By: Connor Charney Google and Reddit recently finalized a licensing agreement (“the Agreement”) that will allow Google to train its Vertex AI on Reddit’s data.[1] The Agreement is allegedly valued at $60 million annually.[2] While the Agreement’s precise terms and value have not been made public, commentators are quick to label this as an example…

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By: Hannah Lief Alpine Securities Corporation (“Alpine”), a broker-dealer, is challenging the delegation of authority by the Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) to Financial Industry Regulatory Authority (“FINRA”) in Alpine Securities Corp. v. Financial Industry Regulatory Authority, Inc.[1] The lawsuit arises out of Alpine’s constitutional challenge to FINRA’s enforcement of securities regulations.[2] During district court…

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By: Sarah Benjamin The Antiquities Act, which was passed in 1906, gives Presidents broad discretion to designate areas as National Monuments and thereby take them out of use for commercial industries and set them aside for the sole purpose of public recreation and enjoyment.[1] Since the Act’s passage, various Presidents have designated nearly 100 million…

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By: Julie Chung The rise in cryptocurrency usage and sales confused the traditional securities and financial space. The Securities and Exchange Commission (“SEC”) typically exercised regulatory oversight to protect investors in the capital markets.[1]Cryptocurrencies have notably dodged financial regulators like the SEC with virtual currencies and sophisticated payment systems structured to avoid financial regulation.[2] Cryptocurrencies…

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By: Liam Sullivan Last month, SEC Commissioners adopted new rules regarding special purpose acquisition companies (SPACs), concluding a years-long effort to increase transparency and protections around investments in SPACs and the acquisition (de-SPAC) and initial public offering (IPO) of existing companies using this investment vehicle. The SEC turned a critical eye towards SPACs during a…

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By: Miguel E. Serrano How does the sudden prevalence of “Wrapped” compilations fit into U.S. privacy law? On January 17, 2024, the D.C. Metro (Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority or “WMATA”) followed companies like Spotify, Duolingo, and the Washington Post in posting a 2023 “year-end review.”[1] When Spotify launched its Wrapped feature in 2015, the…

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By: Gustav Gulmert According to the Environmental Working Group, over fifty percent of Americans consider their tap water as unsafe.[1]Instead, people turn to water pitcher filters for their drinking water at home, the gym, and work.[2] Zero Technologies, LLC (“Zero”) and Brita sell high-performance gravity-fed water pitcher filters approved by the NSF Foundation, a standards-setting…

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By: Caitlyn Lindstrom Patreon, a video content subscription platform,[1] challenged the constitutionality of the Video Privacy Protection Act (“VPPA”),[2] which allows consumers to “maintain control over personal information” while generating and accessing video content on providers’ platforms.[3]  The VPPA was born out of concern for consumer privacy regarding media consumption.[4] Following the publishing of then-U.S.…

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By: Vincent Alfieri Universal Music Group has recently filed a lawsuit against Anthropic PBC, an Amazon backed startup, alleging that the company’s Artificial Intelligence (“AI”) chatbot infringes on the lyrics from multiple copyrighted songs.[1]  Universal’s complaint contains numerous side-by-side comparisons of the chatbot’s generated lyrics and the lyrics from copyrighted works.[2] When directed by a…

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By: Kevin Quintanilla A big win may come soon to consumers due to the Federal Trade Commission’s (“FTC”) new proposed rule to ban junk fees.[1] Junk fees refer to hidden costs or extra charges that a consumer must pay, oftentimes substantially increasing the total price of a product or service.[2] These fees are frequently not…

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