| Volume 97 Number 7 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
In Texas, there is no wage garnishment except for child support, student and other government-backed loans, and certain taxes.
A debt collector's threat to garnish your wages when he cannot do so, for example for a credit card debt, violates Texas and federal debt collection laws.
For more general information about the law, check out my website.
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Five Most Counterfeited Products
Counterfeit products cost the global economy an estimated $250 billion a year. Knockoffs of popular luxury items like purses and wallets were once easily identifiable by bad stitching or other production imperfections. These days, counterfeit producers are doing a much better job making the fake products indistinguishable from the authentic ones. As a result, they're able to charge higher prices, further driving up the cost to the global economy.
Of the $1.7 billion in counterfeit products seized by United States Customs and Border Patrol, $1.2 billion originated in mainland China. An additional $400 million worth of goods came from Hong Kong (which was classified separately).
What are the top five most counterfeited goods?
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Michael's Security Breach Hit 3 Million
For the past year, retailers across the United States have been hit with mass data breaches. High profile hacks like those at Target and Neiman Marcus have consumers questioning security practices and credit card companies rethinking payment methods.
Three months ago, Michael's craft stores learned of a potential breach of its own. This week, Michael's released information on its investigation into the hack. According to the report, the security breach lasted from May 8, 2013 and Jan. 27, 2014 and affected approximately three million consumers.
Was your sensitive personal information seized in the Michael's security breach?
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Your Money
What is your current cash flow?
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For the Lawyers
Magnuson-Moss prohibition on binding arbitration does not apply to leases.
The Fourth Circuit held that although the Magnuson-Moss Warranty Act prohibits a seller from imposing binding pre-dispute arbitration, the Act applies only to sellers and does not apply to a business that leases consumer goods.
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