+++ SEC Sues SolarWinds For Fraud In Aftermath of Russian Cyberattack
+++ Mariah Carey Faces Copyright Lawsuit Over “All I Want For Christmas Is You” Song
+++ DC’s Attorney General Sues RealPage and Landlord Over Rent-Fixing Scheme
SEC Sues SolarWinds For Fraud In Aftermath of Russian Cyberattack
The SEC is suing SolarWinds, an IT firm, alleging fraud and inadequate internal controls before a major 2019 cyber-espionage incident orchestrated by Russian hackers. SolarWinds is accused of overhyping cybersecurity and downplaying vulnerabilities. SolarWinds disputes the claims, stating that they have maintained proper cybersecurity controls and will defend their position in court.
Read the full report on CNBC.
Read the case SEC v. SolarWinds Corp, U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, No. 1:23-cv-09518
Mariah Carey Faces Copyright Lawsuit Over “All I Want For Christmas Is You” Song
Mariah Carey is facing a $20 million copyright infringement lawsuit over her holiday classic song, “All I Want for Christmas is You.” Songwriter Andy Stone alleges that Carey’s song is remarkably similar to his 1989 version, predating Carey’s. This is the second lawsuit from Stone, who failed to reach a settlement with Carey. Her attempt to trademark “Queen of Christmas” was also denied. “All I Want for Christmas is You” remains a highly profitable holiday song.
Read the full report on Forbes.
Read the case Andy Stone v. Mariah Carey, U.S. District Court for the Central District of California, No. 2:23-cv-09216
DC’s Attorney General Sues RealPage and Landlord Over Rent-Fixing Scheme
The District of Columbia Attorney General’s office has filed a lawsuit against 14 major landlords and RealPage, a property management software company, alleging collusion to illegally raise rents for over 50,000 apartments by sharing data with the software. This alleged rent-fixing scheme violates D.C.’s Antitrust Act, costing renters millions of dollars. The lawsuit includes publicly traded real estate investment trusts like UDR, AvalonBay Communities, and Equity Residential. RealPage’s software, used by a significant portion of apartments in the district, is at the center of the controversy. The attorney general’s office is seeking financial penalties and the appointment of a corporate monitor to prevent further collusion.
Read the full report on CNBC.
Read the case District of Columbia v. RealPage et alia, Superior Court of the District of Columbia
Facebook Parent Meta Faces Permanent Ban In Europe Over Its Advertising Model
The European data regulator has extended a ban on “behavioral advertising” on Facebook and Instagram to all 30 countries in the European Union and the European Economic Area. This advertising practice involves targeting users by collecting their data, and it is a setback for Meta Platforms, the owner of Facebook and Instagram. Meta could face fines of up to 4% of its global turnover. The European Data Protection Board instructed the Irish data regulator, where Meta’s European headquarters are located, to impose a permanent ban on behavioral advertising. Meta has said it will offer users in the EU and EEA the opportunity to consent and will introduce a subscription model to comply with regulatory requirements. The ban affects around 250 million Facebook and Instagram users in Europe.
Read the full report on Datatilsynet (Norway’s Data Watchdog).
Read the full report on EDPB.
Read the full report on Reuters.
More Headlines
- AI: Artists Lose First Round of Copyright Infringement Case Against AI Art Generators (via The Hollywood Reporter)
- AI: Scarlett Johansson hits AI app with legal action for cloning her voice in an ad (via The Verge)
- AI: AI Image Generator Can’t Escape Artists’ Copyright Class Action Lawsuit Over AI Training (via Billboard)
- Antitrust: FTC’s Lina Khan warns Big Tech over AI (via Stanford)
- Privacy: The Tech That’s Radically Reimagining the Public Sphere (via The Atlantic)
- Privacy: US hospital groups sue Biden administration to block ban on web trackers (via Reuters)
- Privacy: Facebook in Payment Spat Over $725 Million Privacy Settlement (via Bloomberg Law)
In Other News (or publications you should read)
- Richard Allen’s regulate.tech blog: How to regulate the internet without breaking it
- Benjamin Wittes, Robert Chesney, Jack Goldsmith’s lawfare: Hard national security choices
- Julie Zerbo’s the fashion law (TFL)
- Justin Hendrix’ tech policy press: technology and democracy
- Eugene Volokh: The Volokh Conspiracy
- Eric Goldman’s Technology & Marketing Law Blog
This post originated from my publication Codifying Chaos.