By Seth Parent

In Doe v. Cisco Systems, Inc., Cisco Systems is under fire for a recent development in its ongoing business relationship with the Chinese government. The plaintiffs in Doe allege that Cisco knowingly aided and abetted the Chinese government by developing a system custom-tailored to identify, track, and persecute members of a minority group known as the Falun Gong.

The complaint was initially dismissed for lack of protection under the Alien Tort Statute (ATS), though it is now on appeal. The ATS grants federal district courts jurisdiction over violations of certain international laws regardless of where the harm occurred or who inflicted that harm.

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