Tag Archives: lawsuit

Motorsport

$1B Lawsuit Against Hyundai And Kia Isn’t Going Away

Hyundai and Kia are facing a lawsuit from insurance companies due to the theft of their vehicles, potentially leading to a $1 billion liability. This week, a judge rejected arguments to dismiss the suit.

Kia and Hyundai’s legal problems arose when thefts of their vehicles spiked in 2021. This occurred because the automakers did not install immobilizers on millions of cars, and videos on social media spread information on how to steal specific models that lacked immobilizers. 

The judge agreed with the plaintiff’s argument that it was “reasonably foreseeable” to Hyundai and Kia that people would steal vehicles without the theft-prevention device, as Federal Motor Vehicle Safety Standard 114 mandates a starting system to prevent engine or motor activation without the key.

Hyundai and Kia countered that insurance companies had accepted liability for the thefts by insuring the vehicles. However, US District Judge James Selna rejected this, noting that the case asserts claims of violations of state consumer protection laws, breaches of warranties, and fraud through omission and concealment.

In 2021, Kia and Hyundai thefts surged by 2,644 percent in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. Affected Kia vehicles date back to 2011, while compromised Hyundais start with the 2015 model year. The automakers released a software update earlier this year to enhance their cars’ security against theft.

Earlier this year, the two companies reached a $200 million settlement in a class-action lawsuit filed by vehicle owners. It is anticipated that up to $145 million will be allocated to cover around nine million drivers and compensate them for their out-of-pocket losses.

News

Elon Musk’s X Corp Files $1 Million Lawsuit Over Twitter Data Scraping

X Corp, founded by Elon Musk, has filed a lawsuit seeking $1 million in damages over alleged data scraping from Twitter. The company claims that the actions of four unidentified individuals have harmed the functionality and reputation of Twitter. X Corp has requested a trial to determine the extent of the damages incurred.

While the lawsuit has been filed, it may face challenges due to the difficulties in identifying and prosecuting the alleged scrapers. Without knowing the identities of the individuals involved, it could be challenging to take appropriate legal action against them. The lawsuit also states that the damages sought will include the disgorgement of the defendants’ profits from the scraping. According to a report by Market Research Future, the web scraping industry is projected to exceed a billion dollars by 2030. Proving the illegality of the scraping without knowledge of the identities could present obstacles for X Corp.

It is important to note that web scraping of public data is not technically illegal. The U.S. Ninth Circuit of Appeals confirmed this in April 2022, as reported by TechCrunch. The majority of the data targeted by the scrapers in this case was publicly available Twitter data, which includes posts and user bios. Since this does not violate the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act, it may be difficult for X Corp to establish the illegality of the scraping. The lawsuit is expected to undergo a lengthy legal process before a resolution is reached in the District Court of Dallas County.

To access the full lawsuit document, it can be found on Document Cloud here.

Motorsport

Former Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn Files Lawsuit, Seeking Over $1 Billion in Damages

Carlos Ghosn, the former CEO of Nissan, has filed a lawsuit in Lebanon against his previous employer, seeking more than $1 billion in damages. The lawsuit accuses Nissan, two other companies, and 12 individuals of defamation, fabricating evidence, and other offenses. Ghosn is specifically asking for $558 million in lost compensation and costs, as well as $500 million in punitive damages.

In late 2018, Ghosn was arrested by Japanese authorities on charges of underreporting his compensation and financial misconduct. He has consistently denied these charges. In late 2019, Ghosn managed to escape house arrest and fled the country in a box, eventually finding refuge in Lebanon, which does not extradite its citizens. However, he still has pending criminal charges in Japan. Nissan has also filed a lawsuit against Ghosn for monetary damages.

Carlos Ghosn was initially hired by Renault in 1996 to restructure the French automaker. Three years later, Renault and Nissan formed a partnership to share resources and reduce costs. Ghosn played a crucial role in turning around Nissan as the chief operating officer in 1999 and eventually became the CEO of both Nissan and Renault in 2001. Mitsubishi joined the alliance in 2017.

Even though Ghosn has been absent from Nissan for several years, his presence continues to be a source of trouble for the company. In 2022, the Japanese Financial Services Agency fined Nissan 200 million yen ($1.4 million) for Ghosn’s alleged misconduct, which was reported by the company in 2019. With this new lawsuit, it is likely that the legal battle between Ghosn and Nissan will prolong for years to come.

Since his escape, Ghosn has not held back in his criticism of his former employer. He referred to Renault-Nissan as “small and fragile” and criticized the company’s lack of vision in its electrification strategy.

In early 2023, Nissan announced an updated roadmap, revealing its plans to introduce 27 new electrified models and 19 new EVs by 2030. The company aims for up to 98% of its sales to be electrified in Europe by 2026 and 40% in the US by the end of the decade.

News, Technology

Twitter Faces $250 Million Lawsuit Over Alleged Music Copyright Violations

The National Music Publishers Association (NMPA) has filed a lawsuit against Twitter, seeking damages of $150,000 for each of the approximately 1,700 songs it claims have been infringed upon. The allegations made in the lawsuit are strong, with the NMPA stating that “Twitter knows perfectly well that neither it nor users of the Twitter platform have secured licenses for the rampant use of music being made on its platform.” Alongside the monetary damages, the NMPA is also asking the court to immediately stop Twitter’s copyright-infringing activities.

It is worth noting that the NMPA asserts that it has sent formal notices regarding copyright infringement to Twitter since 2021, resulting in over 300,000 tweets being flagged for violating copyright laws. Additionally, other copyright holders have reportedly sent hundreds of thousands of similar notices to Twitter. However, the lawsuit alleges that Twitter consistently disregards known repeat infringers and the infringements themselves.

The lawsuit accuses Twitter of failing to take action by removing the problematic content or preventing public access to it. According to the lawsuit, “Twitter views itself, not the law, as the arbiter of what content is permitted on the Twitter platform.” At the time of writing, neither Twitter nor its new CEO Linda Yaccarino has made a statement regarding the matter. This lawsuit deals a significant blow to Twitter, especially considering the cost-cutting measures it has implemented recently – including laying off two-thirds of its workforce – in its pursuit of profitability. Furthermore, it sets a potentially detrimental precedent for Elon Musk’s ambitions of transforming Twitter into a creative content hub.