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Wednesday, June 23 2010 |
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The Center for Science in the Public Interest (“CSPI”), a self-proclaimed public health watchdog group, has issued an ultimatum to McDonald’s: Remove the toys from McDonald’s Happy Meals or risk a lawsuit.
In a letter to the fast food giant, CSPI said that the toys lure children to McDonald’s restaurants where they are likely to order food that CSPI claims is too high in calories, fat and salt, and contributes to childhood obesity. According to California law, a warning letter must be issued prior to filing suit under the state’s consumer protection statutes.
"McDonald's is the stranger in the playground handing out candy to children," Stephen Gardner, litigation director for the advocacy group said in a statement. "McDonald's use of toys undercuts parental authority and exploits young children's developmental immaturity."
The news of the lawsuit threat comes within weeks of Santa Clara County’s (CA) decision to ban toys and other food promotions aimed at children.
McDonald’s countered that its meals are right-sized for kids and that its menu offers healthy options.
—Source: Los Angeles Times |
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Tuesday, June 15 2010 |
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A woman who sued actor Sacha Baron Cohen for allegedly ruining her bingo game while filming Bruno lost her case.
Richelle Olson sued Cohen and NBC for $25,000, claiming the Bruno star deliberately sabotaged her bingo game, causing her emotional distress. Olson further claimed she was physically damaged with magical, non-medical ailments after she tried to remove the microphone from Cohen while in her wheelchair.
After viewing the entire event, which was taped for the movie and proved that Cohen never had physical contact with Olson, the judge reportedly rolled his eyes, ruled against Olson, and told her she would have to cover Cohen’s $17,000 worth of legal fees.
—Source: Examiner.com |
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Tuesday, June 08 2010 |
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A U.S. federal court of appeals ruled that Jessica Seinfeld's cookbook, "Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food," did not plagiarize author Missy Chase Lapines' rival cookbook, "The Sneaky Chef: Simple Strategies for Hiding Healthy Foods in Kids' Favorite Meals."
In a lawsuit Seinfeld's comedic husband Jerry has jokingly called a case of "vegetable plagarism," the U.S. Second Circuit Court of Appeals declared that the two books are "not confusingly similar," adding in its written ruling that, "stockpiling vegetable purees for covert use in children's food is an idea that cannot be copyrighted."
In court papers, lawyers for Jessica Seinfeld had accused Lapine of falsely claiming she invented the idea of hiding fruits and vegetables in children's meals when "countless prior works utilized this very same unprotectable idea."
Despite the latest court ruling, Lapine's lawyer noted that his client continues to pursue a defamation action against Jerry Seinfeld in New York state court.
—Source: CBSNews.com and The Wall Street Journal |
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Wednesday, June 02 2010 |
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A Los Angeles County resident is suing Google Inc. claiming it supplied unsafe directions that caused her to be injured by a motorist.
Lauren Rosenberg is seeking more than $100,000 in U.S. District Court in Utah after she used her phone to download walking directions from one end of Park City to the other. According to the lawsuit, Google Maps led her to walk on a busy road without sidewalks that was "not reasonably safe for pedestrians." Rosenberg is seeking compensation for unspecified "severe" injuries and lost wages, in addition to punitive damages.
Rosenberg also is suing the motorist she says hit her.
—Source: The Wall Street Journal |
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Tuesday, May 25 2010 |
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A couple has been sued by their tenants for installing an “ugly” kitchen, unsuitable for the exclusive Manhattan neighborhood of Gramercy Park.
Tenant Paramount Realty Group of America is suing the owners of the $10 million pad, Viking retail mogul Jon Asegir Johannesson and his designer bride, Ingibjorg Palmadottir, for installing a kitchen that did not meet the standards of the luxurious neighborhood. “The kitchen installed is manufactured by Ikea, which is generally known to offer low-budget furniture,” Paramount griped in the suit. “It did not rise to the level of a kitchen suitable for a property located at 50 Gramercy Park North.”
Paramount is seeking $52,000 in damages to offset the $312,000 in rent paid to Johannesson and Palmadottir for a unit with a kitchen that has been “a source of embarrassment for Plaintiff and the subject of remarks by guests,” the suit charged.
According to news reports, shoppers at a Brooklyn Ikea couldn’t believe the lawsuit. “Are they serious?” wondered musician Paskinel Thomas, 28.
Neither landlord nor tenant would comment further on the lawsuit.
—Source: NYDailyNews.com (New York) |
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