A selection of the need-to-know civil justice news for the week of May 24-30.

 

The Patent Litigation Crisis in 5 Charts

Timothy B. Lee | Vox

Late last year, the House of Representatives passed new patent reform legislation just two years after the 2011 America Invents Act became law. The House bill is now stalled in the Senate, but the fact that the issue is back on the agenda already is a sign of just how concerned people are about patent litigation.

 

That’s not a surprise. Statistics from Lex Machina show that 2013 set a new record for new patent lawsuits. All those legal threats are giving new urgency to the patent reform debate.

 

Read on to learn who is filing all these lawsuits, who is getting sued, where the lawsuits are occurring, and more.

Full Story.

 

 

BP Challenges Mandated Payouts to Thousands

Lyle Denniston | SCOTUSblog

Just over four years after the massive oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, the British oil giant BP PLC asked the Supreme Court on Wednesday to put on hold lower court rulings that it contends would mandate hundreds of millions of dollars in unconstitutional payments on damage claims

Full story. 

 

 

A Smoking Gun in Debate Over Consumer Class Actions?

Alison Frankel | Reuters

The biggest obstacle in evaluating class actions involving inexpensive consumer products is the frustrating lack of empirical data. Sure, we can compile statistics on case filings, dismissals, settlements and attorneys’ fees, but publicly available evidence about whether these cases actually benefit the people who bought the supposedly flawed products is scant indeed.

Full Story.

 

 

I’m Waayyy Too Busy for Your Stupid Lawsuit

TMZ

Jay Z’s the hardest working man in show biz … so claim his lawyers, who say the rapper has such a “grueling” work schedule he can’t possibly make time for what they say is a ridiculous lawsuit.

Full Story.