Declarations

“The defendants’ statements were privileged; such a privilege cannot be evaded simply by relabeling a deficient claim.”

— Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Justice Barbara Lenk stated in her opinion regarding The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court’s ruling that a University of Massachusetts Boston (UMass) student newspaper editor cannot be held liable for defamation after republishing police blotter entries describing a man’s allegedly suspicious activities near campus. In its ruling, the court decided that the UMass student newspaper’s reports of the man’s activity are protected by the fair report privilege.

“As a non-profit institution of higher education, Caltech is committed to protecting its intellectual property in furtherance of its mission to expand human knowledge and benefit society through research integrated with education.”

— Caltech was pleased a federal jury decided that Apple Inc. and Broadcom Inc. must pay

$1.1 billion for infringing on its patents. Apple was on the hook for nearly $838 million of the damages awarded in a lawsuit that said Broadcom used its patented Wi-Fi data transmission technology in computer chips that went into iPhones, iPads, Apple Watches and other Apple devices.

“Mr. Watson started the process by saying he was going to make things right and repair these homes, and now all of a sudden he’s … filed bankruptcy and is hiding behind bankruptcy protection. That’s a shame.”

— Robert Kwok commenting on Watson Grinding and Manufacturing CEO John Watson’s decision to file for bankruptcy following the late January explosion at the company’s warehouse in Houston. Kwok, an attorney, represents 227 people whose homes, businesses and apartments were damaged by the blast that killed two workers and injured at least 20 others. Nearly 30 lawsuits have been filed against the company; the bankruptcy filing likely will put those lawsuits on hold.

“It’s basically a race against time. We are doing our absolute best to get this wreck removed as close to the beginning of hurricane season as possible, keeping in mind there’s no guarantee that will happen.”

— Coast Guard Petty Officer 1st Class Nate Littlejohn discusses work to get an overturned cargo ship on the Georgia coast taken out of the water. The Golden Ray capsized Sept. 8 in the St. Simons Sound with 4,200 automobiles in its cargo decks. Salvage experts have since concluded the ship couldn’t safely be returned upright and floated away intact, opting instead to take it in pieces. Crews have already drained the ship’s fuel tanks of more than 320,000 gallons of oil mixed with water.

“What I want consumers to know is the best thing we can do for you is help you get the information you need … What (are) the things you’re going to need to know to make choices? Then sit down with your agent, your company, your family and kind of think about what it is that works for you.”

— Michigan Department of Insurance and Financial Services Director Anita Fox said the state wants to help drivers navigate the new auto insurance law that will let motorists opt out of unlimited medical coverage for crash injuries. The DIFS has created a consumer hotline and email address to respond to questions and complaints about the new law. DIFS also has created a new website with information about the changes that take effect in July.