Test #3 Flashcards

1
Q

What is the main test for trademark infringement?

A

The “likelihood of confusion” test, often assessed using the Polaroid test​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

Who was Sherry Hunt?

A

Sherry Hunt was the vice president and chief underwriter at CitiMortgage who uncovered significant mortgage defects and fraud at Citibank.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What are the three main goals of criminal law?

A

Deterrence, removal of dangerous individuals from society, and rehabilitation​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is “delegated underwriting,” and how did it lead to issues at CitiMortgage?

A

Delegated underwriting allowed correspondent lenders to approve loans with minimal Citi oversight, leading to a high volume of defective loans being purchased​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

What does UTSA stand for?

A

Uniform Trade Secrets Act

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

What does “actus reus” refer to in criminal law?

A

The physical act or omission that constitutes part of a criminal offense​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What are the four exceptions to the exclusionary rule?

A

Independent source, inevitable discovery, intervening act of free will, and attenuation​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

What is the Anti-cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act (ACPA)?

A

A law preventing individuals from registering domain names of well-known brands with bad faith intent to profit.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

When a trademark, due to its popularity or significance, has become the generic name for a general class of product or service, usually against the intentions of the trademark’s holder.
Can lose IP rights

A

Genocide

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is Mens Rea in criminal law?

A

It refers to the “guilty mind,” indicating the defendant’s intention or knowledge of wrongdoing, which is a component of criminal liability.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What role did Richard Bowen play in the CitiMortgage case?

A

Richard Bowen was the business chief underwriter who identified severe defects in Citi’s mortgage processes and reported them to upper management, including Robert Rubin​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

Information that provides a business advantage, kept confidential through various protections to maintain secrecy.

A

trade secret

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What was the defect rate in CitiMortgage loans, according to Hunt and Bowen?

A

The defect rate in CitiMortgage loans ranged between 60% and 80%, far above the industry standard of 5%​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

What is the purpose of trademark registration with the USPTO?

A

To secure nationwide protection for a mark, making it easier to enforce exclusive rights​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

What are the key components of intellectual property law?

A

Protections for trademarks, patents, copyrights, and trade secrets.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

What is the purpose of the exclusionary rule?

A

To prevent use of evidence obtained through violations of constitutional rights​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
17
Q

What was Bowen’s primary complaint in his email to Robert Rubin?

A

Bowen expressed concerns over internal control breakdowns and significant financial risks due to high volumes of defective loans​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
18
Q

Describe the “fruit of the poisonous tree” doctrine.

A

Evidence obtained illegally must be excluded from court​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
19
Q

What is “trade dress”?

A

It involves characteristics like shape, color, or packaging associated with a product, which can be trademark-protected if linked exclusively to its source.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
20
Q

What is the Plain View Doctrine?

A

Allows evidence seen in plain sight by an officer in a lawful position to be used without it violating the 4th Amendment.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
21
Q

What is the significance of the Lanham Act?

A

It prevents unauthorized use of trademarks that could confuse consumers​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
22
Q

What is the significance of the case Braswell v. United States?

A

It held that employees acting as records custodians for a corporation are not entitled to 5th Amendment protections, as they represent the corporation, not themselves.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
23
Q

What is the burden of proof in a criminal case?

A

The government must prove the case “beyond a reasonable doubt.”

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
24
Q

What is “genericide” in trademark law?

A

When a trademark becomes generic and loses protection, as seen with terms like “aspirin”​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
25
Q

What is the burden of proof in criminal vs. civil cases?

A

Criminal cases require proof beyond a reasonable doubt, while civil cases require a preponderance of evidence​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
26
Q

Criminal penalties for theft or misappropriation of trade secrets​

A

the Economic Espionage Act of 1996 provide

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
27
Q

What is the role of “mens rea” in criminal liability?

A

It denotes the “guilty mind,” or the intent necessary to commit a crime, which varies by offense​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
28
Q

What does ACPA stand for?

A

Anti-cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
29
Q

What does the 4th Amendment protect against?

A

Unreasonable search and seizure.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
30
Q

What is the 5th Amendment’s protection related to self-incrimination?

A

It prevents individuals from being compelled to testify against themselves in criminal cases.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
31
Q

How does criminal law differ from civil law?

A

Criminal law protects society through punishment, while civil law compensates parties for damages due to another’s conduct.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
32
Q

What is “embezzlement”?

A

The fraudulent conversion of another’s property by someone in lawful possession, often involving misuse beyond given authority.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
33
Q

What is a Ponzi Scheme?

A

A fraudulent investment operation that pays returns to investors from new investors’ funds rather than profits.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
34
Q

What impact did Citi’s actions have on the financial system?

A

Citi’s sale of defective mortgages contributed to the financial crisis, leading to a $45 billion government bailout and a $301 billion guarantee of toxic assets by the U.S. Treasury​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
35
Q

What was the response from Citi’s general counsel when Bowen reported his concerns?

A

Citi’s general counsel acknowledged receiving Bowen’s report but told him not to contact them further, and they did not follow up​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
36
Q

What is the Model Penal Code

A

A code adopted by the American Law Institute in 1962, which serves as a basis for criminal law in nearly two-thirds of U.S. states.

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
37
Q

A formal charge or accusation of a serious crime, issued by a grand jury if enough evidence exists​

A

Indictment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
38
Q

What is the difference between trademarks and service marks?

A

Trademarks identify products, while service marks identify services, such as hotel or transportation brands​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
39
Q

What triggered Sherry Hunt’s whistle-blowing actions?

A

Hunt’s discovery of fraudulent mortgage practices at Citi, combined with her supervisors’ threats to lower defect reports, motivated her to act as a whistle-blower​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
40
Q

What protections does the Economic Espionage Act offer?

A

Criminalizes trade secret theft, especially in cases involving economic espionage​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
41
Q

What does MPC stand for?

A

Model Penal Code

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
42
Q

What were the “two flows” of CitiMortgage’s correspondent business channel?

A

The “Underwritten Flow” required Citi to review each mortgage file before purchase, while the “Delegated Flow” allowed correspondent lenders to approve loans with only sample checks by Citi​

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
43
Q

What does the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act (FCPA) prohibit?

A

Corporate bribery of foreign officials in business transactions.

44
Q

What were the consequences for Citi of the defective loans sold to GSEs?

A

Citi faced potential repurchase demands from GSEs for billions of dollars in defective loans, which contributed to its financial instability​

45
Q

Distinctive words, symbols, or phrases identifying a product’s source and distinguishing it from others​

A

trademarks

46
Q

The weakening of a famous mark’s distinctiveness through unauthorized use, even without direct competition

A

trademark dilution

47
Q

What is “fair use” in copyright law?

A

A defense allowing limited use of copyrighted material without permission, based on purpose, nature, amount used, and market effect.

48
Q

What is probable cause?

A

Reasonable basis for believing a crime has been committed, required for searches and arrests without warrants​

49
Q

How does one obtain trademark rights?

A

By being the first to use the mark in commerce or by registering it with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office​

50
Q

What is “vicarious infringement” in copyright law?

A

Liability based on agency law, where a principal is liable for an infringing agent acting on their behalf.

51
Q

What is criminal law?

A

Law designed to prevent harm to society by defining boundaries of behavior and prescribing penalties for violations.

52
Q

Why did Hunt face difficulties reporting fraud through traditional channels?

A

Hunt’s reports were ignored by Citi’s fraud prevention and investigation group, and anonymous reports to HUD and the FBI went unanswered​

53
Q

What does probable cause mean in criminal law?

A

It is a reasonable basis for believing a crime may have been committed, allowing for an arrest or search.

54
Q

Allows law enforcement to use evidence in plain sight without a warrant​

A

plain view doctrine

55
Q

What is “patent infringement”?

A

Unauthorized making, using, or selling of a patented invention or inducing others to do so.

56
Q

What are the two parts of criminal liability?

A

The actus reus (the act) and mens rea (the intent)​

57
Q

What is the legal significance of the case Miranda v. Arizona?

A

Established that suspects must be informed of their rights to avoid presumed coercion in custodial interrogations.

58
Q

What are “reps and warrants” in the context of mortgage lending?

A

“Reps and warrants” refer to Citi’s representation and warranty to GSEs (like Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac) that the mortgages sold met Citi policy and were compliant​

59
Q

What are the three elements for obtaining copyright protection?

A

Originality, creativity, and fixation in a durable medium.

60
Q

What factors determine if information qualifies as a trade secret?

A

Factors include secrecy efforts, value to competitors, and the information’s economic advantage​

61
Q

A model developed by the American Law Institute in 1962 to standardize criminal law across U.S. states​

A

the Model Penal Code (MPC).

62
Q

Define “Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).”

A

A law to prosecute organized crime, including activities like wire fraud and securities fraud.

63
Q

Define “trademark.”

A

A word, symbol, or phrase that identifies and distinguishes a seller’s products from others.

64
Q

What was the significance of the Dodd-Frank Whistleblower Program for Hunt?

A

The Dodd-Frank Act’s Whistleblower Program provided Hunt with the means to report Citi’s misconduct to authorities while offering potential protections​

65
Q

How do state and federal criminal laws coexist in the U.S.?

A

Each state has its own criminal laws, with federal criminal laws overlapping but not preempting unless specified.

66
Q

What was the outcome of Hunt’s whistle-blowing under the Dodd-Frank Act?

A

Hunt filed a lawsuit under Dodd-Frank, and the U.S. government ultimately pursued a $158 million settlement with Citi for false claims and defective loans​

67
Q

What is “mitigating circumstances”?

A

Factors that don’t excuse a crime but may reduce the sentence, such as lack of criminal history or mental illness​

68
Q

What does FCPA mean?

A

Foreign Corrupt Practices Act

69
Q

What constitutes criminal fraud?

A

A false representation concerning a material fact, reliance by another party, and resulting damages.

70
Q

Registering domain names of established brands to sell them at high prices, regulated under the Anti-Cybersquatting Consumer Protection Act

A

Cybersquatting

71
Q

What is the Sarbanes-Oxley Act’s impact on corporate crime?

A

It imposes criminal liability for falsifying financial disclosures, with up to 20 years of incarceration for document destruction.

72
Q

Legal protection for original creative works, granting exclusive rights to copy, distribute, and display the work​

A

copyright

73
Q

What principle allows individuals to know the charges against them?

A

The principle of legality.

74
Q

What is “culpability” in criminal law?

A

The level of blame assigned to a defendant based on intent and state of mind, impacting the severity of punishment

75
Q

How does the “speedy trial” right protect defendants?

A

It prevents prolonged detention by ensuring trial occurs within a specific timeframe, typically under a year​

76
Q

How did the culture at CitiMortgage contribute to ethical problems?

A

CitiMortgage’s emphasis on market share and loan volume over quality led to a culture where ethical issues were often dismissed to meet performance goals​

77
Q

What cultural issues did Hunt observe at CitiMortgage?

A

Hunt noted a “yes” culture that prioritized sales over quality, frequent management changes, and a lack of transparency and accountability​

78
Q

What are trade secrets protected by?

A

State statutes, the Uniform Trade Secrets Act, and in cases of theft, the Economic Espionage Act.

79
Q

What was the “quality rebuttal committee” and why was it problematic?

A

Created to counter Hunt’s defect findings, the committee often approved defective loans to meet defect rate targets, undermining quality control efforts​

80
Q

What did Hunt discover about FHA-insured loans at Citi?

A

Hunt found that many FHA-insured loans, which were supposed to be defect-free, had significant fraud issues that went unaddressed​

81
Q

Why did Sherry Hunt start documenting her findings outside of Citi?

A

After being ignored by her superiors, Hunt started documenting issues on her personal computer to have a record of her findings and experiences​

82
Q

What is the purpose of a grand jury?

A

To review evidence and determine if there’s probable cause to proceed with a criminal case​

83
Q

Why was Bowen’s testimony to Congress censored?

A

Under pressure from Citigroup’s lawyers, the Financial Crisis Inquiry Commission removed parts of Bowen’s testimony, including details about internal control issues​

84
Q

What are the protections for copyrighted works?

A

Copyright law grants protection if a work is original, creative, and fixed in a tangible medium.

85
Q

What is “conspiracy” in criminal law?

A

A crime committed upon agreement to achieve an illegal objective, requiring intent but not necessarily an actual act.

86
Q

What does RICO stand for?

A

Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act

87
Q

What does “business crime” liability often require?

A

A criminal act within the scope of employment or failure to perform a legal duty, such as reporting disclosures.

88
Q

What is the “Polaroid Test”?

A

A set of eight factors used by courts to assess the likelihood of confusion in trademark infringement cases.

89
Q

Protection for the visual appearance of a product or packaging, like a product’s shape or color​

A

trade dress

90
Q

What is the “first-to-use” rule in trademark law?

A

The first to use a mark in commerce has priority over later users, even if it’s not registered​

91
Q

What did the “quality rebuttal committee” do?

A

The quality rebuttal committee was created to review and possibly refute defects identified by quality control, often overruling Hunt’s team’s findings to lower reported defect rates​

92
Q

What is the Exclusionary Rule?

A

It prohibits using evidence in a trial that was obtained in violation of a defendant’s constitutional rights.

93
Q

How did CitiMortgage incentivize loan approvals?

A

Employee bonuses and pay were tied to the percentage of loans approved, creating pressure to approve loans regardless of quality​

94
Q

How did management changes affect CitiMortgage’s operations?

A

Frequent changes in upper management created instability and a lack of accountability, as executives unfamiliar with the mortgage process took on critical roles​

95
Q

What constitutes “misappropriation” of a trade secret?

A

Acquisition, use, or disclosure of a trade secret without consent, often through improper means​

96
Q

What major law did Hunt study to understand her options for reporting fraud?

A

Hunt studied the Dodd-Frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act, which offered whistle-blower protections​

97
Q

What are the two parts of a crime?

A

Actus reus (the physical act) and Mens rea (the mental intent).

98
Q

What is the Uniform Trade Secrets Act (UTSA)?

A

A standardized law defining trade secrets and providing criteria for protection​

99
Q

Explain the Miranda rights in custodial interrogations.

A

Suspects must be informed of their rights to avoid self-incrimination during police questioning​

100
Q

What types of patents exist?

A

Utility, design, and plant patents, each covering different types of inventions.

101
Q

Define “self-defense” as a legal defense.

A

A defense used when a defendant reasonably feared harm and used necessary force to protect themselves or others​

102
Q

What were some examples of loan defects found by Hunt’s team?

A

Defects included missing tax forms, unsigned documents, inflated borrower income, and fraudulent loan applications claiming multiple properties as primary residences​

103
Q

What is the duration of copyright protection for a sole author?

A

70 years from the author’s death.

104
Q

Why might a company choose a trade secret over a patent?

A

Trade secrets provide protection without expiration, as long as the information remains confidential​

105
Q

What is the “non-obviousness” requirement for patents?

A

The invention must be more than obvious to someone skilled in the field, based on publicly available knowledge.