posted by on Aug 28
Facebook Like Buttons Lawsuit
Facebook is facing yet another class action lawsuit, this time over its “Like” buttons. The Facebook like buttons lawsuit alleges the site uses pictures of minors for commercial gain, without parental permission. The class action was filed in Los Angeles, California today, August 28, 2010 on behalf of David Cohen and Shelby Orland, minors, and their guardians. Facebook will content that the nature of “Like” buttons and how they’re used is in the terms of the Facebook agreement, which every user must electronically “sign” in order to get a Facebook account.
But the loophole lies in California law, which is very specific about using names and images of minors for profit. To use a minor’s name or likeness for advertising, one must get the parent’s consent in order to get the minor’s consent. Plaintiffs are arguing that Facebook did not get parental permission, so getting minors’ permission doesn’t count for anything.
As seen in another Facebook class action lawsuit, Facebook states it will vigorously fight the allegations. One possible outcome of this Facebook class action is that minors, or those under eighteen, might have to get parental permission to sign up for a Facebook account. Parents would then be giving permission for their images and names to be used to advertise products and the Facebook website itself.
It’s claimed in the Facebook class action lawsuit that search engines come into play when someone searches on a name. A link to their facebook page will come up in the search results, encouraging the user to sign up for an account. In a nutshell, that illustrates how Facebook is using teenagers’ names to advertise itself.
posted by on Jul 11
For those who purchased an iphone and signed up for AT&T service, listen up. If you’ve been wondering, like others, whether it’s a two year contract or a five year contract, you’ll be interested in the news today that a judge in California has granted a three-year old lawsuit the status of class action. Anyone who purchased an iphone from Apple and who then signed up for AT&T as their cell phone service carrier, may have been allegedly mislead to believe they were signing up for a two year contract. However, according to an exclusivity contract between Apple and AT&T, the contract term for these iphone customers was and is five years. Hence, the Apple, AT&T and iPhone Class Action Lawsuit.
The case started back in 2007, when USA Today broke the story that service contracts were not what they appeared to be on the surface. This July, three years later, it’s finally become a class action lawsuit. Anyone who purchased their iphone between June 29, 2007 and now can become part of the class action.
posted by on Dec 5
Imagine going on vacation and while you’re gone, your microwave catches fire and burns down your kitchen. This very scene actually took place when a Ohio couple took a vacation to celebrate their one year wedding anniversary. When they got home, the kitchen was burned and the microwave was sitting in the family room. Fire fighters had identified the GE microwave as the source of the fire. The GE Microwave class action lawsuit involves cases like these, where fires started and the microwave wasn’t even being used at the time.
The GE Microwave class action lawsuit states that the units are “unreasonably dangerous and unsuitable for their intended use.” The control panel gets too hot and starts fires, essentially. In the Ohio case, the local news station reported the fire and the fire department’s statement that the microwave had started the fire, to GE themselves. GE’s response to the news channel was that there was indeed a fault in the electrical contol panel of these microwaves. They changed their story a few hours later, saying they needed to look into the matter more carefully before admitting anything.
This was in 2005, and just this May of 2009 a GE Microwave Class Action Lawsuit was filed in Federal Court. There are now 20 victims of GE Microwave fires. The lawsuit also claims that 20 different GE Microwave models are included in the class action lawsuit. If you think you have a problematic GE Microwave, you can call Consumer Product Safety Commission at this number: 1-800-638-2772.
