Court Denies Turing's Motion To Dismiss Biometrics Case
Turing's biggest win, fever tablets at Albertson's supermarket, is causing ongoing legal problems for the company sued last year alleging violation of Illinois' biometric law.
Now, Turing has lost its initial effort to have the case dismissed and will need to settle or answer the complaint.
In this note, we examine the Court's decision, the 5 main reasons for denying Turing's motion, and what is next for the case.
Turing raised ~$80 million in the past 2 years, and hired dozens of ex-Hikvision employees but is now struggling with high turnover as fever tablet sales have vanished and the company sales are primarily OEMing of PRC-made products.
** ***-**** ********** ******* *** *****, *** ***** ****** *** ****** to ******* ***** ** *** *********:
- ******** ****** **** ****** *** ****** of ********* ** ******** ********* *** who ****** $***,*** ** ****** ***** tablets, ********* ********** ******** ** ******* personal ************.
- *** ***** ***** **** ** *** within "**** **** *** *********** *******" to **** *** **** **** ****** Turing ** * "***-********" ** ********.
- ***** ********** ********** ********* *** *** preempt *** *********'* ****** ******* ******.
- ********* *** ******* **** *** ********** of ********* *********** ******** ** ********.
- ****** *** *** **** ******** ***** the **** *** ** *** ***** tablets **** *** *** *******, *** court *******.
- ********* *** ******* **** ****** *********, captured ** ********* "********* ***********.
*** ***** ***** ******* ******** ********* during ******* ********* ******* ******'* ****** business ** ******** ****** *** **** was *****:
** ********** ** ******’* **** **(*)(*) motion, ********* ******* ******’* ********* ** Plaintiff’s ***************, [**-*], *** ****** ** purchase ****** ********* *** **** ** shipment ** ****** ******* ** ********* in ********, [**-*]. **** ******* **** submit ******** ** * ********** **** Zhong’s ********** ***** ** *** ***** of ******** ************. [**-*]; [**-*]. *** evidence ************ ****, ***** ****** ****, Turing *** ** ***** ** ********* in ******** ****** *** ******** ****** and **** *** ******** ****** ******* it **** *** ******* ****** ******* to ********* ** ******** ** ******* occasions. [**-*] ** *–*; [**-*] ** 42:10–24, **:**–**, ***:**–**; [**-*]; [**-*] ** 42:10–24, **:**–**, ***:**–**, ***:**–***:*. ** ****, one ******** ***** ********* **** ****** may **** **** *** ****** ******* to ** ********-***** ******** *** ****** $366,000.00 *** *** *** ****** ******* were ** ** ******* ** ** Illinois *******. [**-*] ** *–*.
******* ** *** ********** *****, *** court ******* ** *** ******** *** other ******* **** **** *********.
********:
*** ***** ***** ******** *** * strong ******** ** ********* * ***** for *********** *** **** ** **** redress *** **** ********** **** ** a ******** ******** ********* *** ******* harms *** ********* **** ***** ** represent * ***** ** *** *********** in ******** *** *** ***** ********* data ********* ** ******.
*** ***** / ***** ********* ******** was ********:
********** ** *** ***** *** **** claims ***** *** ******* **** ***** to ********* *** **********-********** *********, *** instead ****** **** *** ******** ********* question ** ******* ****** ******** ********* with *** ********* *********** *** ******** from *** *** ******** ******* ******* before ** ********* *** ************ *** biometric ***********.
***** *** ********* ******* *** ******* occurred ** ********, ** ******* ** to ****** ** **** ******** ****** further ********* **** ***** ******** ****:
**** ***** ***** ****** *************** ******* the ********** *****, ****** *** ********* here, ****** ** ****** *** ***** to ********* ***** **** *** ******* underlying ***** **** ****** ******** ** Illinois. ****** ********** ***** **** ** light ****** ********* **** ******** **** the ******* ****** **** ** *********’* claims *** *** ***** ********* ** substantially ** ********, ****** *** **** to ****** **** ******** ***** ** an *********** ******
******'* ******** ******** ******** **** ****** ********, **** *** ***** *********** that ******'* ******** **** *** *** approved, * *********** ** **** ***:
****** **** *** ******* **** *** Turing ****** ** *** ********, *******, or ********** ***** *** ****. *** [28] ** **; [**] ** **. Butin ******’* *****, *** ****** ****** *** “** ***** *********” as a “qualified pandemic or epidemic product” under the PREP Act because the Turing Shield complies with the recommendations of an April 2020 enforcement policy issued by the Food and Drug Administration(“FDA”),
Turing’s ******** ****** ** * ****** ******* of the enforcement policy. In the Enforcement Policy, the FDA declares that FDCA requirements govern devices that determine surface skin temperature (“telethermographic systems”)
** *** ********, *** *********** ****** states *** ******* **** **** ***************** systems ******** *** ******* ******** **** receive ******** **** *** *** ***** the ****.
** *****, *** **** ***’* ********** of “******* ***************” ** ***** *** unambiguous. ** ******** ******** **** *** “claims *** ****” **** “***** ** relate **” *** *** ** * covered **************. ******* ***** ** ******* in *** ****** ** ******** **** the ****** ****** ***** *** ************ of *** **** ***’* ********** ** a “******* **************,” *** **** ***’* immunity ********** ** *** ***** ** plaintiff's **** ******. [******** *****]
***** *** ********* ******* **** ****** processed ********* ***********, ** ******* ** to ****** ** ******* ********* ** disprove ****, ** **** ** ****** the ****:
***** *********** ***** *** * ********* inference **** *** ****** ******’* *********** screening, **** **** *********, *** ****** recognition ********* ******* * **** ** Plaintiff’s ****, ***** ******* ** * “scan ** . . . **** geometry” ****** ****’* *********** ** ********* identifier *** ********* ***********.
********* *** ******* **** *** ****** Shield’s “********** ************ **********” ******* * user’s **** **** ** *** **** screen * ****’* *********** *** ****** for **** *****, *** **** ********* a **** ******* * ******** **** can ***** ** ** ** ******* faces. [*-*] ** ¶¶ *, *. Further ********* *** **** ***** ** exactly *** *** ****** ****** **** this ***, ** *** ******** *****, Plaintiff’s *********** ******* ** ******* * Rule **(*)(*) ****** ** *******.
Turing ** ******
*** **** ****, **** *** *****, is *** ****** ** "**** *** answer ** **********' ********* ** ** before**/**/****." ****** *** ****** ** ********* which ***** ****** ** *** ****** being ***** ***** ** *** ******* may ********* * **********.
********* *******
*** ******* ******* *** ** *** range ** $* ******* ** $** million, ** ******** ***** ** *** following ****.
*** ********* *** ******* ** **** class ****** ********* ******* **** *** many, ** ***, ****** **** ******** and *** **** ** ******* *** violation ($*,*** *** ****** *** "***********" and $*,*** *** ****** *** "************* or **********"********* ****). ** ** *** **** *** many ******* ** *** ***** ***** might ********** ** ******, *************, ** would ** *** ******** ** ** Albertson-owned ******** ** *** ***** ** Illinois *** *** ******* (*.*., *****-****, where *** ********* *****,***** *** ********* ** ********). ******** ** ******* ** ** employees *** *****, **** ** ~*,*** employees *****. ***** *** ********* *******, we ******** *** ******* ****** ** $5 ******* ** $** *******.
****** ***** ***** ****** *** ** is ******** **** **** *** *** and **** *** ***** ****** ** their *****, ********* ** *** ******** implementation **** ****** *** *** ******** used, ***** ** *** *** ********* publicly.
********* *** ********* ** ******'******* ** **** *** ****, ******* that ****** ** **** ********* ********* that **** ******* ********:
*********’* ****** **** ****** **** **** reiterate *** ********* **** ***** ***** considered *** ********. ***********, *** ***** should ******** *** ***** ********** *** deny *********’* ******* *** **** ***** to ********** *** ********** *********’* **** claims *** *** ********* ** ******* 301 ** *** ****
*** ***** **** **** * ****** at **** ***** *** ** **** future.
****** *** **** **** ******, **** the ***** *********:
********* [******] ***** ** **** *** heavy ****** ****** *** ***************. *** Court *** *** *** ** *** law ** *****, *** ****** ******** to ****** *********'* ********* ** **********. Although ********* *********, *** ***** ********* to **** ** *********** **** ********* is *** * ***** ** *** CBA ** ******** **** *********'* ********; nor *** *** ** *** ******** class ******* ****** ** ** ***** members ******* ** * ***.
***, *** ***** *** ******** ****** to ****** *** ********* ** *** next * *****:
********* ***** ****** *** ********* ** 3/8/23, *** *** ******* ***** **** a ***** ****** ****** ** */**/**
******, ********* ** ******* ** **** *** case ** ****** ** ******** ***** ********** **** *** *****'* collective ********** ********* ******** *** *********'* claims ******* ******, ******* ****: