| Volume 89 Number 2 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Don't sign a contract to buy a car, boat or motorcycle unless you are sure it is the car you want to purchase. Contrary to what many people believe, the law does not give you three days to change your mind. Once you sign, you are legally bound.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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Apple Faces Ban for E-Book Price Rigging
The United States Department of Justice and 33 states have recommended some serious sanctions for Apple after the company colluded with publishers to raise the prices of e-books. According to reports, the recommendations include a five year ban on anti-competitive e-book distribution contracts and the termination of of business relationships with the five publishers it worked with to fix prices.
A hearing is scheduled for August 9.
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Time Warner Drops CBS & Showtime
A very public spat over fees
has left Time Warner and CBS in an unusual tug-of-war. According to Time Warner, when its contract with CBS expired, the company (which also owns Showtime) wanted significantly more money for its content. When CBS was unwilling to have a reasonable discussion, Time Warner pulled the plug on the network, leaving many cities without local content, or Showtime.
While the two sides continue to fight, CBS will feel pressure from lost revenue while Time Warner will get the pinch from upset consumers, some of whom may switch to other providers. For its part, Time Warner insist the step is necessary to keep down already high cable prices.
Are you willing to give up CBS for a finite period of time if it means you'll save money in the long run?
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USPS Considers Alcohol Shipping Business
It's no secret - the United States Postal Service is having some serious financial difficulties. In fact, the mail carrier faces an estimated $15 billion in losses this year alone.
With politicians against the idea of eliminating some services, the USPS has been brainstorming new ways to generate revenue to remain afloat. One way would be to enter the business of shipping alcohol.
The USPS is currently prevented by law from shipping alcohol, but other carriers, like UPS, have been making big bucks in alcohol shipping fees for decades.
Could allowing alcohol shipments save the United States Postal Service from its disastrous financial situation?
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Your Money
Planning on retirement? The biggest concern of retiring early is running out of money too soon. Use this calculator to determine your projected surplus or shortfall.
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For the Lawyers
High cost no bar to waiver of class action.
The U.S. Supreme Court held that plaintiffs cannot avoid a contractual waiver of class arbitration on the ground that the cost of individually arbitrating their claims exceeds their potential recovery.
The justices ruled against a group of merchants seeking to bring a class action against a credit card company alleging antitrust violations. In response to American Express’ motion to compel individual arbitration in accordance with a class action waiver between the parties, the plaintiffs submitted evidence that the cost of individually arbitrating each claim could exceed $1 million, while the maximum statutory recovery for each claimant was less than $13,000. The Court noted that “[T]he fact that it is not worth the expense involved in proving a statutory remedy does not constitute the elimination of the right to pursue that remedy,” adding that the court’s ruling in AT&T Mobility v. Concepcion that the Federal Arbitration Act trumps a state law requiring classwide arbitration proceedings “all but resolves this case.”
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