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Law Firms Appeal Exclusion from $101 Million Attorney's Fee Award in Anthropic Copyright Settlement

Law Firms Appeal Exclusion from $101 Million Attorney's Fee Award in Anthropic Copyright Settlement

Two law firms, Edelson and Oppenheim + Zebrak, have appealed to the Ninth Circuit after being excluded from a $101 million attorney's fee award. This award was part of a larger $1.5 billion copyright settlement generated from Anthropic PBC. The U.S. District Court for the Northern District of California restricted the fee award solely to court-approved class counsel, Susman Godfrey and Lieff Cabraser Heimann & Bernstein. This decision effectively cut out Edelson and Oppenheim + Zebrak, despite their involvement in securing the substantial settlement. The exclusion follows a prior admonishment from Judge William Alsup, who, before his retirement, criticized plaintiffs' counsel for an initial $300 million fees request that improperly included $75 million for work done by the two appealing firms and Cowan DeBaets.

AI Music Companies Udio and GRAI License Patents from UMG-Backed Music IP Holdings

AI Music Companies Udio and GRAI License Patents from UMG-Backed Music IP Holdings

AI Music Companies Udio and GRAI License Patents from UMG-Backed Music IP Holdings

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Upholds Injunction Against Quincy Mayor's Religious Statues Plan

Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Upholds Injunction Against Quincy Mayor's Religious Statues Plan

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court (SJC) has unanimously upheld a preliminary injunction, blocking Quincy Mayor Thomas P. Koch's plan to install 10-foot bronze statues of Saint Michael and Saint Florian outside the city's new public safety building. The statues, estimated to cost taxpayers $850,000, were intended to honor police officers and firefighters, with Saint Michael being the patron saint of police and Saint Florian for firefighters. The SJC affirmed a lower court's 2025 ruling, which found that Mayor Koch's claim of a secular purpose for the statues was not persuasive. The court cited Article 3 of the state's Declaration of Rights, adopted in 1833, which prohibits the government from advancing one religion over another. The SJC concluded that the statues, adorned with Catholic iconography and standing tall and alone, have a greater potential to be perceived as a government endorsement of a particular religion, violating constitutional rights.

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Dissents in RLUIPA Case, Citing Misconstruction of Constitutional Clauses

Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson Dissents in RLUIPA Case, Citing Misconstruction of Constitutional Clauses

The U.S. Supreme Court recently ruled 6-3 in Landor v. Louisiana Department of Corrections and Public Safety et al., determining that a Louisiana man cannot sue corrections officers for damages under the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act (RLUIPA). Justice Ketanji Brown Jackson filed a dissenting opinion, joined by Justices Sonia Sotomayor and Elena Kagan. Jackson argued that the majority misconstrued the Constitution’s spending clause and necessary and proper clause. Her dissent referenced a 2008 paper by Professor Samuel Bagenstos, 'Spending Clause Litigation in the Roberts Court,' which predicted the Supreme Court would limit Congress’s conditional spending authority by restricting private parties’ ability to enforce funding conditions. The case centered on Damon Landor, a practicing Rastafarian whose religious convictions require him to keep his hair uncut. Despite informing officers of his religious beliefs and RLUIPA protections, his head was shaved upon transfer between correctiona...

Surrogate Denies 'Political Theater' Accusation in Texas Custody Battle

Surrogate Denies 'Political Theater' Accusation in Texas Custody Battle

McKenna West, a cardiac nurse from Alaska who recently gave birth in Texas to a baby with a rare heart condition, has denied accusations that her actions constitute 'political theater.' West was carrying the baby, Rumi, for Omar Ahmed and Nausheen Gilkar. The surrogacy agreement included a clause allowing the parents to request an abortion in case of fetal abnormalities, which was discovered during a 20-week scan. West refused to terminate the pregnancy, citing her belief in the baby's chance of survival through surgery. This decision led to a multi-state legal battle, with West seeking custody in Alaska and the biological parents filing counterclaims. Rumi underwent surgery for hypoplastic left heart syndrome, a condition requiring lifelong medical care. West, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom, stated her motivation is to ensure the child receives necessary care, not to engage in political maneuvering.

AI Companies Face FTC Complaint Over Destructive Book Scanning Practices

AI Companies Face FTC Complaint Over Destructive Book Scanning Practices

AI Companies Face FTC Complaint Over Destructive Book Scanning Practices

American Music Fairness Act Reintroduced in Congress to Address Artist Radio Royalties

American Music Fairness Act Reintroduced in Congress to Address Artist Radio Royalties

The American Music Fairness Act (AMFA) was reintroduced in the 119th Congress in February 2025 by Representatives Darrell Issa and Jerry Nadler, and Senators Marsha Blackburn and Alex Padilla. This legislative effort aims to mandate that terrestrial radio broadcasters pay performance royalties to artists and rights holders for the music they play. Currently, unlike digital and satellite services, terrestrial radio stations are not required to compensate artists for their songs. The bill has garnered significant support, with over 300 artists writing to Congressional leaders in February to advocate for its passage. SoundExchange President and CEO Michael Huppe testified before the Senate Judiciary Committee’s intellectual property subcommittee in December 2025, alongside KISS co-founder Gene Simmons, highlighting the disparity in compensation practices within the music industry. MC Lyte, a prominent artist, has been recognized with the SoundExchange Music Fairness Award for her extensive advocacy for this l...

University of Chicago Law Professor Randy Picker Remembered for Contributions to Competition and Copyright Law

University of Chicago Law Professor Randy Picker Remembered for Contributions to Competition and Copyright Law

University of Chicago Law School professor Randy Picker has passed away, leaving behind a significant legacy in the fields of competition law, copyright, and entertainment. His colleague, Saul Levmore, highlighted Picker's unique approach to legal scholarship, which involved delving into the intricate details of firm and industry success and failure, particularly focusing on the role of law in their trajectories. Picker meticulously studied the legal cases against dominant firms like AT&T and IBM, examining how government intervention and legal attacks contributed to their eventual decline. He was known for his Socratic method, posing compelling questions rather than always providing definitive answers, and for his innovative application of law-and-economics to legal history. His work also explored the evolution of antitrust law and its changing perception of firm success and size, noting its current manifestation in the European Union.

The Beatles' New UMG Partnership Recalls Historic Merchandising Blunder

The Beatles' New UMG Partnership Recalls Historic Merchandising Blunder

The Beatles' New UMG Partnership Recalls Historic Merchandising Blunder

Florida Appellate Court's Comma Interpretation in Venue Dispute Draws Criticism

Florida Appellate Court's Comma Interpretation in Venue Dispute Draws Criticism

The Florida District Court of Appeal recently issued a decision in the case of *Treasure Coast Classical Academy, Inc. v. Optima Foundation, Inc.*, where the interpretation of a comma played a decisive role in determining whether a contract's venue provision was mandatory or permissive. The court ruled that the presence of a comma before the venue clause meant that the mandatory effect of the word 'shall' applied only to the choice of Florida law, not to the venue selection. This interpretation led the appellate court to reverse a lower court's decision, which had dismissed the complaint for improper venue, and remand the case for further proceedings. The appellate court cited previous Florida District Court of Appeal decisions, *Regal Kitchens, Inc. v. O'Connor & Taylor Condominium Construction, Inc.* and *Global Commercial Roofing, LLC v. iCrete, LLC*, to support its reasoning regarding the comma's significance in contractual language.

New Jersey Supreme Court Invalidates Surrogacy Contracts, Awards Custody in Landmark Case

New Jersey Supreme Court Invalidates Surrogacy Contracts, Awards Custody in Landmark Case

In 1988, the New Jersey Supreme Court ruled that surrogacy contracts are invalid within the state. This decision stemmed from a highly publicized custody battle involving Mary Beth Whitehead, who had agreed to be artificially inseminated with William Stern's sperm, carry the pregnancy to term, and then relinquish her parental rights for $10,000. However, after giving birth, Whitehead changed her mind and attempted to keep the baby, leading to a legal dispute that escalated to the state's highest court. The court ultimately returned the question of parenting to the family court, which awarded custody to the Sterns, determining it was in the child's best interest. This case, known as the 'Baby M' case, marked the first instance in America to critically examine the legitimacy of surrogate motherhood and has had lasting implications for surrogacy laws and ethics.

SCOTUSblog Proposes Delegation of Chief Justice's Powers to Associate Justices

SCOTUSblog Proposes Delegation of Chief Justice's Powers to Associate Justices

SCOTUSblog has published a proposal advocating for the Chief Justice of the Supreme Court to delegate some of their traditional powers to associate justices. The proposal suggests that the Chief Justice should allow other members of the court to preside over public argument sessions and private conferences. This delegation is presented as a constitutional possibility, as Article III of the Constitution is largely silent on the specific role of the Chief Justice, and statutory law does not prohibit such transfers of authority. The article highlights that many of the Chief Justice's powers have been acquired through tradition rather than explicit constitutional or statutory grants. Historically, such delegations have occurred out of necessity, such as during vacancies in the Chief Justice position or when a Chief Justice was incapacitated. For instance, Justice John Paul Stevens presided over oral arguments and conferences when Chief Justice William Rehnquist was ill. The proposal aims to promote trust among...