It is called a Deceptive Trade Practice and it is illegal. If you represent a product is X and when you sell it is Y or does not have the capabilities as previously advertised, then it is actionable. Treble damages and attorney fees in Texas if you win.

There is a universal standard for beauty but like all things there is a range. Studies have been done looking at the waist to hip ratio of Playboy centerfolds since the its beginning and found no change in the waist to hip ratio. Further, as mentioned previously facial symmetry is universal barometer of beauty. Symmetry is tied to health which has its obvious evolutionary benefits. The standard for beauty does not change, it adapts to the circumstances thrust upon it by environment. If you are in a country with a shortage of food, women tend to be larger (an indica of health) while in countries where there is an overabundence of food (ie western countries) men tend to prefer women who are smaller (once again, an indica of health). Youth is an aspect of beauty because the fecundity of a women peaks in her mid to late teens. Fertility peaks around 24. It is downhill for women after that. The root of beauty is health. What body type is healthy given the environment is going to be that which is found by men to be the most attractive.

Some of it depends on whether the John Doe asked the court for affirmative relief. i.e. attorney fees, court costs, etc. If that is the case, then the RIAA can only dismiss its claims while the John Doe's claims can continue on as long as they are willing to pursue them.

If you think having a written contract will save you more than a oral contract, then I have some ocean front property in Arizona to sell you.

I would obviously prefer written contracts and I fight incessantly with clients to get them to do so, but have been on many cases with both written and unwritten contracts. If the contract is written you still are forced to deal with the intentions of the parties and what the words that are written mean. "It depends on what your definition of "is" is."

Most oral contracts can be proven through the conduct of the parties afterwards and what provisions are not included in the oral contract with be supplied as a matter of law.

Agreed, to an extent. They appealed a ruling that the court issued that the government could not rely on the state secrets privilege to withhold documents from plaintiff's counsel. Their filing states they are seeking to stay proceedings pending their interlocutory appeal of the judge's ruling. Basically, they are stating that if they proceed with the case, then the appellate court's ruling on the state secrets privilege will be moot because information that they regard as subject to the state secret privilege will have already been disclosed to plaintiff's counsel. So, although not a directly a policy endorsement, they are still claiming the state secrets privilege applies and that the information should not have to be turned over to the plaintiffs. Any real difference here?

You are aware that there are government mandates that require NASA to use private enterprise if that private enterprise can do it cheaper than NASA can? Unfortunately, there are not a ton of companies chomping at the bit to take on the risk to make use of this mandate. Hopefully, this is the start.