Lawsuits

Amazon's new user agreement seeks to curb class-action suits by shoppers

The e-commerce giant said its updated terms require customers to resolve most disputes through arbitration, while retaining the option to pursue eligible claims in small claims court

Apple-OpenAI trade secret fight: Claims, chats, and timeline explained

Apple and OpenAI went from AI partners to legal rivals. Here is what Apple alleges, why OpenAI published internal messages, and what could happen next in the trade secret case

Amazon sued over 'sustainable' seafood claims: What consumers allege

The proposed lawsuit accuses Amazon of greenwashing by using labels such as 'responsibly sourced' and 'sustainable' on seafood products. Here's what the complaint says

Why Johnson & Johnson plans to pay $5.5 bn after insisting talc was safe

Johnson & Johnson's proposed talc settlement shows that for large corporations, removing years of legal uncertainty can sometimes matter more than proving they are right in court

Trump critics sue to block payouts from $1.8 bn 'Anti-Weaponisation Fund'

A coalition of President Donald Trump's critics, including a fired prosecutor and a college professor acquitted of assaulting federal agents at a protest, sued Friday to block payouts from a new USD 1.776 billion settlement fund for Trump allies claiming to be victims of a weaponised government. The lawsuit adds fuel to a mounting backlash against the Trump administration's creation of an "Anti-Weaponisation Fund" to resolve the Republican president's lawsuit against the Internal Revenue Service over the leak of his tax returns. Plaintiffs' attorneys from the legal advocacy group Democracy Forward are seeking a court order halting the fund's implementation and preventing the Trump administration from disbursing any payouts from it. The federal suit, filed in Alexandria, Virginia, claims there is no legal basis or accountability behind the fund. "The unlawfulness that has imbued the Anti-Weaponization Fund from its inception requires that it be wholly dismantled," the suit ...

Court rejects Musk's claims against OpenAI, saying lawsuit filed too late

A federal court on Monday dismissed claims filed against OpenAI and its top executives by Elon Musk, who accused them of betraying a shared vision for it to remain a nonprofit dedicated to guiding artificial intelligence's development for the good of humanity. Musk, the world's richest man, was a co-founder of OpenAI, which launched in 2015 and went on to create ChatGPT. After investing $38 million in its first years, Musk accused OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and his top deputy of shifting into a moneymaking mode behind his back. The nine-person jury found that Musk waited too long to file his lawsuit and missed the deadline for the statute of limitations. The jury had deliberated only two hours. The jury served in an advisory role, but Judge Yvonne Gonzalez Rogers accepted the verdict Monday as the court's own and dismissed Musk's claims. The three-week trial in Oakland, California shed light on the bitter falling-out between the two Silicon Valley titans and the beginnings of OpenAI, no

Google settles lawsuit alleging racial bias against employees for $50 mn

Google has reached a settlement with Black employees who alleged systemic racial disparities in hiring, pay, and advancement in a lawsuit filed in 2022. April Curley, a former Google employee, had sued the tech giant for racial discrimination, saying it engages in a "pattern and practice" of unfair treatment for its Black workers. The suit claimed the company steered them into lower-level and lower-paid jobs and subjected them to a hostile work environment if they speak out. Other former Google workers also joined the suit, which later received class action status. "This case is about accountability, plain and simple," said civil rights attorney Ben Crump, who represented the plaintiffs, in a statement. "For far too long, Black employees in the tech industry have faced barriers that limit opportunity. This settlement is a significant step toward holding one of the world's most powerful companies accountable and making clear that discriminatory practices cannot and will not be ...

New York sues Coinbase, Gemini over unlicensed prediction market platforms

New York is suing Coinbase and Gemini over unregulated and unlicensed prediction market platforms that the state contends are illegal gambling operations. Attorney General Letitia James' lawsuit, filed Tuesday in state court in Manhattan, seeks to bar the companies' platforms from operating in the state unless and until they obtain licenses from the state Gaming Commission. "Gambling by another name is still gambling, and it is not exempt from regulation under our state laws and Constitution," James said in a statement. "Gemini and Coinbase's so-called prediction markets are just illegal gambling operations, exposing young people to addictive platforms that lack the necessary guardrails." Messages seeking comment were left for Coinbase and Gemini. Both companies began as cryptocurrency trading platforms before branching into the prediction space, which has been dominated by Kalshi and Polymarket. Gemini, founded by brothers Cameron and Tyler Winklevoss, launched Gemini Predictions

Musk must face lawsuit over alleged unconstitutional role as Trump advisor

It's one of a handful of lawsuits challenging actions taken by the Department of Government Efficiency project last year that have outlasted Musk's tenure in the US government

21 Democratic-led states sue White House for Trump admin's CFPB funding

A coalition of 21 attorneys general from Democratic-led states sued the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau and its director, Russell Vought, on Monday, asserting that the White House's argument to withhold funds from the consumer protection agency is unconstitutional. The lawsuit has to do with the Trump administration's argument that the CFPB can only be funded by the Federal Reserve's profits. The Federal Reserve has been running a loss since 2022, a side effect of the Fed raising interest rates sharply to combat inflation, because it holds bonds that pay low interest from the pandemic, but it needs to pay out higher amounts of interest to the banks that hold their deposits with the bank. The White House has argued for several months that the CFPB cannot lawfully draw funds to fund its operations from the Fed if the Fed does not have combined earnings to allocate to the bureau. Without additional funds, the CFPB is expected to deplete its operating funds completely in January. T

Cambridge Analytica case: Zuckerberg's Meta settles claims for $190 million

Representatives of Menlo Park, California-based Meta and Zuckerberg didn't immediately return emails seeking comment on the settlement

Trump asks US Supreme Court to overturn $5 mn judgment in Jean Carroll case

Trump was found liable by a Manhattan jury in May 2023 for sexually assaulting Carroll in the 1990s and then defaming her by calling her a liar, following a trial in which he declined to testify

Hexaware dismisses Natsoft's patent lawsuit, calls claims baseless

Hexaware says Natsoft's patent infringement allegations are without merit and asserts confidence in prevailing as it defends its technology in US courts

Musk settles suit by ex-Twitter CEO Parag Agrawal over denied severance pay

The accord comes as Musk and officials of X Corp - Twitter's new name - agreed in August to settle a $500 million suit by about 6,000 laid off rank-and-file employees

'Trump has no authority': What lawsuit against $100,000 H-1B visa hike says

A US coalition of unions, employers and religious groups sued to block Trump's $100,000 annual H-1B visa fee announced last month, calling it unlawful and unfair to employers

Tesla sued over Cybertruck door defects in fatal California accident

In the lawsuit, families claim passengers were trapped inside a burning Cybertruck, citing electronic door failures and nearly impenetrable 'armor glass' windows as key hazards

Fired WhatsApp security head accuses Meta of ignoring major privacy threats

Attaullah Baig said Meta ignored repeated warnings about hacks and data risks on WhatsApp, gave staff wide access to private details and then fired him after he raised concerns

Warner Bros sues Midjourney for AI images of Superman, Bugs Bunny

It's the third big Hollywood studio to sue Midjourney in Los Angeles federal court after Disney and Universal filed a joint lawsuit in June

OpenAI to update ChatGPT after US teen's parents sue over suicide

The decision to update the chatbot comes on the same day as the parents of 16-year-old Adam Raine, a California high-school student, filed a lawsuit against OpenAI and its CEO, Sam Altman

Apple sues China's Oppo, accuses ex-employee of stealing 'trade secrets'

Apple has filed numerous suits in recent years accusing ex-employees and rival companies of breaching contracts and stealing valuable intellectual property