In 2017, English pop star Ed Sheeran got hit with a legal complaint alleging that the melody of one of his most popular songs was copied from another tune. According to plaintiffs in the lawsuit, his 2014 hit “Thinking Out Loud” resembled the Marvin Gaye classic “Let’s Get It On” to such a degree that it infringed on the latter song’s copyright. Sheeran vehemently denied any wrongdoing and challenged the suit, which lingered in court for years due to the Continue reading
Members of the Writers Guild of America (WGA) began walking picket lines yesterday after failing to agree a new deal with production companies. This strike marks an end to 15 years of labor peace in Hollywood, bringing dozens of television and film projects to an immediate and indefinite halt. According to representatives of the approximately 11,500 striking writers, the rise of streaming has upended the industry and led to declining conditions for creative workers. For example, in the past network Continue reading
Earlier this year, we looked at how the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) proposed a ban on noncompete clauses in employer contracts, which restrict the jobs that former staffers can take once they leave a company. Another controversial clause that some businesses place into contracts prevents ex-employees from talking bad about their old jobs if they accept a severance agreement. Labor advocates have long criticized nondisparagement clauses for infringing on the rights of workers, a point that the National Labor Review Continue reading
Although the collapse of SVB and the resulting economic fallout has rattled global markets, many companies are hoping to restore faith among investors by showing signs of growth. The clearest sign of a growing business is one that is hiring people, after all, leading some firms to place job listings with no intention of actually bringing anyone on board. In fact, a recent survey of 1,000 hiring managers found that 27 percent of respondents reported leaving job listings up for Continue reading
Last Friday, a combination of imprudent decision-making and panicked customers led to the collapse of Silicon Valley Bank (SVB), a 40-year-old financial institution based in Santa Clara, California. The Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) stepped in to prevent further fallout, putting nearly $175 billion in customer deposits under the regulator’s control. SVB’s meltdown represents the second largest bank failure in U.S. history, and the largest one since the 2008 financial crisis. As a result of this chaotic situation, stock prices Continue reading
People around the world celebrate International Women’s Day every March 8th, paying tribute to the achievements of women while also campaigning for greater gender equality. While issues like equal pay and opportunity for women have certainly received a lot of attention in recent years, companies still have a long way to go before they reach total parity. To make matters worse, economists say that women are disproportionately feeling the effects of the cost of living crisis brought on by rising Continue reading
For the last few weeks, chatbots powered by artificial intelligence have made waves on social media as users talk with these automated conversation partners. The bot ChatGPT, for instance, can provide reasonable answers to questions posed by users regardless of their spelling or grammar. These responses are delivered in natural-sounding sentences that do not require scripting, a significant improvement on clunky chatbots of the past. As a result, many big companies are looking to get in on the ground floor Continue reading