools, Morning Docket, Politics, SCOTUS, Supreme Court
Morning Docket: 06.28.12
* Today’s court session is business as usual for SCOTUS, because the justices always seem to save the “best” for last. And now I’ll have that stupid Vanessa Williams song stuck in my head all day. Sorry if I got it stuck in yours, too. [National Law Journal (reg. req.)]
* Meanwhile, over at the White House, the air was thick with the sound of silence on the eve of the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Affordable Care Act. More than willing to bet that President Obama probably didn’t sleep too well last night. [Los Angeles Times]
* “If she dies and Romney wins, the Supreme Court will be the most conservative in history.” Oh, please. Stop giving Ruth Bader Ginsburg flak for being too old, and learn to respect your elders — she’ll quit (or she’ll croak) when she damn well feels like it. [New York Times]
* Peter Madoff will plead guilty to two federal charges at the end of the week. He’ll probably serve ten years in prison. In the long run, that’s nothing compared to big brother Bernie’s 150-year sentence. [Bloomberg]
* Reason #11ty-billion why we <3 Flori-duh: a judge rejected the DOJ's request to block Florida's voter purge, and Governor Rick Scott, of course, was pleased as punch, calling it a "common-sense decision." [POLITICO] * Megaupload wins again: a New Zealand court ruled that the search warrants used to raid Kim Dotcom’s mansion were illegal because they failed to “adequately describe the offenses to which they related.” [Reuters] * Loan debt will allegedly make you do some pretty crazy sh*t. Jason Bohn, the law school grad featured in an NYT article about the perils of law school, now stands accused of murdering his girlfriend. [New York Post] * The ABA Journal wants to know if you think your law school’s name and reputation affected your career path. Well, the first comment on my first post was “the what what school of where now,” so you tell me. [ABA Journal]
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Copyright, Department of Justice, Intellectual Property, Technology, Twittering
What's Happening In the Megaupload Case? Also: Kim Dotcom Joins Twitter, Uses It To Make Legal Jokes
What are the most recent updates in the Megaupload copyright case? And as a bonus, let's take a look at Kim Dotcom's new Twitter feed… -
Biglaw, Copyright, Cyberlaw, Department of Justice, Entertainment Law, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Intellectual Property, Technology
The Justice Department Appears to Be Losing the Battle Against Megaupload
With several new court filings, the Department of Justice's case against Megaupload continues to unravel… -
ACLU, Biglaw, Bonuses, Clarence Thomas, Copyright, Department of Justice, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Gay Marriage, John Edwards, Lambda Legal, Morning Docket, SCOTUS, Supreme Court, Trials
Morning Docket: 05.31.12
* “Our assets went home every night, until one night, they went home and never came back.” Aww, Dewey shed a tear for this bankrupt law firm? Nah. [Thomson Reuters News & Insight]
* It looks like SCOTUS Justice Clarence Thomas decided to kiss and make up with his alma mater, Yale Law School. He’ll be the keynote speaker at an alumni dinner in D.C. this summer. [Reuters]
* And the marriage equality battle has finally arrived in Obama’s former stomping grounds. Lambda Legal and the ACLU are challenging the ban on gay marriage in Illinois. [Associated Press]
* The biggest news out of the John Edwards trial yesterday was that Judge Eagles told the alternate jurors they didn’t have to show up anymore. OMG, boring. Give us a verdict already. [ABC News]
* Kim Dotcom and his company’s defense against the DOJ’s charges is coming together piece by piece. If only Megaupload were a torrent site, this would be a much better nerd joke. [Media Decoder / New York Times]
* The ABA Journal wants to know if you curse in the workplace, and if so, in what situations. We bet that a fair share of Biglaw associates were dropping f-bombs left and right over this year’s bonuses. [ABA Journal]
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Cyberlaw, Department of Justice, Quote of the Day, Technology
Quote of the Day: Cheap Tricks
Blogger and law professor Eric Goldman adds his two cents to the Megaupload debate. Let's just say he's less than impressed with the government's prosecution... -
Biglaw, Copyright, Cyberlaw, Entertainment Law, Federal Government, Federal Judges, Intellectual Property, Technology
Megaupload Trial May Never Happen Because of Possible FBI Error
The government makes another blunder in the Megaupload case... -
Biglaw, Copyright, Cyberlaw, Entertainment Law, Federal Government, Google / Search Engines, Intellectual Property, Legal Ethics, Litigators, Technology, William Burck, YouTube
Quinn Emanuel Calls B.S. on Government Conflict-of-Interest Objection in Megaupload Case
Quinn Emanuel lashes back at the government's conflict of interest objection in the Megaupload case. What does QE have to say? -
Biglaw, Billable Hours, Britney Spears, Celebrities, Copyright, Dewey & LeBoeuf, Divorce Train Wrecks, General Counsel, john quinn, Morning Docket, Pornography, Sex Scandals, United Kingdom / Great Britain, William Burck
Morning Docket: 04.09.12
* The billable hour may be far from dead, but last year, 61% of general counsel worked out alternative fee arrangements with outside counsel, including counsel from elite (read: Biglaw) firms. [Wall Street Journal]
* Dewey need to take lessons on revenge from this firm? John Altorelli, the D&L defector who spilled all the beans to the Am Law Daily, was blasted on Page Six this weekend. More on this to come later today. [New York Post]
* CHECK YOU LATERALS: recent Quinn Emanuel hires William Burck, Paul Brinkman, and Andrew Schapiro, as well as name partner John Quinn, have entered appearances on behalf of Megaupload. [Am Law Daily]
* Copyright infringement suits over porn downloading involving some 3,500 defendants were dismissed because the plaintiffs’ attorney, Terik Hasmi, couldn’t get it in legally in Florida. [National Law Journal]
* In England, there’s no such thing as a no-fault divorce, but instead, you can get one for “unreasonable behavior” — behavior like malicious service of tuna casserole, and speaking only in Klingon. [New York Times]
* This gives “I’m a Slave 4 U” some new meaning. Britney Spears’s fiancé, Jason Trawick, is trying to start their impending rocky marriage off on the right foot. He’ll soon be her co-conservator. [New York Daily News]
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Copyright, Entertainment Law, Intellectual Property, Movies, Technology
Fake Filesharing Lawsuits? Dang, That's Devious
One man's crisis is another man's golden opportunity. Keep reading to see how a new batch of criminals is trying to cash in on folks already worried about Megaupload-related copyright liability. It's actually quite a clever plot… -
Crowell & Moring, Fashion, Football, Jeannie Suk, Money, Morning Docket, Rape, Shoes, Trademarks
Morning Docket: 01.23.12
* Representative Gabrielle Giffords will be resigning from Congress this week to focus on her recovery. Jared Loughner, the man accused of shooting her, is still way too loony to stand trial. [CNN] * Because of this huge law firm, Dotcom’s bubble has officially burst. Hogan Lovells partner Robert S. Bennett has withdrawn from the […]
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Cyberlaw, Department of Justice, Technology
SOPA Be Damned, DOJ Has Sent a Message to Internet Pirates. And the Internet Sent a Message Right Back
While the Internet was throwing itself a party for taking down the Stop Online Piracy Act, getting drunk off its own power and shooting pistols into the air like a Mexican fiesta, the Department of Justice was already throwing up a big middle finger to offshore rogue websites, or whatever they're calling pirates now. Everyone's favorite hacker collective, Anonymous, struck back in revenge almost immediately. The group launched massive denial of service attacks against every media and governmental website their deranged hive mind could think of....