+ Taco Tuesday trademark tussle

View in Browser

Sign up for Reuters newsletters

Alternate text

May 16, 2023

 

Here's a quick look at today's top legal news.


Additional reporting by Palak Chawla.

 

Afternoon Docket writer Caitlin Tremblay is on a Reuters secondment this spring and will return to the newsletter soon.

 

Beam me up, counselor. Are hologram witnesses headed to court?

Alternate text

David Morill for William & Mary Law School

Holograms could make witness testimony more convenient and accessible, say advocates of the technology. U.S. District Judge John Gibney Jr, who recently presided over a mock trial with hologram witnesses at William & Mary Law School, said he was impressed with it.

 

The witnesses appeared as though they were in the courtroom, albeit behind a piece of glass and with a several second delay when responding to questions. William & Mary is partnering with Proto Inc to explore the technology’s use in court.

 

It’s not yet clear whether hologram witness testimony would pass constitutional muster in criminal matters, but in cases where video is already allowed, holograms seem like a better, though much more expensive, option. “The improved definition in the picture gave the people watching and hearing the witness a better chance to evaluate their credibility,” Gibney said.


More top news:

  • US FTC sues to block Amgen's $27.8 bln deal for Horizon Therapeutics

  • North Carolina lawmakers to vote on overriding veto of 12-week abortion ban

  • Wells Fargo reaches $1 bln shareholder settlement over recovery from scandals

  • Law firm Winston adds Kirkland partner who investigated Minneapolis police

  • US court halts ruling blocking Obamacare for some preventive healthcare

  • U.S. charges Apple ex-employee for trying to steal technology, fleeing to China
 

Taco Bell wants to 'liberate' 'Taco Tuesday' trademarks in legal, PR push

Alternate text

REUTERS/Andrew Kelly

Yum Brands’ Taco Bell Corp on Tuesday asked the U.S. Trademark Office to cancel two smaller rivals' "Taco Tuesday" trademarks, arguing that “nobody should have exclusive rights in a common phrase." The company said it was not requesting money damages or its own trademark. “Can you imagine if we weren’t allowed to say 'what's up' or 'brunch'? Chaos,” the petitions said.

A co-owner of Gregory's Restaurant & Bar, which owns the trademark in New Jersey, told Reuters the restaurant came up with "Taco Tuesday" in 1979. "We're the little guy here."

 

 

Enjoy moves news? Please take this one-question survey to let us know how you'd like to read Career Tracker.

 

J&J's proposed talc settlement would pay $400 million to US state AGs

Alternate text

REUTERS/Mike Segar

Johnson & Johnson’s unit in a bankruptcy plan filed late on Monday set aside $400 million into a separate trust for state attorneys general as part of its broader $8.9 billion effort to settle more than 38,000 lawsuits which claim that its baby powder and other talc products cause cancer. Johnson & Johnson has said its products are safe and do not cause cancer.  

The plans also say highest payments under the settlement would be $500,000 for people diagnosed with terminal mesothelioma before age 45, and $260,000 for people diagnosed with terminal ovarian cancer before age 45.

 

And finally...

Ivy League defends ban on athletic scholarships in antitrust lawsuit

 

Contact

 

Caitlin Tremblay

caitlin.tremblay@thomsonreuters.com

@ctrembz

 

Follow us on Twitter

@ReutersLegal

 

Connect on LinkedIn

 

Thanks for reading The Afternoon Docket.

Invite friends to subscribe here.

 

Contact us with feedback.

 

Sponsors are not involved in the creation of newsletters or other Reuters news content.

 

Get Reuters News App

 

Want to stop receiving this newsletter? Unsubscribe here.

To manage which newsletters you're subscribed to, click here.

 
TwitterLinkedIn

Terms, conditions, and privacy statement

 

© 2023 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved. 3 Times Square, New York, NY 10036