Alex Veiga

January 22, 2007 | The Legal Intelligencer

A hung jury forced a mistrial in Los Angeles on Thursday in the cases of two men who blamed their heart attacks on Vioxx, the once-popular painkiller made by pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. that is now the subject of thousands of lawsuits.

By Alex Veiga The Associated Press

4 minute read

August 03, 2006 | Law.com

An L.A. jury Wednesday cleared Merck of liability in the case of a 71-year-old man who claimed his heart ailments were caused by the drug maker's Vioxx painkiller. The jury determined Merck was not negligent, did not conceal information and was not responsible for Stewart Grossberg's heart problems. One law professor predicts more legal victories ahead for Merck, saying, "Juries are very receptive to the Merck argument that the drug isn't the problem with these older patients, it's their own illnesses."

By Alex Veiga

4 minute read

March 22, 2004 | Law.com

A native of Romania who claims to have written the source code to the popular file-sharing software Kazaa is suing the program's distributor over rights to the software and seeking $25 million in compensation. Fabian Toader, now a programmer for Microsoft, claims he wrote the computer code for the Kazaa program in 2000 while freelancing in Romania for Kazaa B.V., which sold the software rights to Sharman Networks Ltd.

By Alex Veiga

3 minute read

March 02, 2005 | Legaltech News

Leading computer scientists were joined this week by tech firms and consumer groups in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to side with online file-sharing firms in a high-stakes battle against Hollywood and the recording industry. In briefs filed Tuesday, Grokster, StreamCast and their supporters urged the Court not to reinterpret the doctrine established in the 1984 Sony Betamax case. Scientists and academics voiced their concern that a decision for entertainment companies could chill technological progress.

By Alex Veiga

4 minute read

October 16, 2007 | Law.com

A federal judge on Oct. 15 granted a request by Ticketmaster LLC to block a software company from making or distributing computer programs used to flood the ticket retailer's Web site with orders, beating consumers who log onto the Web site manually to buy tickets.

By Alex Veiga

3 minute read

March 02, 2005 | Law.com

Leading computer scientists were joined this week by tech firms and consumer groups in urging the U.S. Supreme Court to side with online file-sharing firms in a high-stakes battle against Hollywood and the recording industry. In briefs filed Tuesday, Grokster, StreamCast and their supporters urged the Court not to reinterpret the doctrine established in the 1984 Sony Betamax case. Scientists and academics voiced their concern that a decision for entertainment companies could chill technological progress.

By Alex Veiga

4 minute read

August 04, 2006 | The Legal Intelligencer

A California jury on Wednesday cleared pharmaceutical company Merck & Co. of liability in the case of an elderly man who claimed his heart ailments were caused by the drug maker's once-popular painkiller Vioxx.

By Alex Veiga The Associated Press

4 minute read

August 03, 2006 | Corporate Counsel

An L.A. jury Wednesday cleared Merck of liability in the case of a 71-year-old man who claimed his heart ailments were caused by the drug maker's Vioxx painkiller. The jury determined Merck was not negligent, did not conceal information and was not responsible for Stewart Grossberg's heart problems. One law professor predicts more legal victories ahead for Merck, saying, "Juries are very receptive to the Merck argument that the drug isn't the problem with these older patients, it's their own illnesses."

By Alex Veiga

4 minute read

November 05, 2004 | Law.com

Hollywood studios announced Thursday they will file hundreds of suits this month against individuals who swap pirated copies of movies over the Internet. The move is a reversal of the studio's earlier reluctance to follow the aggressive legal path taken by the music industry. An industry spokesman said the lawsuits were necessary now, before high-speed Internet access makes downloading pirated copies of movies easier.

By Alex Veiga

4 minute read

August 09, 2004 | Law.com

Attorneys general from 45 states sent letters to seven companies that offer online file-sharing software, hinting at possible legal consequences if the networks don't better inform computer users about potential copyright violations. Entertainment companies contend purveyors of peer-to-peer software are profiting from the unauthorized distribution of songs, movies and software, but a legal expert questioned how file sharing might break state laws.

By Alex Veiga

3 minute read