The Lawyers Weekly - May 11, 2012

Piracy
Continued From Page 10

Last November, the Washing-
ton state legislature added to its
Revised Code of Washington Chap-
ter 19.330, which governs stolen or
misappropriated information
technology. Generally, this legisla-
tion provides a private right of
action to businesses that are
harmed by competitors selling
goods that are manufactured using
stolen or misappropriated infor-
mation technology (subject to
notice first being given with a cure
period and the plaintiff establish-
ing certain requirements). In addi-
tion to the private right of action,
claims may also be brought by the
state attorney general.

John Cotter is an IP/IT litigator and a partner with Osler, Hoskin & Harcourt LLP.

Lawddities

An oddity in

Business Law

Law Lawddities

Legal Oddities in (Blank) Law

A not so fruitful fight

What kid wouldn’t want a three-foot long brightly coloured coil of a fruity flavour like Razzle Blue Blitz or Berry Tie-Dye over some plain old berries? Annie Lam, a Californian mother, claimed that she would never have let her kids make such a choice had she known Fruit by the Foot and Fruit Roll-Up snacks weren’t actually healthy.

Last October, a class action lawsuit was filed against General Mills by a nutrition watchdog group on behalf of Lam, alleging that the manufacturer’s fruit snacks misled consumers by portraying that they were healthy, according to forbes.com.

The lawsuit from the Centre for Science in Public Interest claimed the snacks were full of sugar, trans fat and artificial dyes. In a recent motion, General Mills has filed to dismiss the lawsuit, arguing that the fruit snacks were never represented as “ nutritious.” In fact, they claim that the labels state everything you need to know.

Good source of vitamin C? True. Packed with sugar? Also true. —Anum Lateef

Lawddities
Lawddities

(final)

Sure, we could tell you that our client was awarded the largest personal injury judgment in Canadian history and that all our principal partners are past-presidents of the Ontario Trial Lawyers Association. We could also mention that our firm was voted top five in its field in Canada and that we have a five out of five preeminent peer review rating from Martindale-Hubbell.

All those achievements and honours don’t just happen. They’re the result of the way we work and the way we care for our clients. Don’t take our word for it... ask around.