Legal Current
Legal Current is a podcast from Thomson Reuters, Legal, that features information and commentary on the business and practice of law.
LegalCurrent_Nov2012

Our episode this month highlights some great legal aspects of interesting news stories. To start, our “Chaos in the Courts”segment talks how not to use Twitter during a natural disaster. 

Then in our  On the Blawgs” segment, we feature a story how not to use Instagram when you’re voting

Our interview segment is with Christopher Bright, an attorney who discusses why intellectual property is one of the hottest areas of law right now.

The complete interview with Anthony Curto can be found here.

We then wrap-up with our “In the News” segment featuring a story from Thomson Reuters News & Insight: Shakespeare said “a rose is a rose” but will the FDA say that 7UP Cherry is a cherry?

If you have a suggestion for a future interview or episode theme, just leave a comment on this blog post or send an email to contact@legalcurrent.com. You can also follow us on Twitter, it’s @legalcurrent.

Direct download: LegalCurrent_Dec2012.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:43am EDT

Christoper D. Bright, an attorney with McDermott Will & Emery LLP discusses why intellectual property litigation is currently one of the fastest practice areas in law.

Direct download: LegalCurrent_IPLitigation.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:37pm EDT

Thomson Reuters has announced the 2012 Top 100 Global Innovators list, honoring 100 corporations and institutions around the world that are at the heart of innovation as measured by a series of proprietary patent-related metrics. The full report is available at http://www.top100innovators.com.

Financial analysis of the acknowledged companies gives credence to their significance in that these organizations outperformed the S&P 500 by three percent in their market cap weighted revenue (15 percent versus 12 percent). This year’s winners also added 124,214 new jobs over their prior year employment figures.

"Innovation is the foundation for economic prosperity and technological advancement," said David Brown, managing director, Thomson Reuters IP Solutions. "Our Top 100 Global Innovator methodology demonstrates the insight that can be gleaned from the analysis of patent data and confirms the fact that companies focused on innovating drive growth and financial success."

In this podcast, Bob Stembridge, a researcher with Thomson Reuters, discussed the 2012 Top 100 Global Innovators.

See the Thomson Reuters 2012 Top 100 Global Innovators at http://www.top100innovators.com.

Direct download: Thomson_Reuters_Top_100_Global_Innovators_2012.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 1:10pm EDT

Our episode this month highlights some great legal aspects of interesting news stories. To start, our “Chaos in the Courts” segment shows one way of getting to know the local wildlife. 

Then in our “On the Blawgs” segment, we feature a story about a supposed wine collection of Thomson Jefferson’s.

Our interview segment is with Anthony Curto, a New York attorney and author of the recently published, The Time For Justice: How the excesses of time have broken our civil justice system.

The complete interview with Anthony Curto can be found here.

We then wrap-up with our “In the News” segment featuring a story from Thomson Reuters News & Insight about federally created floods and who should, if anyone, be liable for damages.If you have a suggestion for a future interview or episode theme, just leave a comment on this blog post or send an email to contact@legalcurrent.com. You can also follow us on Twitter, it’s @legalcurrent.

Show notes for October 2012:

0:00-0:44 Open
0:49-2:28 “Chaos in the Courts
2:33-4:09 “On the Blawgs
4:10- 6:07 Interview/Anthony Curto
6:13-7:54 “In the News” with Thomson Reuters News & Insight 
7:55-8:18 Closing comments

Direct download: 2012_Oct_Podcast_v1.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 11:45am EDT

LegalCurrent_TheTimeforJustice

In his new book, THE TIME FOR JUSTICE: How the excesses of time have broken our civil justice system (Onward Publishing, June 2012) New York attorney Curto highlights the inequities that arise from the egregious excesses in time required to resolve legal disputes and provides targeted 'time fixes’ to correct the system.

Direct download: Tony_Curto_-_Time_for_Justice.mp3
Category:general -- posted at: 9:44am EDT

Legal Current Podcast - September 2012

Our episode this month highlights some great legal aspects of interesting news stories. To start, our “Chaos in the Courts” segment shares how one Portland man used Craigslist to get his stolen bicycle back. 

Then in our “On the Blawgs” segment, we feature a story about an alleged penny skimming scheme.

Our interview segment is with Ahsan Shaikh of McDermott Will & Emery, who talks about the increase in intellectual property disputes in the video game industry.  

The complete interview with Ahsan Shaikh about the patent trolls of the video game industry can be found here.

We then wrap-up with our “In the News” segment featuring a story from Thomson Reuters News & Insight about a recent lawsuit over an AutoHop feature that gives customers the option to skip commercials on previously recorded TV shows.    

If you have a suggestion for a future interview or episode theme, just leave a comment on this blog post or send an email to contact@legalcurrent.com. You can also follow us on Twitter, it’s @legalcurrent.

Show notes for September 2012:

0:00-0:40 Open

0:46-2:04 “Chaos in the Courts

2:10-4:20 “On the Blawgs

4:26-6:40 Interview/Ahsan Shaikh

6:48-8:35 “In the News” with Thomson Reuters News & Insight 

8:36-8:58 Closing comments

Direct download: LegalCurrent_September2012.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:09pm EDT

Legal Current - videogame patent trolls

The video game industry continues to grow and become more sophisticated with advancements in technology every day. With annual revenues of over $10.5 billion, surpassing both the movie and music industries, there are many people outside of the industry who are looking to cash in on the success of video games.

That includes patent trolls, who are finding that many companies aren’t properly protecting their creations. Because of this they are becoming more successful in their suits against video game companies.

Ahsan Shaikh, partner at McDermott Will & Emery, shares some of the background of patents and copyright laws that affect the video game industry and how people, including patent trolls, are finding ways to go after the companies.

Direct download: LegalCurrent_videogames.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 2:17pm EDT

Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox Opts for a Total Thomson Reuters Solution for Firm Workflow Vision

Thomson Reuters announced today that Sterne, Kessler, Goldstein & Fox  P.L.L.C. (Sterne Kessler) has selected Thomson Reuters to provide its leading technology products and services for a firm initiative that will integrate law firm practice management, matter management, IP solutions, legal research and more into a comprehensive, firm-wide workflow system. The integrated enterprise system will help the firm create high-quality work product with unprecedented efficiency and deliver greater value to clients.

Direct download: Sterne_Kessler_podcast_with_Robert_Burger.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 8:43am EDT

We’ve got a terrific episode for you this month highlighting the legal aspects of some major news stories. To start, our “Chaos in the Courts” segment highlights an unusual way a woman tried to ditch law enforcement which included being “slightly pregnant and slightly in labor”. 

Then in our “On the Blawgs” segment we feature a blog post about social media privacy laws.

Our interview segment is with Jon Steinsapir of Kinsella Weitzman, who talks about the controversial “mockbuster” industry and the legal implications concerning these knockoffs of Hollywood’s biggest hits.  

We then wrap-up with our “In the News” segment featuring a story from Thomson Reuters News & Insight about recent agreements between branded and generic drug companies allegedly colluding to delay generic competition.   

Direct download: LegalCurrent_Aug2012.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 3:58pm EDT

Political Campaign Music Strikes Sour Notes

As the political conventions kick into high gear, there'll be balloons, speeches and....lots  of music. But along the long and winding road that is the campaign trail, the music used by campaigns can often hit a sour note with the artists and musicians whose works are blared at campaign rallies or used on Internet videos.

Last week, former Twisted Sister frontman Dee Snyder got into the act, demanding that Republican vice presidential hopeful Paul Ryan stop using his hit song "We're Not Gonna Take It."  It's not the first time artists have pulled the plug on the music.  Attorney Larry Iser with Kinsella Wietzman Iser Kump & Aldisert has been at the center of some landmark cases on the use of music by campaigns involving some of the biggest names of both the political and musical stages.

Larry Iser discusses the fight to ensure that political campaigns play by the rules when it comes to using music

Direct download: LegalCurrent_political_campaign_music.mp3
Category:podcasts -- posted at: 12:55pm EDT