Recent Threats Added to the DMLP Database

NOTE: The information and commentary contained in this database entry are based on court filings and other informational sources that may contain unproven allegations made by the parties. The truthfulness and accuracy of such information is likely to be in dispute. Information contained in this entry is current as of the last event mentioned in the "Description" section below; additional proceedings might have taken place in this matter since this event.

Salon Professional Academy v. Blacconiere

Date: 07/27/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Social Network
A Chicago-area cosmetology school has filed suit against Illinois resident Nicholas Blacconiere and an unknown John Doe for allegedly creating a Facebook page that the school claims defamed its directors and used its logo without permission. The Salon Professional Academy of Elgin,...
- 08/12/2009 - 2:01pm - 0 comments

Sedgwick Claims Management Services v. Delsman

Date: 04/03/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Blog, Print, Website
Sedgwick, a company that provides insurance claims management services, sued Robert Delsman, a former employee of one of Sedgwick's clients, for copyright infringement, defamation, and other torts, after he created gripe sites, blogs, videos and print materials criticizing the company. Delsman's beef...
- 08/11/2009 - 12:04pm - 0 comments

National Portrait Gallery v. Coetzee

Date: 07/11/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction:
Publication: Wiki
Counsel for the National Portrait Gallery in London sent a cease-and-desist letter to a U.S. citizen in July 2009, complaining about his posting of images of thousands of its portraits on Wikimedia Commons, a site associated with Wikipedia....
- 08/11/2009 - 11:42am - 0 comments

Pearl Public School District v. Jackson

Date: 09/10/2007
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Disciplinary Action
Jurisdiction: Mississippi
Publication: Social Network
Mandi Jackson, a former cheerleader at Pearl High School, filed a lawsuit against Tommie Hill, her former cheerleading coach, and other school officials, claiming that Hill and other teachers punished and humiliated Jackson after accessing and disseminating the content of private conversations...
- 08/11/2009 - 11:27am - 0 comments

Grijalva v. Brandt

Date: 03/11/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Email
Grijalva and Committee for Safety of Foreign Exchange Students (CSFES), a website which reports fraud and abuse committed against foreign exchange students, filed a lawsuit against ASSE International, Inc. (ASSE); Helga Brandt; and Josef Motycka, claiming defamation and unfair business practices for...
- 08/06/2009 - 4:20pm - 0 comments

Florida v. Figueroa-Santiago

Date: 11/14/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Criminal Charge
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Social Network
The State of Florida filed criminal charges against three men for allegedly violating a state law prohibiting the promotion of gang activity over the Internet. The statute, Fla. Stat. 874.11, was adopted on June 30, 2008 as part of the...
- 08/06/2009 - 1:34pm - 0 comments

Moore v. Allen

Date: 06/26/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Directed Verdict/Judgment Notwithstanding Verdict (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Minnesota
Publication: Blog
Former University of Minnesota employee Jerry Moore filed a lawsuit in June 2009 against blogger John Hoff, online commenter Don Allen, and five anonymous commenters who Moore says published intentionally defamatory content in order to get him fired. The lawsuit was filed...
- 08/05/2009 - 6:01pm - 0 comments

Vinogradov v. Bozeman Daily Chronicle

Date: 05/26/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: Montana
Publication: Website
Aleksandra Vinogradov, a professor at Montana State University, subpoenaed the Bozeman Daily Chronicle for information concerning comments made on the Chronicle's website in connection with two articles published in March and April 2009 regarding the trial in Vinogradov's...
- 08/05/2009 - 5:17pm - 0 comments

Park West Galleries v. Fine Art Registry

Date: 03/04/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (partial)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Michigan
Publication: Website
Park West Galleries (PWG), an art gallery that also performs auctions on cruise ships, sued Fine Art Registry (FAR), an organization that, according to The Art Newspaper, offers “advocacy to victims of art fraud and abuse” including a system of...
- 08/05/2009 - 5:02pm - 0 comments

Guardian Civic League v. Philadelphia Police Department

Date: 07/15/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Publication: Forum
The Guardian Civic League has filed a class-action lawsuit on behalf of 2,300 black Philadelphia police officers against the Philadelphia Police Department for allegedly allowing its officers to post racist and offensive content on Domelights.com, a website focused on law...
- 08/05/2009 - 4:42pm - 0 comments

Lewandowski v. Lavandeira

Date: 07/15/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Blog
Jonathan Lewandowski, who apparently operates a celebrity blog under the pseudonym Jonathan Jaxson, filed a lawsuit against Mario Lavandeira, better known as celebrity blogger Perez Hilton, for allegedly mentioning Jaxson in a ...
- 07/31/2009 - 4:52pm - 0 comments

Martin v. Langlois

Date: 06/01/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Injunction Issued, Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Rhode Island
Publication: Social Network
Michelle Langlois, whose brother is embroiled in a pending child custody case with his ex-wife, posted information and commentary about her brother's case to her Facebook account.  Tracey Martin, the ex-wife, filed a "domestic abuse" petition in Kent County Family Court against Langlois, claiming...
- 07/30/2009 - 2:07pm - 0 comments

Gannon v. Walker

Date: 11/20/2006
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Arizona
Publication: Blog, Print, Website
Edward Gannon, a pilot with US Airways, filed a lawsuit against Paula Walker, Sue Burris, and Brian Shunick, three airline attendants, claiming that they defamed him by reporting Gannon's willingness to take-off in an airplane with iced wings to...
- 07/28/2009 - 5:54pm - 0 comments

Virginia v. Ostergren

Date: 06/11/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Other
Jurisdiction: Virginia
Publication: Website
Betty Ostergren sued the Attorney General of Virginia, Robert F. McDonnell, in his official capacity to challenge Virginia's Personal Information Privacy Act (PIPA), Va. Code Ann. § 591.443.2, as a violation of the First Amendment. Ostergren is a self-proclaimed advocate of privacy...
- 07/28/2009 - 5:32pm - 0 comments

Wiseman v. Does 1-25

Date: 03/26/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Website
Los Angeles photographer Zoe Wiseman has filed suit in California state court against twenty-five anonymous individuals associated with WeHireAliens.com, alleging they falsely stated that she illegally hires models without work visas and pays them in cash. The website allows users...
- 07/28/2009 - 4:49pm - 0 comments

Horizon Group v. Bonnen

Date: 07/20/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Micro-blog
Horizon Realty Group, an apartment leasing and management company in Chicago, filed a defamation lawsuit last week against a former tenant, Amanda Bonnen, over a tweet she posted about the company on Twitter.  According to the ...
- 07/28/2009 - 2:42pm - 0 comments

State of New York v Democrat and Chronicle

Date: 07/01/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Print, Website
Assistant District Attorney Timothy L. Prosperi subpoenaed Democrat and Chronicle reporter Steve Orr to testify in the criminal trial of Kevin I. Vickers, who is charged with removing body parts from two Monroe County funderal homes in 2005.  The DA sought testimony...
- 07/24/2009 - 5:26pm - 0 comments

New York Times v. Republican Governors Association

Date: 06/17/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction:
Publication: Website
A lawyer for the The New York Times has sent a cease and desist letter to the Republican Governors Association that takes issue with the layout, name and typefaces of a satirical RGA website, which the Times says is "clearly intended to...
- 07/24/2009 - 12:13pm - 0 comments

Universal v. Reimerdes

Date: 01/14/2000
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Injunction Issued, Settled (partial)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Website
In 2000, several movie studios filed suit against Shawn Reimerdes, Roman Kazan, and Eric Corley after 2600.com published the DVD descrambling program DeCSS, which allowed users to circumvent anti-piracy protections allegedly in violation of the Digital Millennium Copyright...
- 07/21/2009 - 7:12pm - 0 comments

Gorman v. Meale

Date: 07/07/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Forum
Attorneys at Favaro & Gorman Ltd. filed a lawsuit against Jennifer Meale and Xcentric Ventures, LLC over allegedly defamatory posts made anonymously by Meale on Ripoff Report, a consumer review website.  It is not clear how the law determined that...
- 07/21/2009 - 6:24pm - 0 comments

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