Michael Liedtke

May 17, 2006 | Law.com

Software makers Symantec and McAfee launched a crackdown on illegal Internet sales of their products Tuesday by suing suspected pirates who have set up shop on the online auction site eBay. "If online marketplaces are going to pursue the free-market ideals that they aspire to, they must make sure the products they sell are authentic," said Joe Fitzgerald of Symantec. The industry estimates it loses $11 billion to $12 billion a year from the distribution of pirated software.

By Michael Liedtke

3 minute read

April 26, 2007 | Law.com

In what has become an annual rite, Chevron's opponents in a South American environmental and legal quagmire have come to the U.S. in an effort to gain support from consumers, investors and politicians. The latest public relations campaign culminated in California during Chevron's shareholders' meeting Wednesday, when a delegation from Ecuadorean rain forests contaminated by oil drilling confronted Chevron's chairman. A class action suit seeks an estimated $6 billion in clean-up costs from Chevron.

By Michael Liedtke

4 minute read

October 10, 2006 | Law.com

By Michael Liedtke

5 minute read

May 09, 2006 | Law.com

Some Google advertisers say the search giant is shortchanging them by offering $60 million in refunds to settle a class action over "click fraud." One marketing director, who isn't sure how much his company paid Google for bogus sales referrals caused by the sham, called the offer "almost like an insult." Google also expects to pay $30 million to lawyers who settled the case on behalf of advertisers. An Arkansas judge is expected to consider the proposed class action settlement in late July.

By Michael Liedtke

6 minute read

August 14, 2006 | Law.com

Apple Computer maneuvered Friday to keep its shares listed on the Nasdaq Stock Market after reiterating that it will miss a regulatory deadline for filing its quarterly results while it investigates whether mishandling of employee stock options distorted its financial results. The company will seek an administrative hearing in response to a Nasdaq letter warning of a possible delisting due to the delayed report. Apple's shares will remain listed until there is a ruling, not likely for two to three months.

By Michael Liedtke

4 minute read

February 08, 2007 | Law.com

Apple indicated it would open its iTunes store to other portable players besides its ubiquitous iPod if major record labels abandoned the anti-piracy technology that serves as the industry's security blanket. Steve Jobs, Apple's chief executive, made the case for abolishing the protections known as "Digital Rights Management" in an open letter on the company's Web site. Supporters hailed Jobs for his attempt to remove restrictions. Critics, though, derided the message as a disingenuous publicity stunt.

By Michael Liedtke

5 minute read

August 29, 2007 | Law.com

Yahoo Inc. has asked a U.S. judge to dismiss a lawsuit attacking the Internet icon for cooperating with China's communist government, arguing the case is a meritless attempt to meddle in another country's legal affairs. The 40-page brief filed Aug. 27 in Oakland represented Yahoo's first formal response to a 4-month-old lawsuit filed on behalf of two Chinese journalists serving 10-year prison sentences for engaging in pro-democracy efforts that the country's authorities deemed subversive.

By Michael Liedtke

3 minute read

September 11, 2006 | Law.com

Battling to keep her job, Hewlett-Packard Co. Chairwoman Patricia Dunn tried Friday to defuse the uproar over a company-ordered investigation that relied on a possibly illegal ruse to obtain the phone records of her fellow directors and journalists. In an interview, Dunn described the tactics as "absolutely appalling" and "embarrassing" while defending the need for the investigation to plug a leak on HP's board. California Attorney General Bill Lockyer has concluded the HP investigation broke state law.

By Michael Liedtke

5 minute read

August 07, 2006 | Corporate Counsel

As the stock option cloud over Apple Computer Inc. darkened, spooked investors caused Apple shares to drop sharply during Friday trading before rebounding. Apple expects to miss a deadline for filing its most recent quarterly report with the SEC as it reviews possible revisions to past profits. While the company has weathered the stock option storm remarkably well so far, depending on the possible abuses, class action lawyers and prosecutors could target Apple's board or its renowned CEO, Steve Jobs.

By Michael Liedtke

5 minute read

June 28, 2007 | Law.com

Online DVD rental service Netflix Inc. has settled a patent infringement lawsuit against Blockbuster Inc., ending an attempt to thwart the rapid growth of its biggest rival. Terms of the settlement were kept confidential, which has sparked speculation that the companies had reached a "sweetheart agreement" that may stifle competition.

By Michael Liedtke

4 minute read