News

COVID-19 Business Interruption Insurance Litigation Proliferates

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

A few weeks ago we were discussing what was believed to be the first COVID-19 lawsuit related to business interruption insurance and a handful of state legislative efforts to redefine the scope of coverage for businesses impacted by COVID-19. Now,...

Coronavirus Pandemic Creates Florida Nursing Home Crisis

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

As the coronavirus crisis continues, concerns grow for vulnerable people within our communities—especially nursing home residents. According to a recent USA Today article, over 16,000 nursing home residents and staff in the United States have died...

Georgia On Our Minds: Annotations Authored by Legislators Not Eligible for Copyright Protection

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

On April 27, the Supreme Court took us on a stroll down memory lane in its decision in Georgia v. Public.Resource.Org, Inc., referring us back to its very first copyright case and revisiting the government edicts doctrine for the first time in more...

Los Angeles County Enacts Supplemental Paid Sick Leave Ordinance Effective Immediately

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

Los Angeles County enacted an ordinance requiring employers with 500 or more employees nationally and that are not otherwise covered by the federal Families First Coronavirus Response Act and Governor Newsom’s Executive Order N-51-20 to provide...

USPTO: Artificial Intelligence Systems Cannot Legally Invent

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

In a key decision (that seems unlikely to be the final answer on the topic), the US Patent and Trademark Office determined that an artificial intelligence (AI) system can’t be an inventor of a patent. This ruling follows similar rulings by the...

SCOTUS Overturns Federal Program and Wire Fraud Convictions Resulting from Bridgegate Scandal

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

On May 7, 2020, the Supreme Court threw out federal program and wire fraud convictions for two former public officials who conspired to induce traffic jams in Fort Lee, New Jersey as political retaliation in 2013. Bridget Anne Kelly and William...

COVID-19 Prioritized Examination Pilot Program Now Available for Small and Micro Entities

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

The United States Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) today announced a new Prioritized Examination Pilot Program for qualified patent applications relating to COVID-19. This program is available without the usual prioritized-examination fees and...

Chapter 11 Debtors Gaining Momentum in Eligibility for PPP Loans

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

Businesses in chapter 11 bankruptcy cases were barred from receiving federal loans under the Paycheck Protection Program (“PPP”), part of Congress’s Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act”). The PPP, which is backed by the...

CARES Act Questions for the Technology Industry

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

Congress recently passed the economic stimulus package referred to as the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security Act (the “CARES Act1”) and the Paycheck Protection Program and Health Care Enhancement Act (“PPPHCE Act”) (together, the CARES...

Modern Slavery Statement Guidance – Note to Financial Institutions

By EsqSocial Corporation 11/05/20

The United Kingdom Home Office has released guidance to companies that are required to make a public statement about human trafficking risks and prevention measures under the U.K. Modern Slavery Act of 2015. Organizations are to address the emerging...

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