California was the first state to legalize marijuana for medical use. In 1996, California approved Proposition 215, the California Compassionate Use Act. Two decades later, California voters approved Proposition 64, the Control, Regulate and Tax Adult Use of Marijuana Act (AUMA). Despite the fact that cannabis has been legal in California since 1996, you still
When is Making a Movie Not an Act of Free Speech?
I admit that the title of this article may be a bit deceiving. Making films, like any other production of art, is almost always an act of free speech. However, the Ninth Circuit was recently faced with a dilemma of determining this issue in connection with an anti-SLAPP motion brought against a screen writer who
What Do California Wine Grapes and California Marijuana Have in Common?
When a winery wants to tell consumers the geographic source of its wine, it includes on the label the wine’s “appellation of origin.” An appellation of origin tells the consumer where the wine grapes were grown. Appellations are either the name of a county or state, or a federally-recognized growing region called American Viticultural Areas
Northern District of California Revises Local Patent Rules
On January 17, 2017, the United States District Court for the Northern District of California issued revisions to its Local Patent Rules requiring early disclosure of damages-related discovery and contentions. The revised rules are effective immediately in all patent cases pending in the Northern District. Local Patent Rules are rules that apply to all civil
Two Key Things You Need to Know About the 2016 Federal Rule Changes
On December 1, 2016, amendments to the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure (“FRCP”) and Federal Rules of Appellate Procedure (FRAP) took effect. While at first glance, the changes may not seem dramatic, but changes such as shortening the time to respond and cutting word counts for briefs have a direct impact on our practices. For