Faculty

The University of Colorado Moves for Case to Be Dismissed under Principles of Sovereign Immunity

School Teacher Files Suit against Elementary School

Textbook Company Files Suit against Independent School District

On September 7, 2018, Andrew Yeckel filed suit in the U.S. District Court of Minnesota alleging copyright infringement by Jeffrey Derby and the University of Minnesota (the “University”) for use of a software program called Cats2D. Yeckel is a researcher in the field of fluid dynamics and a developer of software algorithms. He alleges that by the end of 1993 he and a partner, Ralph Goodwin, “developed a substantially complete multi-physics software program that . . . possessed all of the core elements and most of the features found in the final version” of Cats2D used by Derby and the University.

To say that university professors regularly give presentations at conferences would be an understatement. It's an indispensable part of what they do. But when Dr. Kysha Harriell, Clinical Assistant Professor and Program Director of Athletic Training at the University of Miami, gave a PowerPoint presentation at a 2017 conference organized by the Southeast Athletic Trainers' Association (SEATA), she may have landed herself, her employer and the conference organizers in legal hot water.

Nettleman v. Florida Atlantic University, 16-cv-81339 (S.D. Fla.)

Kelly v. University Press of Mississippi, 16-cv-02960 (C.D. Cal.)

Dr. Charles Nettleman, a former adjunct professor at Florida Atlantic University, filed a copyright infringement lawsuit against the university on July 27, 2016. Dr. Nettleman’s complaint alleges that the university copied his teaching materials, such as slides, lab exercises, quizzes, exams, etc., and distributed the materials through the university’s learning management system, without his consent. In fact, Dr. Nettleman asserts that he expressly declined a request from another professor seeking permission to use his materials, only to discover later that the materials were being used anyway. Nettleman is asking the court to issue an injunction preventing the university from using his materials and to award him an unspecified amount of damages. A copy of the complaint is available here.