Case Filings Alert™ reports daily on new cases filed in courts around the country, alerting you to significant new cases at the beginning of the litigation process, long before the case is settled or a decision handed down. A wide range of topics are covered, including product liability, intellectual property, antitrust, among others. A number of these cases, particularly the product liability litigation, will develop into mass torts as new cases raising similar issues are filed. Mass torts are covered in our report MDLCases.com, which deals with major multidistrict litigation (MDL) cases. Also see our litigation reports: Social Media Addiction, Copyright-Litigation.com, and Litigation Report 2026-27. Editor: Robert S. Want (rwant@LegalEditor.com).
July 13, 2026 – Intellectual Property
News Corp., Dow Jones Sued by Search Engine Seeking to Avoid Copyright Claims
Brave Software has filed a lawsuit seeking a declaration that its search engine does not infringe copyrights owned by News Corp. and its affiliates Dow Jones and the New York Post, accusing the media companies of attempting to impose a licensing “tax” on core internet search functions and emerging AI technologies.
In its suit filed in federal court in the Northern District of California, Brave Software alleges that defendants threatened litigation and demanded compensation for plaintiff’s use of publicly available online content in search indexing, snippets, and AI-powered summaries. Plaintiff contends that the publishers are trying to expand copyright protections in ways that would “fundamentally disrupt basic search functionality.”
According to the complaint, News Corp’s February 2025 cease-and-desist letter accused Brave of unlawfully scraping publisher websites, incorporating content into its search index, and providing search results through its Search API to generative AI companies. Brave argues that indexing webpages, displaying short snippets, and generating search summaries are transformative fair uses that have long been central to internet search engines. The company also maintains that providing search results to large language models through retrieval-augmented generation technology is lawful and promotes competition in the AI industry.
July 10, 2026 – Product Liability
Kia Faces Lawsuit Over Defect Allegedly Causing Dash Screens to Go Blank
Owners of certain Kia Telluride SUVs have filed a proposed class action alleging that defective digital instrument clusters can suddenly go blank, depriving drivers of access to critical safety information and increasing the risk of crashes.
Filed in Los Angeles federal court, the suit targets 2023-2025 Kia Telluride vehicles equipped with a 12.3-inch panoramic digital instrument cluster display. Plaintiffs claim that the display can “intermittently and/or suddenly go completely blank during vehicle operation,” leaving drivers unable to see speed, fuel level, warning lights, tire-pressure alerts, and driver-assistance notifications.
The defect, according to the complaint, “poses a serious safety risk” because drivers lose access to “safety-critical information” while operating the vehicle. Plaintiffs contend that the failure may occur at startup or while driving at highway speeds and can disable advanced safety systems such as Forward Collision Avoidance Assist and Lane Keeping Assist. The complaint argues that Kia knew about the problem through consumer complaints, dealer repair records, warranty claims, and reports submitted to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
July 9, 2026 – Privacy
Texas Sues Meta, WhatsApp Over Alleged False Privacy Claims
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Meta Platforms and its affiliate WhatsApp, alleging that the companies falsely promised users that WhatsApp messages were inaccessible to anyone — including Meta and WhatsApp themselves — when, in fact, the companies retained the ability to view and store users’ communications.
The lawsuit, filed in Harrison County (Texas) state court, accuses the companies of violating the Texas Deceptive Trade Practices Act by repeatedly assuring users that “not even WhatsApp can see” their messages. The attorney general contends that those representations were misleading because Meta allegedly “store[s] and can view WhatsApp messages,” including text, photos, audio, and video communications.
WhatsApp has long promoted end-to-end encryption as guaranteeing that messages remain accessible only between senders and recipients, according to the complaint. In its suit, the state cites statements on WhatsApp’s website, app store listings, and in-app notices asserting that “no one, not even WhatsApp,” can read users’ private communications.
July 8, 2026 – Antitrust
Porsche Monopolizes Repairs on US Vehicles, Lawsuit Alleges
In a proposed class action, plaintiff company accuses Porsche Cars North America of unlawfully monopolizing repair services for newer Porsche vehicles by restricting independent mechanics’ access to critical diagnostic and software tools.
Fleet Salvage Systems Inc., which filed the complaint in federal court in Atlanta, alleges that Porsche designed vehicles sold since January 2021 so that “only Porsche-authorized dealers can access essential diagnostic, calibration, coding, and software tools required to complete any servicing or repair.” The complaint argues that the automaker and its dealers thereby maintain a “100% market share” in key repair services.
According to the lawsuit, independent repair providers are unable to perform many routine services because Porsche withholds access to software programming and electronic control systems. The suit contends that consumers are thus “forced to obtain many repairs and maintenance exclusively from Porsche-authorized dealers at supracompetitive prices.”
July 7, 2026 – Product Liability
Amazon Sued Over Sauna Burns After Man Allegedly Became Trapped Inside
A Texas man has sued Amazon.com in Houston federal court after allegedly suffering severe burns while trapped inside a portable infrared sauna purchased through Amazon’s online marketplace.
Plaintiff says he bought a “Willowybe Portable Infrared Sauna for Home with 6 Heating Plates” through Amazon in October 2024. During a routine 20-minute sauna session in May 2025, plaintiff claims, “the zipper tab detached,” making it “near impossible for him to exit” the device and causing him to lose consciousness. He was later discovered by his wife “slumped over inside the cell against the unguarded Heating Plates.”
According to the complaint, plaintiff suffered second- and third-degree burns to his shoulders, back, and head, covering about 21% of his body. The lawsuit accuses Amazon of negligence, arguing that the company failed to monitor product safety risks, warn consumers, or remove the sauna listing despite alleged “safety signals.”
July 6, 2026 – Constitution
Hawaii Resident Challenges Native Hawaiian Blood-Quantum Requirement for Leases
A Hawaii resident has filed a proposed class action in Honolulu federal court challenging the longstanding requirement that applicants for Hawaiian Home Lands leases possess at least 50% Native Hawaiian ancestry, arguing that the eligibility rule involves unconstitutional racial discrimination.
Plaintiff, a lifelong Hawaii resident, alleges that he was barred from applying for a homestead lease solely because he could not certify that he is “at least 50% Native Hawaiian.” According to the complaint, Ryan was informed that he did “not meet the minimum requirements to apply for a homestead lease after answering “No” to the ancestry question on a pre-qualification form.
The lawsuit targets the Hawaiian Homes Commission Act, which reserves roughly 200,000 acres of public land for long-term homestead leases available only to individuals meeting the blood-quantum requirement. The suit asserts that the restriction violates the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment and the equal-protection component of the Fifth Amendment.
July 3, 2026 – Consumer Fraud
Bayer Sued Over One A Day Men’s Fertility Supplement Claims
Plaintiff has filed a proposed class action against Bayer, alleging that the company falsely marketed its One A Day Men’s Pre-Conception Health Multivitamin as supporting “healthy sperm” despite lacking scientific support for those claims.
Filed in federal court in Brooklyn, the complaint relies heavily on a recent ruling by the Better Business Bureau’s National Advertising Division, which found that Bayer’s marketing “reasonably convey[s] the message” that the supplement improves “men’s chances of conception” and “sperm health and viability.” The NAD concluded, however, that testing did not support those claims and recommended that Bayer discontinue or modify its advertising.
Plaintiff says he purchased the supplement from Amazon in June 2024 after being exposed to claims that it “support[s] healthy sperm.” The lawsuit contends that plaintiff and other consumers paid a premium for the product because of those representations. According to the complaint, the fertility-focused supplement sold for about 50 cents per pill, compared with roughly 9 cents per pill for Bayer’s standard One A Day multivitamin.
July 2, 2026 – Labor & Employment
EEOC Sues New York Times, Claiming Discrimination Against a White Man
The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission has sued The New York Times Co, alleging that the newspaper discriminated against a white male editor by denying him a promotion because of his race and sex.
The lawsuit, filed in federal court in Manhattan, claims that the Times violated Title VII of the Civil Rights Act by passing over the employee for a Deputy Real Estate Editor leadership position in favor of a “multiracial female” candidate who allegedly lacked required real estate journalism experience. The EEOC contends in its suit that the rejected employee “was more qualified” for the role and that race and sex “factored into” the company’s hiring decision.
The complaint says the Times publicly promoted diversity initiatives aimed at increasing representation of “Black and Latino employees in leadership by 50 percent by 2025,” and tied diversity goals to leadership evaluations and compensation. Those initiatives, the EEOC argues, resulted in employment decisions being made “on the basis of race and sex.” The agency also cited internal Slack messages from senior editors discussing “alarming” demographic trends and possible “targeted efforts” to address them.
July 1, 2026 – Privacy
Netflix Accused by Texas of Deceptive Data Collection and Child Surveillance
Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton has sued Netflix, accusing the company of misleading consumers by portraying itself as an ad-free, privacy-focused alternative to major tech companies while secretly building an extensive behavioral data-collection system.
The lawsuit, filed in Collin County (Texas) state court, alleges that Netflix assured consumers for years that it would not “sell advertising” or collect massive amounts of user data, unlike companies such as Google and Facebook. The complaint quotes Netflix co-founder Reed Hastings who allegedly told the public, “We don’t collect anything,” and described the platform as a “safe respite” from advertising-driven surveillance.
Netflix instead became “a logging company that occasionally streams movies,” according to the complaint, tracking billions of user “events” daily, including viewing habits, pauses, rewatches, searches, device information, and location data. The complaint claims that the company used autoplay and other “dark patterns” to increase binge-watching and maximize data collection, particularly among children. Texas further argues that Netflix misled parents by portraying children’s profiles as protected spaces free from behavioral advertising while still collecting detailed data about minors’ viewing behavior.
June 30, 2026 – Constitution
DOJ Sues Denver Over ‘Assault Weapon’ Ban, Citing 2nd Amendment Violations
The U.S. Department of Justice has filed a lawsuit challenging Denver’s ban on what the city classifies as “assault weapons,” the department alleging that the ordinance violates the Second Amendment rights of law-abiding citizens.
The complaint, filed in federal court for the District of Colorado, targets a city law making it unlawful to “carry, store, keep, manufacture, sell, or otherwise possess assault weapons” within Denver. The DOJ contends that the ban impermissibly restricts firearms “in common use for lawful purposes.” The ordinance, according to the complaint, covers widely owned semiautomatic rifles such as AR-15-style firearms, which the Supreme Court has recognized as “the most popular rifle in America.” The complaint says that millions of Americans legally possess such firearms for activities including self-defense, hunting, and recreational shooting.
Relying on recent Supreme Court precedent, DOJ argues that the law is “presumptively unconstitutional” because it regulates conduct protected by the Second Amendment. The department further claims that Denver cannot justify the restriction as consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation.
June 29, 2026 – Intellectual Property
Peanuts Producer Sues Over ‘Charlie Brown Christmas’ Music in Interior Department Video
Lee Mendelson Film Productions has sued the U.S. Department of Interior in the Court of Federal Claims, alleging that the department unlawfully used music from the classic “A Charlie Brown Christmas” television special in a widely distributed animated holiday video without obtaining a license.
The complaint says Interior used the composition in a “widely distributed, animated digital Christmas greeting” posted online in December 2025. Plaintiff alleges that the video depicted “activities the Department of Interior might undertake, all set to the tune of the Composition.” The lawsuit contends the use occurred “without authorization.”
The production company says in its lawsuit that it controls intellectual property tied to the “Peanuts” television specials and serves as publisher for much of the Vince Guaraldi music library associated with Charlie Brown productions. The complaint describes the music as “famously associated with Peanuts” and “an enduringly popular and recognizable theme in American culture.” According to the suit, the agency holiday greeting was shared on platforms including X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube, and “was viewed millions of times on many platforms.”
June 26, 2026 – Environment
Tribes Seek to Block Black Hills Drilling Project Near Sacred Site
A coalition of Sioux tribes has filed suit seeking to halt a U.S. Forest Service–approved mineral exploration project in South Dakota’s Black Hills, alleging that the plan unlawfully threatens sacred land and bypasses required environmental and tribal consultation processes.
Filed in federal court in South Dakota, the complaint challenges a February 2026 decision authorizing exploratory drilling for graphite near Pe’Sla, a site the tribes describe as central to their religious and cultural identity. The project, the tribes contend, “will directly and significantly affect Ȟe Sápa and Pe’Sla,” areas they call “the heart of everything that is.”
In their lawsuit, the tribes argue that the Forest Service failed to engage in “meaningful, mutual, and legally required government-to-government consultation, saying that this omission violates federal law, including the National Historic Preservation Act and the National Environmental Policy Act. The suit also challenges the agency’s conclusion that no historic properties would be affected, calling it “factually incorrect, arbitrary, capricious, and contrary to law.”
June 25, 2026 – Product Liability
LINX Reflux Lawsuit Claims Device Required Removal Surgery
A defective LINX Reflux Management System implant caused severe complications, forcing plaintiff to undergo additional surgery after the device was recalled, according to a suit filed in Minneapolis federal court.
The complaint claims that the LINX device, manufactured by Torax Medical Inc. and Ethicon Inc., was “defectively manufactured” and failed after being surgically implanted to treat gastroesophageal reflux disease. The suit notes that the companies later acknowledged a defect and issued a recall affecting devices in the United States and European Union.
The recalled devices, the complaint says, were found to have a condition that could allow “a bead component to separate from an adjacent wire link,” potentially causing the device to open and fail. More than 9,000 devices were in circulation at the time of the 2018 recall. Plaintiff says she received the implant in April 2017 and later experienced a recurrence of symptoms, ultimately requiring surgical removal of the device in March 2026.
June 24, 2026 – Privacy
Amazon Subsidiary Woot Accused of Secretly Tracking Users’ Video Purchases
A proposed class action alleges that Woot.com, an Amazon-owned online retailer, unlawfully tracked and shared users’ browsing and purchasing activity — including video game selections— without consent, in violation of federal and state privacy laws.
The complaint, filed in Seattle federal court, claims that Woot deployed tracking technologies that “begin placing and transmitting third-party tracking technologies immediately upon a User’s initial visit,” capturing detailed user interactions before any meaningful notice or consent. Plaintiffs allege that this data included clicks, purchases, and browsing behavior.
According to the complaint, Woot transmitted this information to third parties, such as Meta, through cookies and pixels, enabling the collection of “Sensitive Information,” including IP addresses, device identifiers, and user activity, across the site. The data, the complaint says, was used for targeted advertising and analytics. The lawsuit states that the tracking extended to “Personal Video Information,” including specific video game titles viewed or purchased, which plaintiffs argue is protected under the Video Privacy Protection Act.
June 23, 2026 – Intellectual Property
Bubble Beauty Makes Baseless Allegation Over Trade Dress, Lawsuit Claims
A skincare company behind the Saint Crewe brand has sued rival Bubble Beauty in Dallas federal court, seeking a declaration that its product packaging does not infringe Bubble’s alleged trade dress rights in a dispute over colorful skincare containers.
Plaintiff says it filed the lawsuit after receiving cease-and-desist letters from Bubble Beauty Inc. demanding a nationwide recall of several Saint Crewe products and an end to related advertising and sales. According to the complaint, Bubble demanded that plaintiff “permanently refrain from the advertising, promotion, and sale” of products that Bubble claims are confusingly similar to its trade dress.
Saint Crewe argues in its suit that its products are visually distinct because they prominently display the “Saint Crewe” name in script and use consistent orange-and-blue packaging, while Bubble products vary widely in color and design. Saint Crewe also contends that Bubble’s claimed trade dress rights are unregistered and lack the “secondary meaning” required for legal protection. Plaintiff is asking the court to declare that its packaging does not infringe Bubble’s rights, that no likelihood of confusion exists, and that Bubble is not entitled to damages or injunctive relief.
June 22, 2026 – Consumer Fraud
Consumers Sue Amazon for Failing to Refund Trump Tariff Costs
Consumers have filed a proposed class action against Amazon.com in federal court in Seattle, accusing the company of unlawfully profiting from Trump-era import tariffs by passing the costs onto shoppers and later refusing to pursue government refunds after the tariffs were struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court.
The complaint alleges that Amazon “collected hundreds of millions of dollars in unlawful tariff costs from consumers” during the period when tariffs imposed under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act were in effect. Plaintiffs contend that Amazon raised prices on imported products, including electronics, memory cards, and household items, then retained the proceeds after the Supreme Court invalidated the tariffs in February 2026.
According to the lawsuit, Amazon acted as the importer of record for many products sold through its online stores, allowing it to seek refunds from the federal government after the tariffs were deemed unlawful. The suit cites statements from Amazon CEO Andy Jassy acknowledging that tariffs would “creep into some of the prices,” along with studies showing price increases on Amazon goods during 2025. Plaintiffs further claim that Amazon abandoned a plan to display tariff-related surcharges after criticism from the Trump administration.
June 19, 2026 – Constitution
Minnesota Faces First Amendment Suit Over Social Media Warning Law
Internet trade association NetChoice has filed a lawsuit seeking to block a first-of-its-kind law requiring social media platforms to display a government-mandated mental health warning to users.
In its suit filed in Minnesota federal court, the group argues that the state is overstepping its constitutional bounds by compelling private companies to speak the government’s message, using “public health” to justify a backdoor means to control online speech. The complaint targets a provision in the new law requiring platforms to display a warning to users about the “potential negative mental health impacts” of social media each time they log in. The warning cannot be permanently dismissed and must remain until users acknowledge the risks or exit the platform.
NetChoice asserts that the law unlawfully forces private companies to convey the government’s message while restricting plaintiff’s ability to add clarifying language, even to indicate the warning is state-mandated. The group contends that the requirement violates the principle that the government “may not compel a person to speak its own preferred messages.”
June 18, 2026 – Product Liability
Abbott Labs Spinal Cord Stimulator Caused Permanent Injuries, Suit Alleges
In a lawsuit filed against Abbott Laboratories and Boston Scientific, plaintiff claims that spinal cord stimulator (SCS) devices implanted in her body were fundamentally altered after initial FDA approval, resulting in device failures that caused permanent injuries.
According to the complaint filed in federal court in the Northern District of Florida, spinal cord stimulators are Class III medical devices designed to deliver electrical impulses to the spine to mask chronic pain signals. Because of their high-risk classification, the complaint says, they are subject to FDA’s most stringent approval process, which requires manufacturers to demonstrate safety and effectiveness before marketing the products.
Defendants used hundreds of pre-market approval supplements to change key aspects of their SCS devices, including battery systems and stimulation features, without undergoing new clinical testing or safety review, plaintiff contends. As a result, she says she experienced worsening pain, electrical shocks, and multiple device malfunctions, ultimately requiring surgical removal of the implants.
June 17, 2026 – Breach of Contract
Zillow Accused of Adding ‘Junk Fees’ to Rent Payments
A renter has filed a proposed class action accusing Zillow Group Inc. of deceptively charging “junk fees” to tenants who pay rent through its online platform, according to a complaint filed in D.C. Superior Court.
The lawsuit alleges that Zillow imposes undisclosed “Transaction Fees” on renters using its Rental Manager service, a scheme that plaintiff says forces tenants to pay extra simply to make required rent payments. According to the complaint, the fee is added at the final stage of checkout using a “negative option” process, which allegedly makes it difficult for consumers to avoid the charge.
Plaintiff claims the fee “serves solely as a profit generator” and provides no added value to renters. The suit further contends that the fees are not disclosed in lease agreements and effectively operate as “additional, unexpected rent,” potentially interfering with contractual terms between tenants and landlords. The suit cites federal scrutiny of so-called junk fees, noting regulators’ concerns that hidden charges undermine price transparency.
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Copyright-Litigation.com
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