This note analyses the decision of the House of Lords in Thorner v. Major [2009] UKHL 18, where a proprietary estoppel claim was upheld in favor of a farmer who had worked without pay on his cousin's farm on the basis of oblique assurances that he would inherit the property. The case appears to...

This article argues that punitive, nominal, contemptuous, vindicatory, and disgorgement damages (commonly referred to as non-compensatory damages) can be collectively analysed as public interest damages because all these awards are justified by violations of public interests in addition to...

Much has been written about patent trolls and the detrimental effects they have on the patent system. Legal and legislative attempts have been made to curb patent trolls. However, there is considerable confusion over who is actually a patent troll. Because of the focus on trolls, other practices...

There is a widespread belief throughout Latin America that the judicial sector is not in a position to foster private sector development within a market system. The courts are overburdened and unable to dispose of cases in a timely fashion. As a result, frustrated litigants lose faith in the...

This article examines the benefits of the class action for New Zealand consumers. It analyses the current operation of the New Zealand class action and recommends significant reform to expand the use of the class action and to give clear specific guidelines on its operation. The author defines a...

When a franchise’s ownership and goodwill distribution under afranchising agreement are the subject of a dispute between two parties, thecharacterization of the parties’ franchise relationship is often contested.For example, in disputes arising from issues related to franchise...

Depending on where in the United States one is located on any given Sunday or Christian holiday, it is against the law to buy a beer or a car, go shopping, hunt, or even play Bingo. This prohibition is a direct result of Blue Laws, alternatively called Sunday Closing Laws or Lord’s Day Acts....

Many things can change between the drafting of a will and the death of a testator. One increasingly common event is that testators require specialist aged care and their only substantial asset – the family home – is sold to fund that care. These arrangements can have an unexpected impact on...

Australian case law on infringement of registered trade marks has placed an increasing emphasis on the reputation of the owner of the registered trade mark in determining whether infringement has occurred. Consideration of the trade mark owner's reputation has been included in determining...

Patent protection for genetic enhancements would tend to spur genetic innovation, but would tend to limit access to those genetic enhancements through discriminatory mechanisms such as price and favoritism. The patent system would likely ensure high rates of genetic enhancement innovation,...