Imagine trying a $100+ million dollar case in a small town. Would it be appropriate for lawyers involved in such a case to try and win some goodwill in the community for their client before that case? Or are we simply tying together two wholly separate incidents?
Apparently Marshall, a town in east Texas, is a hotbed of infringement lawsuits. TiVo, the DVR-provided, sued Dish Network there and reportedly bought a local girl’s champion bull before a competition. The bull won and the lawyers gave the girl the money. Sites like TechDirt, RapidTV News, and The Prior Art covered the story.
We’ve mentioned before the practice of a law firm editing their own website right before a trial to make them appear more experienced or focused on the subject matter of the lawsuit. This isn’t necessarily contact with potential jurors (who aren’t supposed to be researching anyhow) but does make sense if the case gets media attention. Buying livestock seems like an interesting notion too…