Four Bizarre Case Rulings

April 20, 2016 @ 9:47 am

The courts are revered as a destination for justice in the United States. However, sometimes justice can seem a little odd when certain verdicts are returned. To understand just how strange the legal system can be, consider these four unconventional rulings in American courts.

1. Tomato Tax

The tomato is a healthy part of any diet, but most people are not aware of its pivotal place in American justice. In the 1880s, New York taxed imported vegetables. Frustrated, the Nix family sued to be reimbursed for the taxes they had paid on imported tomatoes. After all, tomatoes are not technically a vegetable. However, the court ruled that since most people regarded the tomato as a vegetable, it was fair to tax tomatoes as such. Although the tax that applied to tomatoes is gone, this court ruling is still referenced to this day.

2. Plastic Parody

In 1997, the musical group Aqua had a breakout hit with the song “Barbie Girl.” While this sassy pop song was a favorite with people around the world, it was not a hit with Mattel, the company that makes Barbie dolls. Mattel filed a lawsuit that claimed the song violated its copyright and affected its brand. Aqua and their label rejected those claims, arguing instead that the song was clearly a satire, which is a type of expression protected by law. Mattel ultimately lost the case with the court reinforcing previous rulings that parody did not require permission.

3. A Hot Mess

One of the most famous rulings took place in Albuquerque, New Mexico when Stella Liebeck sued McDonald’s. Though people malign the verdict, which found McDonald’s guilty of not warning that coffee was hot, the details tell a different story. In 1992, Liebeck got a coffee through a drive through window. When removing the lid to add cream and sugar, the coffee spilled onto her lap, causing severe burns. Expert examination concluded that the coffee was served at a temperature that was too hot for consumption and that McDonald’s did not provide any warning that the coffee could cause serious injury. In the end, Liebeck won her case, and McDonald’s paid out.

4. An Unhappy Birthday

Every time you blow out your candles, make a wish that you don’t get sued. Until recently, the song “Happy Birthday” was copyrighted. Warner/Chappell Music has owned the rights to the song since 1988 when it bought the company that originally acquired the copyright. In 2013, a group of filmmakers fought back, suing the company and arguing that the song should be in the public domain. After years of back and forth, the case may finally be reaching a settlement in 2016. In the suggested settlement, Warner/Chappell Music would relinquish its rights to the song without admitting any wrongdoing.