This page intentionally left blank N i n t h E d i t i o n Fundamentals of Business Law: Summarized Cases Roger LeRoy Miller Institute for University Studies Arlington, Texas mages) Getty I mages/ Elk III/Lonely Planet I (John (cid:33)(cid:85)(cid:83)(cid:84)(cid:82)(cid:65)(cid:76)(cid:73)(cid:65)(cid:0)(cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:34)(cid:82)(cid:65)(cid:90)(cid:73)(cid:76)(cid:0)(cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:42)(cid:65)(cid:80)(cid:65)(cid:78)(cid:0)(cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:43)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:65)(cid:0)(cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:45)(cid:69)(cid:88)(cid:73)(cid:67)(cid:79)(cid:0)(cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:51)(cid:73)(cid:78)(cid:71)(cid:65)(cid:80)(cid:79)(cid:82)(cid:69)(cid:0)(cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:51)(cid:80)(cid:65)(cid:73)(cid:78)(cid:0)(cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:53)(cid:78)(cid:73)(cid:84)(cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:0)(cid:43)(cid:73)(cid:78)(cid:71)(cid:68)(cid:79)(cid:77)(cid:0)(cid:115)(cid:0)(cid:53)(cid:78)(cid:73)(cid:84)(cid:69)(cid:68)(cid:0)(cid:51)(cid:84)(cid:65)(cid:84)(cid:69)(cid:83) This page intentionally left blank This is an electronic version of the print textbook. 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No part of this work covered by the copyright herein may Summarized Cases be reproduced, transmitted, stored or used in any form or by any means—graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including but not limited to photocopying, recording, NINTH EDITION scanning, digitizing, taping, Web distribution, information networks, or information Roger LeRoy Miller storage and retrieval systems—except as permitted under Section 107 or 108 of the 1976 United States Copyright Act, without the prior written permission of the Vice President and Editorial Director: publisher. Jack Calhoun Editor-in-Chief: For product information and technology assistance, contact us at Rob Dewey Cengage Learning Academic Resource Center 1-800-423-0563 Senior Acquisitions Editor: Vicky True-Baker For permission to use material from this text or product, submit all requests online at www.cengage.com/permissions. Senior Developmental Editor: Jan Lamar Further permissions questions can be emailed to [email protected]. 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Printed in the United States 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 15 14 13 12 11 Contents in Brief Unit One Chapter 9 Consideration, Capacity, and Legality 162 The Legal Environment Chapter 10 Defenses to Contract Enforceability 178 of Business 1 Chapter 11 Third Party Rights and Discharge 193 Chapter 12 Breach and Remedies 211 Chapter 1 The Legal and Constitutional Environment of Business 2 Unit Four Appendix to Chapter 1 19 Sales and Lease Contracts 225 Chapter 2 Traditional and Online Dispute Resolution 28 Chapter 3 Ethics and Business Decision Making 50 Chapter 13 The Formation of Unit Two Sales and Lease Contracts 226 Torts and Crimes 67 Appendix to Chapter 13 248 Chapter 14 Performance and Breach of Sales and Lease Contracts 252 Chapter 15 Warranties and Product Liability 269 Chapter 4 Torts and Cyber Torts 68 Chapter 5 Intellectual Property and Internet Law 88 Chapter 6 Criminal Law and Cyber Crime 106 Unit Five Negotiable Instruments 289 Unit Three Contracts 131 Chapter 16 Negotiability, Transferability, and Liability 290 Chapter 7 Nature and Classification 132 Chapter 17 Checks and Banking Chapter 8 Agreement in in the Digital Age 315 Traditional and E-Contracts 144 iii iv CONTENTS IN BRIEF Unit Six Unit Nine Debtor-Creditor Property and Its Protection 525 Relationships 335 Chapter 18 Security Interests Chapter 27 Personal Property and Bailments 526 in Personal Property 336 Chapter 28 Real Property and Chapter 19 Creditors’ Rights and Bankruptcy 354 Landlord-Tenant Law 541 Chapter 20 Mortgages and Foreclosures Chapter 29 Insurance, Wills, and Trusts 555 after the Recession 378 Unit Ten Unit Seven Special Topics 577 Employment Relations 395 Chapter 30 Liability of Accountants and Other Professionals 578 Chapter 21 Agency Relationships 396 Chapter 31 International Law Chapter 22 Employment, Immigration, in a Global Economy 593 and Labor Law 414 Appendices Unit Eight Appendix A How to Brief Cases Business Organizations 443 and Analyze Case Problems A–1 Appendix B The Constitution of the United States A–4 Appendix C The Uniform Commercial Code (Excerpts) A–11 Chapter 23 Sole Proprietorships, Partnerships, Appendix D The Sarbanes-Oxley Act of 2002 and Limited Liability Companies 444 (Excerpts and Explanatory Chapter 24 Corporate Formation, Comments) A–120 Financing, and Termination 461 Appendix E Sample Answers for Select Questions with Sample Answer A–126 Chapter 25 Corporate Directors, Officers, and Shareholders 483 Appendix F Sample Answers for Case Problems with Sample Answer A–128 Chapter 26 Investor Protection, Insider Trading, Appendix G Answers to Issue Spotters A–135 and Corporate Governance 502 Glossary G–1 Table of Cases TC–1 Index I–1 Contents Downey v. Bob’s Discount Furniture Holdings, Inc. (2011) 40 Unit One The Courts Adapt to the Online World 41 The Legal Environment Alternative Dispute Resolution 42 of Business 1 Reviewing . . . Traditional and Online Dispute Resolution 45 Terms and Concepts (cid:115) Chapter Summary (cid:115) ExamPrep (cid:115) For Review (cid:115) Questions and Case Problems CChhaapptteerr 11 The Legal and Constitutional CChhaapptteerr 33 Ethics and Business Decision Making 50 Environment of Business 2 Business Ethics 50 Business Activities and the Legal Environment 2 Skilling v. United States (2010) 51 Sources of American Law 3 Mathews v. B and K Foods, Inc. (2011) 52 The Common Law Tradition 5 Krasner v. HSH Nordbank AG (2010) 53 Classifications of Law 6 Ethical Transgressions by Financial Institutions 54 The Constitution As It Affects Business 8 Approaches to Ethical Reasoning 55 Making Ethical Business Decisions 57 Family Winemakers of California v. Jenkins (2010) 9 Practical Solutions to Corporate Ethics Questions 58 Bad Frog Brewery, Inc. v. New York State Liquor Authority (1998) 11 Business Ethics on a Global Level 58 Adapting the Law to the Online Environment The Supreme Court Upholds a Law that Prohibits Pandering Virtual Child Pornography 13 Adapting the Law to the Online Environment Corporate Reputations Trunk v. City of San Diego (2011) 14 under Attack 59 Reviewing . . . The Legal and Constitutional Environment of Business 15 Reviewing . . . Ethics and Business Decision Making 60 Terms and Concepts (cid:115) Chapter Summary (cid:115) ExamPrep (cid:115) Terms and Concepts (cid:115) Chapter Summary (cid:115) ExamPrep (cid:115) For Review (cid:115) Questions and Case Problems For Review (cid:115) Questions and Case Problems Unit One Unit Case Study with Dissenting Opinion: Appendix to Chapter 1: Finding and Analyzing the Law 19 Paduano v. American Honda Motor Co. 64 Finding Statutory and Administrative Law 19 Finding Case Law 19 Unit Two Reading and Understanding Case Law 20 Torts and Crimes 67 CChhaapptteerr 22 Traditional and Online Dispute Resolution 28 The Judiciary’s Role in American Government 28 Basic Judicial Requirements 29 CChhaapptteerr 44 Torts and Cyber Torts 68 Southern Prestige Industries, Inc. v. Independence Plating Corp. (2010) 30 Gucci America, Inc. v. Wang Huoqing (2011) 32 The Basis of Tort Law 68 The State and Federal Court Systems 33 Following a State Court Case 36 Hamlin v. Hampton Lumber Mills, Inc. (2011) 69 Intentional Torts against Persons 70 Adapting the Law to the Online Environment The Duty to Preserve E-Evidence for Discovery 39 Orlando v. Cole (2010) 72 v vi CONTENTS Intentional Torts against Property 76 Unit Two Unit Case Study with Dissenting Opinion: Unintentional Torts (Negligence) 78 MedImmune, Inc. v. Genentech, Inc. 129 Wolf v. Don Dingmann Construction, Inc. (2011) 81 Strict Liability 83 Unit Three Cyber Torts—Online Defamation 83 Contracts 131 Reviewing . . . Torts and Cyber Torts 84 Terms and Concepts (cid:115) Chapter Summary (cid:115) ExamPrep (cid:115) For Review (cid:115) Questions and Case Problems CChhaapptteerr 55 Intellectual Property and Internet Law 88 CChhaapptteerr 77 Nature and Classification 132 Trademarks and Related Property 89 An Overview of Contract Law 132 Coca-Cola Co. v. Koke Co. of America (1920) 89 Elements of a Contract 133 Cyber Marks 92 Types of Contracts 134 Patents 93 Schwarzrock v. Remote Technologies, Inc. (2011) 135 Adapting the Law to the Online Environment Should the Law Quasi Contracts 136 Continue to Allow Business Process Patents? 95 Scheerer v. Fisher (2010) 137 Copyrights 96 Interpretation of Contracts 138 UMG Recordings, Inc. v. Augusto (2011) 97 U.S. Bank, N.A. v. Tennessee Farmers Mutual Insurance Co. (2009) 139 Maverick Recording Co. v. Harper (2010) 99 Reviewing . . . Nature and Classification 140 Trade Secrets 100 Terms and Concepts (cid:115) Chapter Summary (cid:115) ExamPrep (cid:115) International Protection for Intellectual Property 101 For Review (cid:115) Questions and Case Problems Reviewing . . . Intellectual Property and Internet Law 102 Terms and Concepts (cid:115) Chapter Summary (cid:115) ExamPrep (cid:115) CChhaapptteerr 88 Agreement in For Review (cid:115) Questions and Case Problems Traditional and E-Contracts 144 CChhaapptteerr 66 Criminal Law and Cyber Crime 106 Agreement 144 Lucy v. Zehmer (1954) 145 Civil Law and Criminal Law 106 Alexander v. Lafayette Crime Stoppers, Inc. (2010) 147 Criminal Liability 108 Powerhouse Custom Homes, Inc. v. 84 Lumber Co. (2011) 151 Types of Crimes 109 Agreement in E-Contracts 152 People v. Sisuphan (2010) 111 The Uniform Electronic Transactions Act 154 Defenses to Criminal Liability 113 Management Perspective E-Mailed Credit-Card Receipts 155 Management Perspective Can a Businessperson Use Deadly Force to Reviewing . . . Agreement in Traditional and E-Contracts 157 Prevent a Crime on the Premises? 115 Terms and Concepts (cid:115) Chapter Summary (cid:115) ExamPrep (cid:115) Constitutional Safeguards and Criminal Procedures 115 For Review (cid:115) Questions and Case Problems Herring v. United States (2009) 117 Criminal Process 118 CChhaapptteerr 99 Consideration, Capacity, Cyber Crime 120 and Legality 162 United States v. Oliver (2011) 121 Adapting the Law to the Online Environment Student Plagiarism and Consideration 162 the Computer Fraud and Abuse Act 124 Reviewing . . . Criminal Law and Cyber Crime 125 Harvey v. Dow (2011) 165 Terms and Concepts (cid:115) Chapter Summary (cid:115) ExamPrep (cid:115) Contractual Capacity 166 For Review (cid:115) Questions and Case Problems Legality 168