Michael J. Evans: Law + Technology + Marketing
How lawyers can use the Internet, social media, online video, and technology to attract clients, be more effective, make more money, and have more fun.
From the monthly archives:
Nancy Nord, the acting chairwoman of the Consumer Product Safety Commission, will be stepping down from her leadership of the CPSC, reports Aaron Kessler of the (Sarasota, FL) Herald-Tribune. Nord, a former Eastman Kodak Co. lobbyist who has come under fire over the CPSC’s response to defective Chinese drywall and other consumer issues, says she plans to stay on as a member of the Commission until her term expires in 2012.
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The law firm of Susman Godfey LLP said Friday it had received preliminary approval of a proposed $20 million class action settlement filed on behalf of AdWords advertisers who were allegedly tricked by Google into paying for ads they didn’t intend to buy. This news comes from a Sacramento Business Journal article.
The class action lawsuit is pending in the Federal District Court of the Northern District of California, San Jose Division. Final approval of the settlement will be considered on Sept. 14.
As any AdWords user knows, Google charges advertisers when users “click” on one of their ads. When the advertiser creates an ad, he or she tells Google the maximum they are willing to pay per click. But according to lawyers for the class, advertisers can find themselves paying for ads they didn’t intend to buy. According to Susman Godfrey:
“During this process, users encounter two adjacent boxes. Into the first, customers enter the amount they wish to pay per click of an ad displayed on Google.com. The second box is marked ‘optional.’ Into this box, a user can enter the amount they would be willing to pay per click of an ad appearing on a third-party Web page. But leaving the box blank does not prevent ads from appearing on third-party sites,” the law firm said.
Google “places the ads on third-party sites anyway. And users are automatically charged per click based on the amount they entered into the first box. This suit arises from the fact that both actions occur without the user being informed,” the firm added.
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President Obama took a major step in restoring the right of states to protect their citizens from dangerous products yesterday. In a Presidential directive to all heads of executive agencies, President Obama reversed the Bush administration policy of federal preemption of lawsuits filed under state law. [click to continue…]
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has issued a warning to consumers not to use Hydroxycut products due to the risk of serious liver damage. The FDA says that “Consumers who use a Hydroxycut dietary supplement and who experience signs of illness associated with liver disease should immediately consult their health care provider. Symptoms of serious liver disease include jaundice (yellowing of the skin or whites of the eyes) and brown urine. Non-specific symptoms of liver disease can include nausea, vomiting, light-colored stools, unusual tiredness, weakness, stomach or abdominal pain, itching, and loss of appetite. FDA has also identified several other serious adverse events associated with Hydroxycut, including cases of seizures, rhabdomyolysis (a type of muscle damage that can lead to other dangerous problems, such as kidney failure), and cardiovascular problems, ranging in severity from irregular heart beat to a heart attack.” [click to continue…]
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The FDA has announced that it will require a “Black Box” warning on Botox and its competitors due to serious adverse side-effects. Many of the side-effects have been reported when Botox has been used as an off-label treatment for children with cerebral palsy. Side-effects in children have included difficulty breathing, difficulty swallowing, muscular weakness, drooping eyelids, constipation, aspiration pneumonia, speech disorder, facial drooping, double vision, or respiratory depression. Serious case reports described hospitalizations involving ventilatory support and reports of death. The majority of the adult postmarketing case reports occurred following use of botulinum toxin for the treatment of spasticity (an unapproved use) or cervical dystonia. Some cases resulted in hospitalization, including several cases that required placement of a gastric tube or mechanical ventilation.
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According to a New York Times article, Apple walked away with several of the top honors in a recent Consumer Reports review of laptop computers. MacBooks rated first in the 13-inch category, the 14-to 16-inch size, and the 17-inch list. And, if you don’t mind the price, the 15-inch MacBook Pro was rated overall with a score of 75 out of 100, ahead of a 64-rated Toshiba Satellite (the Pro costs $2,000, the Toshiba $700).
My daughter loves her 13-inch MacBook. And I have been happily working all day on my virtually trouble-free MacBook Pro. I have to admit, however, that I was feeling better before the New York Times pointed out the price difference between the MacBook Pro and the Toshiba Satellite.
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What can we do together? Since 1999 I've been using the Internet, websites, blogs, online video, Twitter and other social media to help thousands of injured people find great lawyers. We've organized national networks of lawyers in over forty states to take on Pfizer, Bayer, Yamaha and other multinational corporations. We've put consumers on a level playing field, and had fun doing it. If you're a great lawyer looking for more clients, contact me and let's see what we can do together.
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