August 2011 archive

Stanley Kubrick Invented the iPad?

Apple and Samsung have been fighting it out in courts around the world over Samsung’s Galaxy Tab 10.1 tablet.  Recently Apple scored big in the dispute when it got a preliminary injunction against Samsung selling the Galaxy Tab 10.1 across most of Europe.  The ruling was principally based on the idea that the Galaxy Tab was …

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Dear licensees with audit rights: Time is not your friend.

When major entertainment personalities are on top of their game, it is often hard to foresee a time when funds may not be as abundant.  When that time comes, one might look back and wonder where all the money went.  Or even wonder if they had received all the money they were promised.  Unfortunately, the …

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Mattel Ordered to Pay Rival $309M over Bratz Dolls

The ongoing dispute between Mattel Inc. (the toy giant best known for its line of Barbie dolls) and MGA Entertainment over rights to the Bratz doll line has resulted in a $308 million decision in favor of MGA.  The Bratz dolls have pouty lips, hip hop-style clothing and oversized feet, and are aimed at girls ages 9 to 11.  The …

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Latin Jazz Musicians Sue Grammys

Grammy officials announced in April that the number of Grammy Award categories would be reduced from 109 to 78. This significant cut angered many in the industry and has now spawned a class action lawsuit filed in Manhattan Supreme Court against the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences. Specifically, four Latin Jazz musicians are …

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$62 Million Slot Win? Not So Fast…

On March 26, 2011, an Austrian national named Behar Merlaku got the thrill of a lifetime.  According to Austrian state broadcaster ORF, Mr. Merlaku was playing the slots at a Bregenz, Austria casino when the machine showed a payout of almost $43 million euros (approximately $62 million dollars).  Unfortunately for Mr. Merlaku, his excitement was …

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The IRS 400

Although it sounds like a stock-car race, the IRS 400 is the four hundred largest Adjusted Gross Income tax returns. Of course the IRS does not actually publish the names, but every so often they publish the year-by-year statistics for that elite group of individuals. The latest publication covers from 1992 to 2008. For 2008 …

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Motoroogle

On August 15th, Google announced its largest acquisition ever, the purchase of Motorola Mobility for approximately $12.5 billion dollars. The $40 per share all cash price represents a 63.5% bonus over the prior week’s close. Earlier this year, Motorola divided itself into the commercial oriented ‘Solutions’ company and the consumer oriented “Mobility” company  in what was effectively a substantial …

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The Battle of Red

Christian Louboutin, the French footwear designer, is currently battling rival Yves Saint Laurent (“YSL”).  The battle stems over Louboutin’s signature design element on all his shoes, the scarlet red outsole.  Louboutin filed a lawsuit against YSL, which the court recently kicked out.  Louboutin claims that its red sole is a trademark and cannot be used …

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Time to consider other appraisal methods? Answer is blowin’ in the wind.

Since Bob Dylan is still singing (or something like that), he might want to dig up his early hit “Blowin’ in the Wind” and add a new line. Something to the effect of “How many foreclosures will it take ‘til banks consider other appraisal methods.”  I’ll let Mr. Dylan worry about making the line sound …

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Embezzlement at the House of Twain

Longtime employees are often loyal individuals who enjoy their job.  However, this broad generalization may cause employers to elevate the level of trust put in such employees and fail to protect themselves from someone who knows the business so well that they know just how to exploit it. Regardless of the relationship you think you have …

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