Feb 21
The ongoing battle known as Louboutin v. Yves Saint Laurent (“YSL”) has been decided, with the Second Circuit rejecting what had previously been thought of as a bright line rule that a single color cannot be a fashion trademark and recognizing the trademarked red sole associated with Louboutin. The decision is nuanced however, as the Court ultimately …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/louboutin-owns-red-on-the-bottom-but-not-on-the-top/
Feb 20
The IRS has had a whistleblower program for decades, but it was not widely used and not much was paid to whistleblowers. In February 2013, the IRS issued its annual FY 2012 report to Congress regarding use of Section 7623. The report shows substantial increase in the information reported by whistleblowers and the IRS consideration …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/irs-whistleblower-program-grows/
Feb 19
The global all-time high of unemployed workers was 199 million people in 2009. In 2012, the amount of jobless topped 197 million, with the International Labour Organization (ILO), an agency of the United Nations based in Geneva, declaring a “crisis in labour markets of both advanced economies and developing countries.” In the last year, 4 …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/global-unemployment-is-expected-to-break-the-all-time-record-and-then-get-worse/
Feb 17
In the Estate of Virginia Kite vs. IRS, T.C. Memo 2013-43 (February 7, 2013), affluent taxpayers were given support for a potentially substantial estate planning tool. This is a significant decision. The Tax Court described the underlying facts as follows: “Under the terms of the annuity transaction, the Kite children would begin payments to Mrs. …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/private-annuity-transaction-upheld-as-an-estate-planning-tool/
Feb 16
More economic data supports an increasingly talked about practical career choice: agriculture. Most students do not even consider the study of agriculture. Most schools/colleges do not even offer agriculture related courses even if one wanted to pursue this field of study. The government statistics on the topic reflect this unpopularity. The most recent available U.S. Department of Agriculture’s census …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/a-career-in-agriculture-may-be-one-of-your-better-choices/
Feb 15
The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) issued a report on January 30, 2013 regarding the debt buying industry and the related debt collection efforts of the buyers. The FTC indicated that this is the first major empirical study of debt buying and related collections. Debt buying and related collection practices are of concern. The FTC states: …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/ftc-study-on-debt-collection-buying-hints-at-need-for-greater-regulation/
Feb 14
The Morning Call reports that Megan Thode, a graduate student at Lehigh University in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, claims that the C+ she was given in one of her classes caused her $1.3 million in damages. Thodes was in the College of Education pursing her master’s in counseling and human services. As part of the curriculum, Thode …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/student-claims-c-cost-her-1-3-million/
Feb 13
The International Monetary Fund (IMF) just released a fascinating paper entitled “Chronicle of a Decline Foretold: Has China Reached the Lewis Turning Point?” The paper explains that Chinese population controls will cause the number of Chinese working adults to peak between 2020 and 2025. At this point, a “precipitous” drop of working age population will …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/chinas-changing-demographics-will-dramatically-impact-the-world-economy/
Feb 11
The recent real estate bubble and foreclosure crisis that California faced has left first-time home buyers wondering how much home they can really afford. With the relatively lower current prices and record low interest rates, the California Association of Realtors (C.A.R.) is suggesting it’s an opportune time to buy. C.A.R. published the following chart that …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/how-much-house-can-you-afford/
Feb 08
Eating too quickly has been proven to be bad for health, causing heartburn, digestive problems, and even weight gain. The old method to curb this bad habit was having a mother or a spouse remind us to slow down and “chew your food.” Now with the help of technology, no such verbal reminders are necessary. …
Permanent link to this article: https://betweenthenumbers.net/2013/02/slow-down-when-you-eat-technology-invades-the-dinner-table/