🎯Today's Legal Pulse
Updated 1h agoWhat's happening: DOJ antitrust case against Live Nation proceeds as judge rejects dismissal
A federal judge denied the Department of Justice’s request to dismiss its antitrust lawsuit against Live Nation, granting summary judgment that the company’s promotion and booking activities constitute a monopoly. The litigation now focuses on whether Live Nation’s amphitheater network and Ticketmaster’s long‑term venue contracts also breach antitrust law.
Also developing:
- •ESMA issues guidance to ease prospectus compliance under EU Listing Act
- •ESMA opens consultation to amend Market Abuse Regulation guidelines
- •UK Upper Tribunal confirms FCA bans and fines on advisers for unsuitable pension investments
- •UK regulator highlights duplicate notification duties after new Listing Rules take effect
News•Feb 20, 2026
Govt Weighs New Cyber Framework as Airtel Unveils AI Threat Research Centre
India’s IT ministry announced plans for a new cybersecurity legal framework to address AI‑driven threats, signaling a shift toward proactive defence. At the same time, Bharti Airtel and Zscaler unveiled the AI & Cyber Threat Research Centre, which will tap Airtel’s extensive network and Zscaler’s cloud security data to monitor and neutralise attacks. The centre will prioritize AI‑based defences, talent development, and collaboration with government agencies. Officials highlighted the surge in intrusion attempts, with over 1.2 million incidents targeting Indian entities each month.
By Mint AI
News•Feb 20, 2026
ESMA Sanctions Regis-TR for Serious Breaches of Organisational Obligations
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has imposed a €1.374 million fine on trade repository REGIS‑TR for seven breaches of the European Market Infrastructure Regulation (EMIR) and the Securities Financing Transactions Regulation (SFTR). This marks the first enforcement action involving...
By ESMA – Press
News•Feb 20, 2026
ESMA Publishes a Supervisory Briefing on the AAR Representativeness Obligation
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) has released a supervisory briefing outlining how counterparties must meet the active‑account requirement (AAR) representativeness obligation. The document details the identification of relevant derivative sub‑categories, reporting procedures, and provides a compliance example. ESMA...
By ESMA – Press
News•Feb 20, 2026
ESMA Publishes Statement Supporting the Smooth Implementation of the Listing Act – Simplifying Prospectus Compliance for Issuers
The European Securities and Markets Authority (ESMA) issued a statement to facilitate the rollout of the EU Listing Act, offering practical guidance on the revised prospectus framework. It confirms that registration documents approved or filed up to 4 June 2026 remain valid...
By ESMA – Press
News•Feb 20, 2026
ESMA Seeks Input to Streamline and Simplify Its Market Abuse Guidelines
ESMA has opened a consultation to amend its Market Abuse Regulation (MAR) guidelines on delayed disclosure of inside information, aligning them with the EU Listing Act. From June 2026 issuers will no longer need to disclose immediately information tied to...
By ESMA – Press
News•Feb 20, 2026
Tribunal Upholds Bans and Fines for Reckless Adviser and Fund Manager
The Upper Tribunal upheld the FCA's bans on Stephen Joseph Burdett and James Paul Goodchild, senior advisers at Synergy Wealth and Westbury Private Clients, for recklessly exposing pension holders to unsuitable, high‑risk investments. The pair were fined £265,071 and £47,600...
By UK FCA – News
News•Feb 20, 2026
Statement on Notifications Relating to Admissions to Trading and Recent Changes to the UK Listing Rules
On 19 January 2026 the UK’s Public Offers and Admissions to Trading Regulations (POATRs) came into force, requiring issuers to notify a Regulatory Information Service (RIS) within 60 days of any admission to trading. Overlapping provisions in the UK Listing Rules (UKLR) have...
By UK FCA – News
News•Feb 20, 2026
Microsoft Deletes Blog Telling Users to Train AI on Pirated Harry Potter Books
Microsoft removed a November‑2024 blog that urged developers to train generative AI using a Kaggle dataset of all seven Harry Potter books, which was mistakenly labeled public domain. The post, written by senior product manager Pooja Kamath, showcased Azure SQL DB,...
By Ars Technica AI
Podcast•Feb 20, 2026•31 min
Weekly Roundup 02/20/26 (CFTC Claims Prediction Markets, Rogue AI Agents, ETH's Existential Crisis) (EP.703)
In this episode Matt and Nic dissect a week of crypto headlines, from Neel Kashkari’s harsh critique of stablecoins and Base’s split from Optimism to Ethereum’s identity crisis and a $75 million shortfall at Blockfills. They discuss regulatory moves such as...
By On The Brink with Castle Island
News•Feb 20, 2026
South Korean Authorities Under Fire over $43B Bithumb Bitcoin Error
South Korean lawmakers have intensified criticism of the Financial Services Commission after Bithumb mistakenly credited users with 620,000 Bitcoin—far exceeding the intended 2,000 Korean won per user—during a Feb. 6 promotion. The error triggered a brief sell‑off and forced Bithumb to...
By Cointelegraph
News•Feb 20, 2026
Two Petabytes Worth Data of Israeli’s Siphoned, Says Cyber Head
Israel’s National Cyber Directorate disclosed that roughly two petabytes—equivalent to 100 National Library of Israel archives—have been exfiltrated from citizens and institutions over recent years. The breach scale eclipses prior megabyte‑ and terabyte‑level incidents, marking an unprecedented data loss. Concurrently,...
By The Cyber Express
News•Feb 20, 2026
651 Arrested, $4.3 Million Recovered in African Cybercrime Sweep
INTERPOL‑backed Operation Red Card 2.0 concluded on 30 January 2026 after a two‑month sweep across 16 African nations. Law‑enforcement agencies made 651 arrests and seized more than $4.3 million from high‑yield investment, mobile‑money and loan‑fraud schemes. The crackdown disrupted 1,442 IP addresses, domains and...
By Help Net Security
News•Feb 20, 2026
Berkelouw Books, Harry Hartog Operators Sued by Union over Employee Contracts
The Retail and Fast Food Workers Union (RAFFWU) has sued the operators of Berkelouw Books and the Harry Hartog chain, alleging a 13‑year‑old enterprise agreement that denies basic wage loading and penalty rates. Over 100 employees across four Berkelouw and fourteen...
By Inside Retail Australia
News•Feb 20, 2026
Employer Liable for Psych Injury Caused by "Misperceived" Work Events
A NSW Personal Injury Commission member ruled that a security guard’s bipolar disorder, worsened by ongoing workplace stress and perceived personal attacks, qualifies for workers' compensation. The employer’s defense—that the employee’s condition stemmed from prior drug use and a non‑work‑related...
By HR Daily (Australia)
Deals•Feb 20, 2026
Renovus-Backed Angeion Acquires MedQuest
Philadelphia-based legal notice and administration services provider Angeion announced the acquisition of legal services firm MedQuest. Backed by private equity firm Renovus, the deal expands Angeion's service offerings. Financial terms were not disclosed.
PE Hub
Video•Feb 19, 2026
The Impact of Prosecution Length on Patent Litigation Outcomes
Join BCLT as Matthew Avery (Partner, Baker Botts) moderates a discussion with Megan White (Partner, Baker Botts), Keith Jurek (Sr. Patent Counsel, GRAIL, Inc.), and Daisy Yau (Sr. Patent Counsel, Oracle). Together, they will explore findings from a recent comprehensive...
By Berkeley Center for Law & Technology (BCLT)
Video•Feb 19, 2026
Inside the ACLU’s Docket: Anthony Romero on the Front Lines of Civil Rights
In a timely conversation about the ACLU’s massive docket of cases, Pam Karlan speaks with Anthony Romero, JD ’90, executive director of the ACLU, about the surge of civil rights and civil liberties battles facing the country right now. Romero discusses...
By Stanford Law School
Blog•Feb 19, 2026
The Live Nation Case
A federal judge refused to dismiss the DOJ’s antitrust suit against Live Nation and granted summary judgment on the core claim that its promotion and booking activities constitute a monopoly, meaning the facts overwhelmingly favor Live Nation. The case now...
By The Lefsetz Letter
Video•Feb 18, 2026
The Future of U.S. Innovation - Navigating Regulation and Its Impact
The panel convened by Berkeley Law’s Center for Law and Technology examined the intersecting forces shaping U.S. innovation—namely the power grid, semiconductor supply chains, and artificial intelligence—while probing how regulation will either enable or constrain progress. Speakers highlighted that electricity demand,...
By Berkeley Center for Law & Technology (BCLT)
![CCC (by Her Mother and Litigation Friend MMM) v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust [2026] UKSC 5](/cdn-cgi/image/width=3840,quality=75,format=auto,fit=cover/https://i.ytimg.com/vi/7GSfybLmh1o/maxresdefault.jpg)
Video•Feb 18, 2026
CCC (by Her Mother and Litigation Friend MMM) v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust [2026] UKSC 5
The Supreme Court heard CCC (by her mother and litigation friend MMM) v Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust, focusing on whether a child who suffers a life‑shortening injury can claim lost‑years damages for earnings and pension that she would have...
By Supreme Court of the United Kingdom
Video•Feb 18, 2026
Sloppy: Microsoft AI Takes Down Indie Game
The video examines a recent DMCA takedown of Alumeriia, an indie Voxil‑style game, after Microsoft’s automated content‑identification system flagged a single gallery screenshot as infringing on Minecraft assets. The notice, apparently generated without any human review, led Steam to remove...
By Lawful Masses with Leonard French
Video•Feb 17, 2026
The DMCA Might Be About to Destroy Fair Use
A Northern District of California judge has refused to toss a DMCA anti‑circumvention claim brought by Denver Metro Audits creator Mr. Cordova against the Frauditor Troll Channel, opening the door to liability for fair‑use videos that are downloaded by bypassing...
By Lawful Masses with Leonard French
Video•Feb 17, 2026
Tara Baker Murder Trial: Watch the Verdict!
A Georgia jury delivered a verdict in the 1999 murder of Tara Baker, a law student whose case had lain cold for more than 25 years. Defendant Vic Faust was found guilty on all twelve counts, ranging from malice murder...
By Court TV
Video•Feb 17, 2026
Build Authority, Not M-Dashes: Law Firm Marketing That Survives AI, with Karin Conroy
The episode explores how law‑firm marketers must pivot from AI‑filled copy to genuine authority in an era where large language models dominate content discovery. Host Zach and creative director Karin Conroy argue that simply pumping out AI‑generated articles no longer...
By Lawyerist
Video•Feb 16, 2026
Teen Cheerleader Found Murdered After Missing Christmas Parade
The video recounts the tragic homicide of 16‑year‑old Elizabeth Medina, a junior varsity cheerleader from Edna, Texas, whose body was discovered in a bathtub shortly after the town’s annual Christmas parade on December 5, 2023. Investigators pieced together a timeline: Elizabeth failed to...
By Law&Crime Network
Deals•Feb 16, 2026
Singapore's Ascentium Acquires Clara to Expand Footprint in UAE
Singapore-based business services platform Ascentium announced the acquisition of UAE-based regtech and corporate service provider Clara for an undisclosed amount. The deal gives Ascentium a foothold in the Abu Dhabi Global Market and Dubai International Financial Centre, while Clara gains...
Wamda
Video•Feb 15, 2026
New Glove DNA Could Break Nancy Guthrie Abduction Case
The FBI announced that a glove recovered near Nancy Guthrie’s home has yielded a DNA profile that appears to match the gloves worn by the masked man captured on surveillance video, offering a potential new lead in the 15‑day‑old abduction...
By Law&Crime Network