Log in or register
Share on LinkedInShare on LinkedIn

ARTICLE · 25 AUGUST 1998

Year 2000 Lawsuits Begin

Blank Rome
Explore more from Blank Rome

United StatesIntellectual Property
Author LinkedIn connections

By David M. Nadler and Kendrick C. Fong

As the year 2000 approaches, industry analysts and experts predict that beleagured businesses and disgruntled shareholders will bombard the courts with lawsuits concerning the year 2000 date change problem and whether products and internal systems are year 2000 compliant. Indeed, these analysts predict that total year 2000 litigation costs could exceed $1 trillion. The vanguard year 2000 case is Produce Palace International vs. TEC-America Cash Register Inc. and All American Cash Register Inc., which was filed recently in Michigan states court.

The year 2000 date change problem is a design defect in the COBOL programming language, which was developed 30 years ago. To save limited and costly memory space, COBOL developers decided to use only two digits to indentify calendar years. Accordingly, 1997 was identified as "97" within COBOL programs, and 2000 was designated as "00," which could also be read as 1900.

We operate a free-to-view policy, asking only that you register in order to read all of our content. Please login or register to view the rest of this article.

Register for freeORLog in

Related Articles

Legal Intelligence Newsletters: sign up for the latest legal and regulatory news on your chosen topics

Read more about

Related Comparative Guides

See more popular content from

Article

UMG v. DistroKid: When AI Becomes A Consumer Protection Issue

Universal Music Group's lawsuit against DistroKid raises a critical question about AI disclosure in consumer markets: when does the use of artificial intelligence become material information that must be disclosed to consumers? The case centers on allegations that DistroKid distributed mass-generated AI music while creating the impression it was created by legitimate human artists, potentially violating existing consumer protection laws even without specific AI disclosure requirements.
United StatesIntellectual Property
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC
Frankfurt Kurnit Klein & Selz PC
Article

PTAB/USPTO Update - October 2026

The USPTO has released new templates and guidance for AIA trial proceedings, announced key appointments including a Chief AI Officer, and published updated procedures for patent applications and subject matter eligibility declarations. Director Squires delivered multiple addresses emphasizing the constitutional importance of intellectual property rights while the agency expanded its community engagement efforts and international collaboration through WIPO's Global IP Assignment Platform pilot program.
United StatesIntellectual Property
WilmerHale
WilmerHale
Article

The Trademark Scam Field Guide: Look-Alike Filing Sites, Fake USPTO Notices, And How To Get Out If You’ve Been Caught

A business decides to file a trademark. Someone on the team searches for a familiar online legal-services brand, clicks the first result, and lands on a site with a similar-sounding name, a polished design, five-star reviews, and a low flat fee. The application gets filed. Months later the business learns the “service” was not who they thought it was, the filing was signed by someone with no authority to sign it, and the USPTO has suspended the application along with hundreds or thousands of others from the same shop.
United StatesIntellectual Property
Harness IP
Harness IP
Article

Is This Real? Navigating AI Impersonation Under New And Existing Laws

Is this AI-generated, or is it real? As generative AI tools have become increasingly capable of creating realistic images, videos, and audio, they have also made it easier to impersonate real people without their consent. In response, states are increasingly adopting laws that impose civil and criminal liability for certain AI-generated content that replicates an individual’s identity, likeness, voice, or other personal attributes.
United StatesIntellectual Property
Wiley Rein
Wiley Rein