Legal news, some illegal. All of it interesting
1. Mattel’s Not Playing Around, Beats Idea Theft Suit
A TV producer tried to Rock ‘Em Sock ‘Em Mattel in court. It didn’t play well. He claimed the toy maker stole his concept for the reality competition show The Toy Box (think Shark Tank for toys) after he pitched them the idea. He hoped to Polly Pocket $46M in lost profits. But his Barbie Dream House crumbled. After a 10-week trial, the jury sided with Mattel. Reason number Uno? Jurors found the concept generic. Mattel argued that the idea had been floating around for years. And they only met with him because Shark Tank’s executive producer was attached. When he left, Mattel rolled their Hot Wheels in another direction.
2. Home Depot’s Where the Upcharge Is – Allegedly
District Attorneys from several California counties are suing Home Depot. They hammer the home improvement giant for allegedly overcharging the doers trying to get more done. The lawsuit claims HD has a pattern going back at least three years of overcharging at the cash register for products that were advertised, quoted, or posted in the store at a lower price. So instead of more saving, more doing, it’s more paying, more suing (from the DAs). And for Home Depot? No comment on the lawsuit.
Faux prices are just beginning here…
3. Aggro Surfer Gang Stokes Gnarly Lawsuit
Bro, Lunada Bay in Cali is famous for its rad barrels, and according to a lawsuit it’s even better known for the surly surfers who intimidate and threaten Bennys (non-locals) who try to hang loose there. One Benny’s suing. He claims the so-called Lunada Bay Boys came in like high tide the moment he arrived and harassed him and tried to hit him with their surfboards while surfing. His lawsuit insists the exclusive city of Palos Verdes Estates turns a blind eye – Bay Boys will be Bay Boys – because they keep the public away. But Benny argues such tactics pointbreak the law, namely California’s Coastal Act.
4. Oh It’s On. Delta & Crowdstrike in Dog Fight
Delta Airline’s CEO landed a lawsuit threat over the CrowdStrike Falcon update that caused millions of Microsoft computers to malfunction. The airline crashed particularly hard, canceling more than 5K flights in five days, while other airlines faced canceling hundreds of flights and bounced back within 48 hours. IT was so bad feds are investigating Delta’s late arrival at recovery. Delta’s chief says CrowdStrike owes them $500M in lost revenue and costs and dissed the cybersecurity company for not offering any help. CrowdStrike immediately struck back saying their responsibility is more like $10M – quit with the first class pricing – and Delta didn’t accept the onsite assistance they offered, though other customers did.
5. What AI Is Really Being Used For: Homework
While great minds ponder generative AI’s potential and its impact on industry, humanity, and the arts, young people immediately grasped its most obvious use – homework. Who hasn’t met a term paper they’d like to blow off? The Washington Post looked at nearly 200K AI chatbot conversations. Almost 40% involved asking for help with writing or homework. Some users asked questions, others fully copy-and-pasted multiple-choice exams or worksheets. About 15% related to work, such as requests for writing presentations or emails. Many people shared loads of personal info in their bot. Since companies usually save chats to train their AI, this gives privacy experts seizures. Teachers aren’t loving it either.
