From the monthly archives:

April 2004

$1.1 Billion (Yes, Billion) Verdict Against Pharmaceutical Manufacturer

April 28, 2004

Plaintiffs’ attorney John O’Quinn just won a $1.1 billion (yes, billion) jury verdict for the widower of a woman who took a diet drug. The verdict came in a wrongful-death suit against pharmaceutical manufacturer Wyeth. About $ 900 million of that amount was punitive damages, making the ratio of punitives to actual damages approximately 9 [...]

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Public Allegation of Copyright InfringementLeads to $300K Defamation Verdict

April 23, 2004

If you think a competitor is doing something illegal, like infringing your copyright, it’s usually best not to complain to customers about it. If it turns out you’re wrong about the alleged illegality, you could be liable for defamation. A Web site operator named Boats.com recently learned a $300,000 lesson on that subject in a [...]

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