Seattle Is Suing Two Theft-Prone Automakers Using Public Nuisance Laws

Earlier this year, the City of Seattle filed a lawsuit against Hyundai and Kia in response to a wave of car thefts. The City’s case relied on an interesting legal theory – that the automakers’ failure to install immobilizers amounted to a violation of the City’s public nuisance laws. Although the action has been stayed pending a Judicial Panel on Multidistrict Litigation in California, the lawsuit is a first of its kind. A rare instance of a city taking on a corporation, the lawsuit implies that companies have responsibilities to groups beyond their consumers.

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How the U.S. Patent System Fails Small Businesses

When I practiced patent prosecution, I felt conflicted about doing work for smaller clients, such as small businesses and individual inventors.1 On one hand, I was grateful for their business. But on the other, I felt that I was not providing a service that would benefit them.

  1. “Patent prosecution” refers to the process of applying for and pursuing a patent. 

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