The Supreme Court put on hold Friday night a Louisiana law that would have shut down any abortion provider in the state that does not have admitting privileges at a hospital less than 30 miles away. Abortion providers, represented by the Center for Reproductive Rights, had petitioned the court for an emergency stay, saying the law, due to take effect Monday, would leave just one qualified abortion provider to practice in the state. The state contended there was no need for an emergency stay since the law would be implemented over time and not shut down facilities overnight. Story Continued Below The court's stay, ordered by Justice Samuel Alito, noted that it was not a sign of any of the justices' views on the merits of the law, and merely a means of giving them more time to consider it. The law was passed in 2014 but never took effect after lower courts issued injunctions. But the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals upheld the law in September, ruling it did not create a burden for women … [Read more...] about Supreme Court temporarily halts Louisiana abortion law
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Reporters convictions appealed to Myanmar Supreme Court
Updated 12:55 am CST, Friday, February 1, 2019 Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, talks to journalists as he leaves the Supreme Court after submitting appeal documents of the two journalists in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, Friday, Feb. 1, 2019. Lawyers for the two journalists sentenced to seven years in jail on charges of breaking the Official Secrets Act filed an appeal to the country's supreme court, after a high court judge rejected their appeal in January. less Khin Maung Zaw, a lawyer of two Reuters journalists, Wa Lone and Kyaw Soe Oo, talks to journalists as he leaves the Supreme Court after submitting appeal documents of the two journalists in Naypyitaw, Myanmar, ... more Photo: Aung Shine Oo, AP Photo: Aung Shine Oo, AP Image 1 of / 7 Caption … [Read more...] about Reporters convictions appealed to Myanmar Supreme Court
Google Asks Supreme Court to Overrule API Copyright Ruling — ADTmag
Google Asks Supreme Court to Overrule API Copyright Ruling Alphabet's Google subsidiary has petitioned the Supreme Court to review its long-running copyright dispute and re-evaluate a Federal Circuit court's decision that copyright protections extend to software interfaces, and whether, as a jury found, "petitioner's use of a software interface in the context of creating a new computer program constitutes fair use." If you're tired of this seemingly immortal struggle between Oracle and Google over those 37 Java APIs, you're not alone (it's been nine years), but the stakes are existentially high. In a blog post announcing the move, Google's SVP of Global Affairs and Chief Legal Officer Kent Walker rightly asserted that the Court's decision on the copyrightability of software "will have a far-reaching impact on innovation across the computer industry." "Standardized software interfaces have driven innovation in software development," Walker wrote. "They let computer programs interact … [Read more...] about Google Asks Supreme Court to Overrule API Copyright Ruling — ADTmag
Pakistan Supreme Court Frees Blasphemy Law Victim Asia Bibi Again
Pakistan’s Supreme Court dismissed a final petition on Tuesday to appeal the liberation of Asia Bibi, a Christian mother sentenced to death on what the court found were false charges of blasphemy against Islam, technically setting Bibi free after nearly a decade in prison. The Pakistani government allowed Islamic radicals to appeal Bibi’s freedom in November after the Supreme Court initially ruled in her favor, disregarding law that makes the Supreme Court the nation’s court of last resort. Officials accepted the appeal to stop violent Muslim riots that broke out in most of Pakistan’s major cities demanding the death of Bibi and all Supreme Court justices, shutting down schools and businesses and resulting in widespread destruction of public property.“I am really gratefully to everybody, now after nine years it is confirmed that I am free and I will be going to hug my daughters,” Bibi reportedly said in a message relayed to the Associated Press … [Read more...] about Pakistan Supreme Court Frees Blasphemy Law Victim Asia Bibi Again
Illinois Supreme Court rules biometric privacy a civil right
What just happened? An Illinois Supreme Court overturned an appellate court’s ruling in a privacy case that had significant ramifications for the state’s Biometric Information Privacy Act (BIPA). Illinois Biometric Information Privacy Act of 2008 requires that companies gather consent from customers to collect and store biometric information from their customers. The law covers everything from fingerprints to facial recognition markers. Several companies have faced lawsuits alleging violations of the law. Facebook and Google have both waged battles against the act over their facial-recognition and photo-sorting software. The latest case to be decided on the legislation was brought against Six Flags, which fingerprinted a minor without his parents’ permission. The theme park contested the claim arguing that since the plaintiff had not proven or even declared actual injury, the park could not be held liable for damages and filed a motion to dismiss. A lower circuit … [Read more...] about Illinois Supreme Court rules biometric privacy a civil right