Legal

Amazon filed a petition for a referendum with the California Attorney General's Office, the Associated Press is reporting. The referendum will ask voters to overturn a new California law that forces online retailers to collect sales tax.

Macy’s agreed to pay a $750,000 fine for failing to report that it sold children’s clothes with drawstrings at the neck, a strangulation hazard, the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission said.

Target has agreed to pay $160,000 to settle a disability discrimination lawsuit stemming from the retailer’s treatment of an employee at a Foothill Ranch, Calif. store, the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission said.

A California court denied Apple's motion for a preliminary injunction on Amazon.com's use of the term "Appstore" in a trademark infringement case. Apple hasn't established that its "App Store" mark is famous, in the sense of being "prominent" and "renowned," and there is also evidence that the term "app store" is used by other companies as a descriptive term for a place to obtain software applications for mobile devices, District Judge Phyllis J. Hamilton of the U.S. District Court of the Northern District of California said in an 18-page order.

Several shareholder-rights law firms said they were examining the private equity takeover of BJ's Wholesale Club to see if the company acted in the best interest of investors by accepting a $2.8 billion offer.

AFMS, a parcel consulting firm, filed an amended complaint against defendants UPS and FedEx, stating violations of Sherman Acts 1 and 2. AFMS claims that UPS and FedEx have violated federal antitrust laws. Furthermore, it alleges the parcel carriers are engaged in monopolistic and collusive actions. The lawsuit is the result of UPS and FedEx’s 2010 policies to not participate in bids or rate negotiations that involve third-party negotiators (3PNs) like AFMS.

Borders Group has a $450 million starting bid for a bankruptcy court auction of its assets later this month. Direct Brands was selected as the stalking horse bidder. It's offered $215 million in cash, $220 million in assumed debt and $15 million to help wind up the nation's second-largest bookseller's Chapter 11 proceedings.

eBay said most of its sellers would be exempt from a new California law requiring out-of-state retailers to collect sales tax in the state if they deal with California businesses.

After cutting ties with Illinios and Texas, Amazon is now looking to turn its back on California too, after Governor Jerry Brown signed a bill that would enforce the collection of online sales tax.

The Retail Industry Leaders Association criticized a final rule released by the Federal Reserve as failing to honor the intent of the bipartisan reforms passed by Congress. The rule, which guides implementation of the debit swipe fee reforms, is a startling departure from rules that the Federal Reserve proposed in December and will ultimately prevent the intended relief from reaching merchants and consumers.