Lawsuit Archives - Schooley Mitchell

Man sues Samsung after his new smartphone explodes in his pants

Christine Wilson September 28, 2016

According to an article from CNET, a Florida man has filed what may be the first lawsuit in the US involving the Samsung Note 7’s combustible battery. 92 reports in the US alone have said the phone battery overheats, with 26 reports of it causing burns. Jonathan Strobel of Boca Raton perhaps has the most alarming story about the Korean manufacturer’s new smartphone. 28-year-old Strobel has recently filed a lawsuit concerning the Note 7’s combustible battery, saying that his device exploded in the front pocket of his pants this September 9th. “His right thigh has a deep second-degree burn the

The Psychology of Piracy

Christine Wilson May 16, 2016

We’ve all seen the ads that explain why piracy is theft. And yet a lot of people use torrent sites to access bootlegs copies of their favourite shows, movies, and music with an easy conscience. But why? New research by Australian PhD student Robert Eres has shed some light on the phenomenon. Eres’ home country, despite its population of only about 23 million, leads the world in Game of Thrones piracy. Australians aren’t all thieves though, right? Eres studied the brain activity of a person stealing via file sharing compared to someone doing something obviously criminal like shoplifting. Here’s the

Spotify User Information Posted Online

Christine Wilson April 27, 2016

Hundreds of Spotify accounts were compromised when a list containing personal details was posted on Pastebin last weekend. The list includes vulnerable information such as passwords, email addresses, username and account type. Thankfully, payment information was not revealed. Although Spotify maintains the “records of the users are safe,” users themselves are more concerned. Some noticed playlists on their accounts they did not create and others had unfamiliar tracks in their “recently played” tab. Most worrisome, some users have even been locked out of their accounts. All this occurred within the same frame of time as the records being posted online,

Viber Bringing Powerful Encryption to 700M People

Christine Wilson April 25, 2016

Communication app Viber is following in the footsteps of WhatsApp and making end-to-end encryption default for its 700 million user base. That means every text message, photo, and whatever else you can share on Viber will be protected. And because it is not an American company, it’s not subject to U.S laws. End-to-end encryption means not even the Viber itself can see what’s passing between users once they update their software to Viber 6.0. Basically, the sooner users do that, the sooner their personal conversations are completely protected. This will take some time, as many people are either slow or

Textalyzer Could Crack Down on Distracted Driving

Tori Sutton April 12, 2016

Careless drivers are always quick to deny using their phone during a crash. Soon law enforcement officials may be able to prove a driver was fiddling with their screen thanks to the Textalyzer. “Just like police use a breathalyzer to check your blood alcohol level, the Textalyzer checks your phone activity and crucially, ascertains if you were using it at the time of the incident being investigated,” states a Digital Trends article by Bruce Brown. “That’s bad news if you’re in a state, county, or town where phone use while driving is illegal. Even where hands-on cell phone usage isn’t

FCC Hands Down $51M Fine in Lifeline Scam

Tori Sutton April 11, 2016

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) is handing down a massive fine to a telecom company that defrauded the government of nearly $10 million. The FCC announced the $51 million fine against Total Call Mobile in a press release last week, alleging the company signed up tens of thousands of duplicate and ineligible consumers to the Lifeline program. “We reserve the strongest sanctions for those who defraud or abuse federal programs,” said Enforcement Bureau chief Travis LeBlanc, in the press release. “Any waste, fraud, or abuse in the Lifeline program diverts scarce funds from the consumers they are meant to serve

Oracle Files Lawsuit Against Google

Christine Wilson April 7, 2016

Software creator Oracle has filed a $9.3-billion lawsuit against Google, alleging the tech giant illegally used its Java software in developing the Android OS. Oracle has some experience facing off against Google in civil court – its previous lawsuit ended with uncertain results in 2012. Android is the most widely used OS in the mobile world with an 80.7 percent market share. Oracle maintains it is looking for a fair share of this success and has increased its damages by 10 since the 2012 lawsuit. If Oracle wins this suit, it will be the biggest copyright verdict ever, seconded only

Schooley Mitchell Lawsuit Watch: A Big Verizon Rip-Off?

Tori Sutton March 29, 2016

In this edition of the Schooley Mitchell lawsuit watch, a consumer advocacy group is squaring off against Verizon, accusing the telecom giant of scamming customers and diverting the funds to expand its wireless and fiber optic networks. The New Networks Institute alleges Verizon has overcharged New York landline subscribers to the tune of $1,000 to $1,500 each, spending the money on infrastructure improvements and corporate expenses. New Networks executive director Bruce Kushnick says Verizon is overcharging for its copper-based landline service and that its other services are a rip-off. For example, call forwarding and call waiting costs $7.95 per month,

Schooley Mitchell Lawsuit Watch: Verizon’s Big Tax Bill

Tori Sutton November 24, 2015

In this week’s Schooley Mitchell lawsuit watch we take a look at a case that Verizon recently lost in the Pennsylvania Supreme Court, forcing the telco to pay taxes on fees collected for installing phone lines, performing repairs and providing directory assistance. According to the Daily Journal, the issue started 11 years ago when the Department of Revenue delivered Verizon a bill for an additional $48 million in taxes. The amount was lowered by its board of appeals to just $10 million. A subsequent ruling in 2013 by the Commonwealth Court put Verizon on the hook for revenues associated with

Schooley Mitchell Lawsuit Watch: Fake Calls Plague Consumers

Tori Sutton November 9, 2015

The phone rings and you pick it up. On the other end, a recording tells you the IRS is filing a lawsuit against you. You’re given a phone number to call to get more information about your case. Your heart beats a little bit faster and anxiety rises. The IRS? Lawsuit? Take a deep breath, exhale and relax. Resist the urge to dial your lawyer. You’ve got nothing to worry about: this phone call is currently being received by people across America. And it’s fake. There are a few versions of this scam currently circulating. But the essence of the