Legal

Just Fabulous, the company behind online fashion site JustFab.com, has sued white-hot e-commerce site Fab.com. Just Fabulous claims that Fab.com is infringing its Just Fab trademark. The company isn't asking for the Fab.com domain name, but wants Fab.com to be restricted from selling any sort of clothing or accessories "under or in connection with any trade name, trademark, service mark, Internet domain name or other designation of origin that's comprised in whole or in part of the JUST FAB or JustFab.com marks or names, or any terms, designs or styles confusingly similar thereto." 

A pair of former Apple retail employees have filed a class-action lawsuit against the company for lost wages. The lawsuit stems from an Apple retail policy that requires employees have their personal bags and purses inspected by managers before leaving the store for breaks, lunches and at the end of a shift.

A former executive at jeweler Tiffany & Co pleaded guilty Friday to stealing more than $2 million worth of jewelry from her one-time employer. Ingrid Lederhaas-Okun, 46, a former vice president of product development, pleaded guilty to a count of interstate transportation of stolen property less than a month after she was arrested in connection with the theft. Among the items stolen were bracelets, earrings and pendants made of diamonds, platinum and gold. Under a plea agreement, Lederhaas-Okun, a resident of Connecticut, has agreed to forfeit more than $2.11 million and pay $2.24 million in restitution. 

New York City-based law firm Bernstein Liebhard has filed a securities class-action complaint in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York on behalf of all those who purchased shares of Kohl's Corp. between Feb. 26, 2009 and Sept. 13, 2011. The complaint alleges that Kohl's and some of its executives and directors violated the Securities Exchange Act of 1934 during that time period by materially understating the company's reported debt, overstating reported equity, materially understating leverage ratios, and not complying with other accounting and financial reporting requirements.

Sales tax rules may not be a topic of dinner conversation or family road trip banter, but they can be oddly amusing in their own way. From car seats to coats, when and where to charge sales tax can leave even the most savvy online retailer in the dark. Here's just a small sample of sales tax oddities:

Michael Kors, one of America's largest sportswear brands, is suing wholesale club Costco for false advertising. The issue stems from a Costco marketing email campaign which was sent to Costco customers last April. Advertising Mother's Day gift ideas, including "designer handbags starting at $99," it includes images of several Michael Kors bags, many of which have the MK logo on prominent display. The problem is that Costco doesn't sell MK bags. 

Advanced Auctions LLC filed a lawsuit against eBay for patent infringement on Thursday. The company claims eBay is violating its patent '000 entitled "Real Time Auction with End Game." The complaint

Three former Target employees are suing the nation's second-largest discount chain for discrimination and retaliation, citing alleged racial slurs from managers and a training document that included stereotypical portrayals of Hispanics. The lawsuit, filed recently in Northern California's Yolo County, says that workers who complained about the conditions at a distribution center in Woodland were fired. The complaint alleges that white managers regularly used racial epithets when speaking with Hispanic workers.

It has become standard practice in the retail business for cashiers to request the ZIP code of customers paying with a credit card. But while most consumers readily supply this information, it isn't required to check out. In fact, giving the impression it is required may be illegal. At least that's what one law firm is arguing in a class-action complaint filed against Urban Outfitters and its sister company, Anthropologie, in federal court late last month. The law firm, Perry Charnoff PLLC, claims that Urban Outfitters is in violation of

A group of 17 North American retailers, including Wal-Mart, J.C. Penney, Gap, Target and Macy’s, on Wednesday announced a five-year safety pact aimed at improving conditions in garment factories in Bangladesh. It calls for inspecting all factories that supply their garments within a year, and an agreement to set up basic safety standards within three months.