Legal

Alexander Wang, generally regarded as the darling of New York City's downtown fashion scene, has been hit with a $50 million lawsuit charging him with abusing workers at his Chinatown "sweatshop." Filed in Queens Supreme Court, the class-action lawsuit from 30 Wang employees alleges that the designer and his brother Dennis violated several state labor laws by creating harsh working conditions at his property at 386 Broadway, which the paper describes as "suffocating" and "windowless."

Abercrombie & Fitch was ordered yesterday to face a class-action lawsuit by unhappy shoppers who claimed the clothing retailer voided holiday gift cards that said they had "no expiration date."

With only a month to go before the enforcement of the tobacco display ban, all large retail stores are having to adapt their stores in time for the change in law. On April 6, any retail stores larger than 3,013 square feet will have to keep all tobacco products out of sight of their customers, in an attempt by government to reduce cigarette smoking among young people.

Bid farewell to tax-free buys from the world's most popular online store. Next year Amazon will begin collecting and paying Virginia state sales tax under an agreement announced by Gov. Bob McDonnell.

The Navajo Nation has filed a federal lawsuit against Urban Outfitters alleging that the retailer committed trademark infringement by marketing and selling products that use the American Indian tribe's marks and names without a licensing or vendor agreement.

Macy's asked a court to reject counterclaims by Martha Stewart Living Omnimedia in their legal dispute over a plan to open miniboutiques in department stores operated by J.C. Penney.

Amazon.com and a trade group for college bookstores settled a lawsuit over Amazon's advertising for textbook discounts, the group said. Amazon was advertising discounts of 30 percent on new college textbooks and 90 percent on used ones. In May, Amazon asked a federal court in Seattle to declare that its advertising wasn't false or misleading.

Billabong, Australia's largest surfwear company, ended talks with TPG Capital after rejecting a sweetened $906 million takeover offer. The buyout firm was prepared to raise its bid 10 percent to gain access to the retailer's accounts, Billabong said in a statement.

The Vermont Country Store is suing an Indiana catalog company for copying its trademarks, slogan, look, layout and the content of its unique catalog. In its lawsuit, Vermont Country Store claims that DRG Texas, L.P, which publishes Good Old Days Magazine, designed the catalog to confuse consumers to believe their products are associated with the Vermont Country Store.

In a victory for traditional brick-and-mortar retailers, Amazon agreed to collect and pay sales tax on purchases made to Virginians. Gov. Robert F. McDonnell's office announced that an agreement had been reached between his office, the online retailing giant, small businesses and several members of the General Assembly, which has been considering legislation to close the so-called Amazon loophole.