Mealey's California Section 17200 : Mealey's : Legal News & Analysis

Mealey's California Section 17200

June 13, 2025
Judge Orders Electronics Company To Pay $33M For Faking Online Reviews

SAN JOSE, Calif. — A California federal judge on June 12 granted a motion for default judgment filed by a plaintiff representing a certified class of consumers who claim that they were deceived by a Chinese manufacturer-owned company’s practice of faking reviews on Amazon.com to sell shoddy electronics in violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and ordered it to pay nearly $33 million in disgorgement.
June 13, 2025
Video Game Fans Dismiss Suit Challenging Termination Of Online Racing Game

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — Three plaintiffs on June 12 filed a notice of voluntary dismissal in California federal court of their putative class action claims against a video game developer for violating California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and other laws by shutting down an online racing game, which they said was deceptive and unfairly deprived them of access to the game.
June 13, 2025
9th Circuit Agrees ‘WallStreetBets’ Creator’s Trademark, UCL Claims Fail

SAN FRANCISCO — A Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals panel affirmed a California federal judge’s dismissal of a trademark and unfair competition suit against Reddit Inc. by the founder of the “WallStreetBets” message board that was the center of the ballooning of GameStop Corp.’s share value in 2021; the panel said the board’s founder failed to show that he used the name “WallStreetBets” as a mark in commerce.
June 12, 2025
Judge Refuses Remand Of California Suit Over Insulin Pricing

CAMDEN, N.J. — A New Jersey federal judge overseeing multidistrict litigation over the pricing of insulin denied the state of California’s renewed motion to remand its claims against pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) for violating California’s unfair competition law (UCL) by unfairly setting insulin prices, finding that removal to federal court was proper despite the state’s disclaimers releasing any interest in recovery under federal law.
June 11, 2025
Conservative Social Media User’s Suit Over ‘Political’ Ban From Sites Dismissed

OAKLAND, Calif. — A California federal judge on June 10 dismissed with prejudice a conservative activist’s lawsuit against social media companies Meta Platforms Inc. and X Corp. Inc. for banning her accounts on their platforms based on what she contended were constitutionally protected political statements, finding that the platforms as publishers are immune from her claims for violation of her free speech rights and of California’s unfair competition law (UCL).
June 11, 2025
Judge Allows Claims Over Deceptive Labeling Of ‘Hypoallergenic’ Baby Products

SACRAMENTO, Calif. — A California federal judge issued two rulings declining to dismiss most claims brought in two separate putative class actions accusing Walmart Inc. and Unilever of violating California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and other laws by misleadingly labeling baby petroleum jelly products for skin conditions such as diaper rash as “hypoallergenic” when the products in fact contain fragrance-related ingredients that can cause contact dermatitis.
June 10, 2025
Magistrate Approves $7.25M Settlement Of Patreon Privacy Violation Claims

SAN FRANCISCO — A California federal magistrate judge granted a motion for final approval of a $7.25 million settlement to resolve claims that Patreon Inc. illegally shared its users’ video-viewing data with social media company Meta Platforms Inc., including more than $2.1 million in attorney fees, and rejected as invalid more than 900 opt-outs filed on behalf of class members by a third-party “recovery company.”
June 09, 2025
Reddit: Anthropic Copied User Data For AI Training Without Permission

SAN FRANCISCO — While billing itself as the ethical artificial intelligence company, Anthropic PBC trains its large language model on Reddit Inc. users’ data without consent and in violation of specific directives not to use the data, the social media company alleges in a complaint in California state court for breach of contract and violation of California’s unfair competition law.
June 05, 2025
9th Circuit Denies Apple’s Bid To Stay Injunction In App Dispute With Epic Games

SAN FRANCISCO — In a two-page order issued June 4, the Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals denied a motion filed by Apple Inc. to stay an injunction pending appeal in an antitrust dispute with Epic Games Inc. over a lower court ruling that requires Apple to permit app developers to inform users of methods for making in-app purchases (IAPs) outside of the company’s App Store.
June 04, 2025
Football Players Appeal Order Striking Suit Against Netflix Over Documentary

LOS ANGELES — A group of former college football players who were featured in a Netflix Inc. documentary but did not receive any compensation have filed a notice of appeal in the Los Angeles County Superior Court after a judge granted an anti-Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation (SLAPP) motion filed by Netflix and affiliates dismissing the players’ suit for violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and other laws.
May 30, 2025
Amici Urge Review Of 9th Circuit Affirmance Of Dismissal Of Suit Against Meta

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Amici curiae filed briefs in the U.S. Supreme Court urging review of a petition filed by a man seeking certiorari for a Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals ruling affirming dismissal of his complaint and claims that Facebook Inc. (now Meta Platforms Inc.) destroyed his social network pages and his related business income by removing posts that purportedly violated its community standards.
May 29, 2025
E-Cig Maker Accused Of Deceiving Vapers With ‘Greenwashing’ Claims

SAN FRANCISCO — Three e-cigarette users filed a putative class complaint on May 28 against R.J. Reynolds Vapor Co. (RJRV) and its affiliates, accusing them of violating California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and other laws by misrepresenting their e-cigarette products to consumers as “carbon-neutral” to boost sales as part of an allegedly deceptive “greenwashing” campaign.
May 29, 2025
Judge Dismisses ‘Flamin’ Hot’ Cheetos Inventor’s Defamation, Discrimination Claims

LOS ANGELES — A California federal judge on May 28 granted PepsiCo Inc. and Frito-Lay Inc.’s motions to strike and to dismiss a lawsuit brought against them by a former executive who says he invented the “Flamin’ Hot” variety of Cheetos snacks and claimed that the company defamed him and cost him the opportunity to be featured in a documentary by casting doubt on his inventorship claims.
May 28, 2025
Fortnite Developer Seeks To Compel Arbitration Of Youth’s ‘FOMO’ Suit

SAN FRANCISCO — Epic Games Inc., the developer of “Fortnite,” on May 27 filed a motion in California federal court seeking to compel arbitration of a minor’s putative class action accusing it of violating California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and other laws by using “deceptive countdown timers” and minors’ “fear of missing out” (FOMO) to incentivize their purchases of in-game items.
May 28, 2025
Plaintiffs In Baby Bottle Microplastics Putative Class Suit Request Dismissal

SAN FRANCISCO — Three parents and a plastic baby products maker on May 27 jointly filed a stipulation of dismissal of the parents’ putative class action in California federal court accusing the defendant of violating California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and other consumer protection laws by failing to disclose the risk of microplastics leaching from its products after a judge granted dismissal of most claims and declined to certify an interlocutory appeal.
May 28, 2025
$8.9M Settlement By Soda Company For ‘Prebiotic’ Claims Gets Preliminary OK

SAN FRANCISCO — A California federal judge granted an unopposed motion for preliminary approval of an $8.9 million settlement by the manufacturer of a soda product that was sued by consumers for violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and other laws due to the product being deceptively labeled as “Prebiotic” and “gut healthy” and approved the plaintiffs’ plan to request a 30% attorney fee award.
May 27, 2025
Patient Can Amend Post-Treatment Claim Over Medical Fees, Panel Says

FRESNO, Calif. — A California appellate panel on May 23 ruled on remand from the California Supreme Court that a patient is barred from claiming a medical center failed to disclose emergency fees in advance of treatment but ordered that the trial court grant the patient leave to amend his claims that the center violated California’s unfair competition law (UCL) based on its “post-treatment billing practices.”
May 23, 2025
9th Circuit Hears Oral Arguments In Apple Watch Heart Rate Tracking Dispute

SAN FRANCISCO — The Ninth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals heard oral arguments in an appeal of a district court order granting Apple’s Inc.’s motion for summary judgment on claims that it violated federal antitrust law and California’s unfair competition law (UCL) by impairing a competitor’s heart rate tracking app tailored for the Apple Watch to monopolize the market.
May 22, 2025
Consumers Dismiss Class Suit Over Microplastics In Baby Bottles

SAN FRANCISCO — Parents who in a putative class action filed in California federal court accused a baby bottle maker of violating California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and other laws by labeling its baby bottles and sippy cups as healthy and safe for children when they in fact can leach microplastics into children’s food and drinks filed a notice of voluntary dismissal after a judge dismissed most of their claims.
May 22, 2025
Judge Compels Arbitration Of Suit Against ‘Social’ Gambling Site Operator

LOS ANGELES — A California federal judge on May 21 granted a Cypriot gambling website operator’s motion to compel arbitration of claims brought against it by a man with a gambling addiction who alleges that the website is operated in violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and the Consumers Legal Remedies Act (CLRA).
May 22, 2025
Summary Judgment Granted In Shrinking Crocs UCL Suit

SAN FRANCISCO — A California federal judge granted summary judgment in favor of the maker of Croc shoes and against a plaintiff who alleged that the company misrepresented how prone Crocs are to shrinking in violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL) and also denied the defendant’s Daubert motion to strike an expert witness for the plaintiff.
May 20, 2025
Judge Denies Attorney Fees To Activist Who Posted Hunter Biden Files

SAN FRANCISCO — A California federal judge on May 19 denied a motion for attorney fees filed by a conservative activist and his organization against whom Hunter Biden had brought claims for violation of computer fraud laws and California’s unfair competition law (UCL) after they posted data from Biden’s laptop online, finding after the voluntary dismissal of Biden’s claims that fees were not warranted.
May 19, 2025
Judge Dismisses Taylor Swift Fans’ Ticketmaster Suit Over ‘Presale Disaster’

LOS ANGELES — A California federal judge adopted as final his tentative ruling dismissing with leave to amend a complaint brought by 50 consumers against online ticket seller Ticketmaster LLC, its parent company Live Nation Entertainment Inc. and stadium owner StadCo LA LLC, which they accused of allowing scalpers to swarm presale purchase events for a Taylor Swift concert in violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL), antitrust laws and contracts with the consumers.
May 19, 2025
Judge Allows Most Claims Over Deceptive Sales Of Addictive Kratom Variant

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — A Missouri federal judge granted in part and denied in part a company and its CEO’s motion to dismiss a putative class action accusing them of deceptively selling a variant of kratom that was allegedly formulated to be addictive but is marketed as providing relaxation without sufficient warning to customers, in violation of Missouri, Pennsylvania and California consumer protection laws.
May 16, 2025
Panel Affirms Denial Of Shelter’s Anti-SLAPP Defense In Homeless Dog Theft Suit

LOS ANGELES — A California appellate panel on May 16 affirmed a trial court’s denial of an anti-SLAPP (Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation) motion filed by the owner of an animal care nonprofit seeking to strike allegations by a deceased homeless man’s daughter who accuses the owner of stealing her father’s dog and later euthanizing it in violation of California’s unfair competition law (UCL), writing that the conduct at issue was not protected speech activity.