| Volume 92 Number 1 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Starting a new business can be risky, and the type of business determines your individual liability. If you run a business in your own name, or as a partnership, you are responsible for all the liabilities of the business. To protect yourself, consider operating the business as a corporation or limited liability company. An attorney can help you make the right choice.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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NSA Intercepting Data From Google & Yahoo
According to the latest set of leaked United States government documents, the National Security Administration is intercepting data from Google and Yahoo without company permission or court order. Although such activity would be illegal in the United States, the NSA uses a sophisticated overseas project to intercept data that can include pictures, video, documents, and other data.
Google and Yahoo are working on encryption technology to soften the NSA's ability to collect and use such data. Meanwhile, congress is working out bipartisan legislation to put limits on the NSA's extensive data collection programs.
How much data has the NSA collected? What efforts are being taken to prevent or mitigate future snooping activities?
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Court Hears Case on Secret Lawsuits
Can businesses resolve legal disputes in secrecy? The answer is yes. Businesses often include arbitration clauses in their contracts to prevent bad press and public relations problems when consumers have legal complaints.
But what about secret lawsuits in traditional courts?
One company is making the case that it should be able to litigate disputes in court without the company name or details of the dispute ever becoming public. To date, the anonymous company has been successful in its cause, resulting in court documents that include more redactions than actual readable information. Some public interest groups are fighting the company's efforts, asking an appellate court to stick to tradition when it comes to court documents becoming public record.
Why might this case reach the Supreme Court of the United States? What will it mean for consumers if businesses can litigate in secrecy?
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Get Dangerous Germs Out of Your Home
Some people believe that exposing yourself to some average day-to-day germs can be beneficial for your immune system. However, there are some germs that are so bad that they simply aren't worth the risk.
E. coli and salmonella are two very potent and even deadly germs. Worst of all, you aren't as likely to catch these bugs at work or on the playground as you are your own home. Often found on or in raw meats and produce, germs like these can put you down for months with excruciating illness. Yet, for all the harm they cause, it can be relatively easy to prevent infection. It all starts with cleaning.
Cleansing your produce before consumption, completely cooking all types of meat, and using bleach-based products to rid your counters of spill-over germs can go a long way in preventing illness.
What steps can you take to keep yourself from getting unnecessarily sick?
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Your Money
Want to save a million dollars? It may be easier than you think!
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For the Lawyers
Three-year period for rescission contained in Truth in Lending Act runs from consummation of loan.
The Court of Appeals of Kentucky held that in a Truth in Lending suit, the three year period for rescission is not a statute of limitations but rather a bar to the right of rescission.
The court also noted that a claim for actual damages must be based on evidence directly relating to the non-disclosure. Finally, the court affirmed a substantial reduction in the award of attorney’s fees based on the limited success achieved.
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