Legal

Target Lobbies in Washington Against Trump's Border Tax
January 26, 2017 at 10:47 am

President Donald Trump’s so-called border adjustment tax proposal is intended to boost U.S. manufacturing and bring jobs back to America that have gone overseas over the years. The President has said that a 35 percent tax or tariff would be imposed on companies that shut down manufacturing plants and lay off workers in the U.S.…

Walgreens-Rite Aid Merger Stalls Amid FTC Review
January 23, 2017 at 11:43 am

Walgreens Boots Alliance said on Friday it would not comment on reports that the Federal Trade Commission may take longer to approve its acquisition of Rite Aid. Bloomberg News was first to report that “FTC lawyers aren’s sold on Walgreens' proposal to sell 865 drugstores to Fred’s, Inc.” Bloomberg cited two people who asked the…

Amazon's 1-Click Payment Patent Expiring in 2017
January 4, 2017 at 10:04 am

The patent for Amazon.com's one-click payment technology is expiring this year, meaning other online stores may adopt similar payment methods. Amazon first applied for the patent in 1997, and was granted it in 1999. Over the years, the online retailer has defended its exclusivity in court. For example, Apple paid Amazon an undisclosed amount to develop…

Nasty Gal Gets Offer From British Retailer
December 29, 2016 at 9:58 am

Nasty Gal has received a $20 million bid from British online retailer Boohoo.com for its intellectual property The Los Angeles Times reported. The L.A. retailer filed for bankruptcy protection in November and is planning to hold an auction of its assets in February. At the time of its filing, Nasty Gal estimated both its assets…

Amazon Ordered to Disclose Customers' Names
December 27, 2016 at 10:08 am

Last week, U.S. District Court Judge James Robart ordered Amazon.com to turn over the names of everyone who purchased specific WEN hair products. WEN hair products are at the center of a class-action lawsuit alleging their use leads to different adverse effects, like hair loss. The judge ordered the disclosures so that lawyers in the…

American Apparel Closes Most U.K. Stores
December 27, 2016 at 10:04 am

L.A.-based fashion retailer American Apparel has closed all but one of its U.K. stores. The store closings resulted in a loss of 150 jobs, and this is just the beginning of global store closings for the company. In November, Canadian t-shirt maker Gildan Activewear bought the worldwide rights to the American Apparel brand, but does…

Whole Foods Accused of Cheating Employees Out of Bonuses
December 23, 2016 at 10:18 am

Whole Foods Market is being sued by one former and one current employee of a Washington, D.C. store, alleging that the company cheated them out of bonuses. Last week, Whole Foods said that nine managers at stores in Maryland, Virginia and the District were fired for gaming the chain’s “gainsharing” program, which awards bonuses to employees…

The Limited Plans for Possible Bankruptcy, Liquidation
December 23, 2016 at 10:12 am

2016 isn't in the books yet, but we already have what looks to be the first retail bankruptcy of 2017 lined up. The Limited is planning to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in the coming weeks, according to Bloomberg News. The 240-store women’s apparel chain has been struggling with declining traffic at malls and…

Alibaba Back on Counterfeit Goods Watch List
December 22, 2016 at 10:01 am

The U.S. Trade Representatives' annual list of global marketplaces known for counterfeit and pirated goods was released this week, and Alibaba Holdings Ltd. is back on it. The list specifically mentions Alibaba's flea market-like Taobao shopping platform, which had not made the list in years, citing rights holders’ complaints regarding obstacles to removing counterfeit items…