Chapter Skill$-$Building Exercise

Stan Garner resides in IIlinois and promotes boxing matches for SuperSports, Inc., an Illinois corporation.

Garner created the promotional concept of the "Ages" fights $-$ a series of three boxing matches pitting an

older fighter $($George Foreman$)$ against a younger fighter, such as John Ruiz or Riddick Bowe. The concept

included titles for each of the three fights $("$Challenge of the Ages," "Battle of the Ages," and "Fight

of the Ages"$),$ as well as promotional epithets to characterize the two fighters $("$the Foreman Factor"$).$

Garner contacted George Foreman and his manager, who both reside in Texas, to sell the idea, and

they arranged a meeting at Caesar's Palace in Las Vegas, Nevada. At some point in the negotiations, Fore$-$

man's manager signed a nondisclosure agreement prohibiting him from disclosing Garner's promotional

concepts unless they signed a contract. Nevertheless, after negotiations between Garner and Foreman

fell through, Foreman used Garner's "Battle of the Ages" concept to promote a subsequent fight. Garner

filed a lawsuit against Foreman and his manager in a federal district court in Illinois, alleging breach of

contract. Using the information presented in the chapter, answer the following questions.

On what basis might the federal district court in Illinois exercise jurisdiction in this case?

Does the federal district court have originat or appellate jurisdiction?

Suppose that Garner had filed his action in an Illinois state court. Could an Illinois state court

have exercised personal jurisdiction over Foreman or his manager? Why or why not?

What if Garner had filed his action in a Nevada state court? Would that court have had personal

jurisdiction over Foreman or his manager? Explain.

Debate This

In this age of the Internet, when people communicate via e$-$mail, tweets, social media, and Skype, is the

concept of jurisdiction losing its meaning?