January 2014 archive

US Supreme Court to Hear Significant Copyright Case

Technology is changing at a rapid pace and this change touches on some serious legal issues.  A recent article by Marc Miller and Melissa Reinckens of DLA Piper discusses a case that will be heard by the U.S. Supreme Court.  The cases involves, Aereo, a New York-based startup technology company financed by Barry Diller, utilizes …

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Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/01/us-supreme-court-to-hear-significant-copyright-case/

$765 Million Settlement Not Enough!

A recent article by Case Funding Inc., indicated that Judge Anita Body had questions about the adequacy of the $765 million settlement between the NFL and NFL players.  The settlement relates to mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) that NFL players have suffered or may suffer in the future as a result of their NFL careers. …

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Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/01/765-million-settlement-not-enough/

From Hoops to Riches?

Forbes recently released its annual business valuations of National Basketball Association teams, concluding that most teams became much more valuable since last year (average annual growth of roughly 24%). At $1.35 billion, the LA Lakers for example, are reportedly worth 35% more today than they were a year ago. This year’s growth among all 30 …

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Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/01/from-hoops-to-riches/

Protecting Their Candy

King is the game developer responsible for the hugely popular online game “Candy Crush Saga”.  Recently it was awarded trademark protection on the word “candy”.  According to a recent article in the LA Times, competitors are complaining that such a common word was granted protection as some have begun to get cease and desist notices. …

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Speculative damages lead to summary judgment

When it comes to damage calculations, the term “speculative” is effectively a death sentence.  In order to provide evidentiary value, a damage calculation must be to a reasonable degree of certainty.  In Carter v. Clements Walker PLLC, et al. (“CW”), the Court found that despite an expert opinion that Carter suffered $33 million in damages, …

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Court finds that doing your job is not whistleblowing

The definition of a whistleblower and the criteria for reliance on associated protections has been the subject of a number of recent cases.  In these matters, the reporting method has been the determining factor in whether and what protections are available. A case heard by the First Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals had provided an …

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Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/01/when-is-a-whistleblower-not-a-whistleblower/

Interesting IRS Facts

As 2013 has come to an end, we all must start gathering our 2013 tax records to start preparing for the dreaded tax man.  Do you ever wonder how many returns or how much money the IRS collects?  Or how many audits are conducted? In the 2012 IRS Data Book, released by the IRS, contains …

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Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/01/interesting-irs-facts/

Is the Stock Market Usually More Generous During the Holidays?

Last year was phenomenal for investors in the stock market. The S&P 500, for example, generated total returns exceeding 26%, the highest annual return recorded since the tech bubble of the mid/late 1990s. These positive returns likely had investors in a positive mood going into the holidays, which might explain why returns during the “Holiday …

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Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/01/is-the-stock-market-usually-more-generous-during-the-holidays/

DWP Union Chief Avoids Meeting with Auditors

A recent story in the Los Angeles Times describes how DWP Union Chief Brian D’Arcy did not attend a scheduled meeting with auditors trying to investigate the spending of over $40 million in ratepayer money by two nonprofits he co-manages.  The Joint Training Institute and the Joint Safety Institute were established to foster better relations between managers …

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New Standard for Revenue Recognition is Coming

The final touches are being put on the new single, principles-based standard that will update and converge revenue recognition under the Financial Accounting Standards Board (“FASB”) and the International Accounting Standards Board.  The change will impact entities that use US generally accepted accounting principles (“GAAP”) or International Financial Reporting Standards (“IFRS”). The new principles-based approach indicates …

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Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2014/01/new-standard-for-revenue-recognition-is-coming/