Legal

Adidas closed down all its websites last week after what it called a “sophisticated and criminal cyber attack.” The company doesn’t believe that any consumer data was impacted, but plans to continue its investigation.

The Marketplace Fairness Act was introduced today by Sens. Mike Enzi (R-Wyo.), Dick Durbin (D-Ill.), Lamar Alexander (R-Tenn.) and Tim Johnson (D-S.D.).

The days of tax-free internet shopping may soon be coming to an abrupt end. Two Republican senators are preparing to introduce new legislation that would allow states to force Amazon.com and other out-of-state online retailers to collect sales taxes.

A second wave of activism sparked by Occupy Wall Street is here. As supporters move to raise money to help the movement through the winter, others are boycotting businesses perceived to show sympathy — or not.

Last month, Urban Outfitters drew threats of legal action from the Navajo Nation for advertising the "Navajo Hipster Panty." To avoid that potential liability, Urban Outfitters recently changed the names of all 21 of the products it had been calling "Navajo." But fellow retailer Forever 21 doesn't seem to share Urban Outfitters' concern. While a search for "Navajo" on its website turns up no results, a little digging reveals at least a half-dozen items that have the Navajo trademark in the title.

A bipartisan group of senators introduced legislation yesterday that would undertake a sweeping restructuring of the U.S. Postal Service, aiming to put the ailing organization back on the path to financial stability.

Syms, the discount department store chain which operates 25 Syms and 21 Filene's Basement stores, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection yesterday and said it would shut down all of its stores by the end of January 2012.

An immigration activist is calling it a victory after convincing online retailer CafePress to remove "racist" merchandise. Designed to look like an actual permit to "hunt illegal aliens," immigration rights activist Victor Hoelscher, along with hundreds of others, petitioned CafePress to get the items removed.

A retail industry group asked the U.S. government to delay plans to expand the internet’s address system, saying store owners need more time to assess the impact of adding hundreds of web suffixes such as .bank and .nyc.

Women pursuing discrimination claims against Wal-Mart filed a reformulated lawsuit Oct. 27 alleging the world's largest retailer treats its female workers in California unfairly. Plaintiffs alleging that the company denied them pay raises and promotions because of gender bias are regrouping after the U.S. Supreme Court dismantled a class of up to 1.5 million current and former Wal-Mart workers in June.