Correspondent
White House correspondent, covers patent, trade and regulatory news
The Eleventh Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a civil tax collection suit. The court rejected the appellant's baseless challenges to the authority of the Internal Revenue Service and the validity of the federal income tax system.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that Sophos products were not subject to royalty payments under a patent license agreement. The court held that sharing source code does not make a product a legal derivation of a containerized product when the shared code is unrelated to the product's primary function.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court's grant of summary judgment in a negligence action brought by an amusement park ride inspector. The appellate court held that the park operators owed no legally recognized duty to the plaintiff and that his injuries were not proximately caused by the defendants' conduct.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court order dismissing a civil complaint against Discover Bank. The appellate court found no reversible error in the lower court's dismissal, denial of summary judgment, and grant of a motion to confirm an arbitration award.
The Fourth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that a hospital failed to meet regulatory requirements when appealing Medicare payment denials. The court held that the hospital's requests for review were insufficiently specific and did not adequately explain its challenges to the administrative law judges' decisions.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit affirmed the district court's denial of a motion for reconsideration regarding a request to file a second amended complaint. The court found no reversible error in the lower court's handling of the postjudgment motion.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Fourth Circuit dismissed an appeal challenging a district court order remanding a case to state court. The court held that such remand orders are generally not reviewable under federal statute.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit affirmed a district court ruling that a non-compete covenant between a recruiting firm and an independent contractor was unenforceable under Iowa law. The appellate court found the restriction was not reasonably necessary to protect the seller's business and disproportionately burdened the contractor.
The United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit affirmed the dismissal of a debtor's adversary complaint against a mortgage association. The court held that the bankruptcy court did not abuse its discretion in denying leave to amend because any amendment would have been futile.
The Ninth Circuit affirmed a district court order granting summary judgment to the United States in a tax assessment case. The appellate court held that the taxpayer failed to raise a genuine dispute of material fact regarding his liability for the income tax assessments.
