| Volume 133 Number 2 |
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The People’s Lawyer’s Tip of the Day
Don’t fall for government imposter fraud. The Office of the Inspector General (OIG) for the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the FTC want you to know about a scam in which callers posing as federal employees are trying to get or verify personal information. Don’t fall for it. Click here for more information, https://www.consumer.ftc.gov/articles/0048-government-imposter-scams?utm_source=govdelivery
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California to Give the Green Light to Truly Driverless Cars
Cars with no steering wheel, no pedals and nobody at all inside could be driving themselves on California roads by the end of the year, under proposed new state rules that would give a powerful boost to the fast-developing technology. Under the rules, road-testing of such cars could begin by the end of 2017, and a limited number could become available to customers as early as 2018 — provided the federal government gives the necessary permission.
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Your Money
The New YouTube TV Service Looks Like a Great Deal. Google's new pay-TV alternative offers 40 broadcast and cable channels, plus a DVR, for $35 per month. It has a nice selection of cable channels—Disney, ESPN, FX, Fox News, MSNBC, National Geographic, and USA—and even some regional sports networks. YouTube TV does have some content holes, most notably cable channels from Viacom and Time Warner, but YouTube says it's still in discussions with some networks, so it could add more channels before the service launches. Click here for more.
For the Lawyers
“Hidden” arbitration clause not enforceable. The Third Circuit’s held that an arbitration clause and class action waiver on the 97th page of a 143 page “Health and Safety Warranty Guide” was not enforceable. Applying basic principles of contract law, the court found no “meeting of the minds” because Samsung failed to provide “reasonable notice” to the consumer that the Guide included bilateral contractual terms at all or contained an arbitration clause and class action waiver. The court was troubled by the lack of any indication on the outside of the Guide that it was a bilateral contract or included any terms or conditions. Rather, the cover of the Guide referred to itself as a “manual.” Nor did the table of contents or index list an arbitration clause. Noble v. Samsung Electronics Am., Inc., (3d Cir. Mar. 3, 2017). Click here for more.