And the year’s most frivolous lawsuits are …
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Clearly, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals isn’t monkeying around.
The Washington-based U.S. Chamber Institute for Legal Reform on Monday released its annual Top 10 Most Ridiculous Lawsuits, with the infamous monkey selfie lawsuit making the list for a second year in a row.
According to the institute, PETA is taking its case over copyright ownership — the photographer and owner of the camera or the monkey that used it to take his own picture — to the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The animal-rights organization is claiming the monkey owns the rights to and financial gains on to the photograph it took; the U.S. Copyright Office has maintained that only humans can own copyrights.
The stories on the 2016 list were chosen from the year’s 10 most popular stories featured on FacesOfLawsuitAbuse.org, then ranked according to a national Google Consumer Survey of 5,000 people across the United States on Nov. 16-18, according to a statement released by the institute.
The list highlights a variety of grievances that saw courtroom action:
1. Starbucks lawsuits: too much froth and too much ice
2. Class action suit against cosmetics company Fresh Inc. for product left at the bottom of a tube of lip balm
3. Woman walked into ladder while “engrossed” in cell phone conversation awarded $161,000
4. Monkey selfie saga
5. MasterCard sued over “Stand Up To Cancer” fundraiser for advertising after financial goal was met
6. Man wins $30,000 after he buys used printer for $40, then sues for emotional distress and other damages because it was broken
7. SoulCycle exercise class participant falls off indoor spinning bike and sues
8. Man sues Nebraska Cornhuskers to end balloon release
9. Mom and son sue over typo in college-entrance SAT test
10. Medical device maker fights government after overzealous prosecutions — and wins
