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.

United States v. Cogill

Date: 08/27/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Convicted
Type: Criminal Charge
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Blog
Kevin Cogill, a blogger on Antiquiet, a site that provides "uncensored music reviews and interviews," was arrested on August 27, 2008, at his home near Los Angeles on suspicion of violating federal copyright law after he allegedly posted nine songs from...
- 08/28/2008 - 2:18pm - 0 comments

ViroLogic v. Does

Date: 04/23/2002
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Settled (total), Subpoena Enforced
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
ViroLogic, a biotechnology company, sued ten anonymous users of the Yahoo! Finance forum dedicated to it, after they allegedly posted internal ViroLogic information and made statements critical of the company and its officers. The original complaint included claims for defamation, trade...
- 08/27/2008 - 7:01pm - 0 comments

Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals v. Does

Date: 12/12/2000
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total), Subpoena Quashed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
Hollis-Eden Pharmaceuticals ("HEPH") sued several anonymous users of a Yahoo! forum in California state court for defamation, trade libel, and tortious interference after the posters criticized the company and its management on the Yahoo! Message Board devoted to the company. According...
- 08/27/2008 - 6:40pm - 0 comments

Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law v. Craigslist

Date: 02/03/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Forum
The Chicago Lawyers' Committee for Civil Rights Under Law ("CLC") sued craigslist for violations of the Fair Housing Act ("FHA") arising from its users' postings of allegedly discriminatory housing ads on the popular classfied advertising site. Craigslist hosts ads...
- 08/27/2008 - 6:10pm - 0 comments

IT Service Management Forum USA v. Prunty

Date: 12/07/2007
Status: Pending
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
IT Service Management Forum USA (ITSMF), a nonprofit organization supporting IT professionals, filed a defamation lawsuit against its former executive director, James Prunty, alleging that he attempted to discredit the organization by posting comments on the IT Skeptic...
- 08/27/2008 - 5:45pm - 0 comments

SPX Corp. v. Doe

Date: 03/01/2002
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Ohio
Publication: Forum
SPX sued a pseudonymous user of a Yahoo! forum as a John Doe for defamation in Ohio state court after the user accused SPX of illegal and immoral business conduct. According to court documents, Doe criticized SPX and its business...
- 08/27/2008 - 5:43pm - 0 comments

Privé Vegas, LLC v. Politz

Date: 08/20/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Nevada
Publication: Blog
Privé Vegas, LLC and two of its owners sued Las Vegas-based blogger Michael Politz in August 2008, alleging trademark infringement, dilution, and "disaparagement" under the Lanham Act, defamation, trade libel, tortious interference with business relations, and extortion. The company operates...
- 08/25/2008 - 6:24pm - 0 comments

State of Oklahoma (Miller) v. King

Date: 08/12/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced, Withdrawn
Type: Criminal Investigation
Jurisdiction: Oklahoma
Publication: Forum
Harold King runs the forum site "McAlester Watercooler," which he describes as a forum for citizens of McAlester, Oklahoma to "voice their views about the on-going City events." In August 2008, local District Attorney Jim Bob Miller filed an offense...
- 08/20/2008 - 11:44am - 0 comments

Mayor Sottile v. Richters

Date: 05/15/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Material Removed, Retraction Issued, Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Blog
James Sottile, the mayor of Kingston, New York, sued Clark Richters, an unemployed maintenance man and cable public access producer, for defamation after Richters posted an entry to his blog, Ulster County Politics, that incorrectly stated that Sottile would be...
- 08/18/2008 - 5:43pm - 0 comments

Perry v. Topping

Date: 08/07/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Print, Website
Los Angeles citizen James Perry sued Tom Topping for libel and invasion of privacy after Topping published an article stating that the Los Angeles City Attorney had determined that Perry had violated various conflict of interest laws while serving as a...
- 08/18/2008 - 5:06pm - 2 comments

Vision Media TV Group v. Richard

Date: 07/18/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Blog, Forum
Production company Vision Media TV (VMT) sued blogger Leslie Richard after she accused the company of scamming small businesses in her blog and on an Internet forum. VMT's complaint asked for $20 million in damages, alleging claims of defamation, tortious interference...
- 08/18/2008 - 4:56pm - 0 comments

Welch v. Nyberg II

Date: 07/14/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: Injunction Issued, Material Removed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Blog
School board president Chris Welch filed a defamation suit against blogger Carl Nyberg over posts accusing Welch of participating in an illegal kickback scheme. Nyberg, who runs the Proviso Probe blog, has long been an outspoken critic of Welch.  This...
- 08/18/2008 - 4:25pm - 0 comments

Atkinson v. McLaughlin (Letter)

Date: 10/22/2002
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Lawsuit Filed
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: North Dakota
Publication: Email, Website
Patrick Atkinson is the founder and executive director of the God's Child Project, a charitable organization that provides health and medical care, food, and education to children in Guatamala. Dr. James McLaughlin and Roberta McLaughlin volunteered for the God's Child Project from...
- 08/18/2008 - 3:59pm - 0 comments

McGeorge Camping Center v. Affinity Group

Date: 12/13/2007
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Virginia
Publication: Forum
Recreational vehicle dealership McGeorge Camping Center ("McGeorge") sued Affinity Group ("Affinity"), operator of the RV.Net Open Roads Forum, and several posters to the forum. The case revolves around statements accusing certain commenters who made positive statements about McGeorge...
- 08/13/2008 - 6:15pm - 0 comments

Murawski v. Gunzburger

Date: 11/06/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Website
William Murawski, a frequent political candidate, sued Ron Gunzburger, who runs Politics1.com, for defamation and violating his First Amendment rights. Murawski alleged that Gunzburger violated his First Amendment rights by refusing to list his name as a candidatefor New York...
- 08/13/2008 - 5:11pm - 0 comments

Matteo v. Rubin

Date: 05/07/2007
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Website
Professional photographer Steven Matteo sued Howard Rubin for defamation, copyright infringement, false light invasion of privacy, and interference with prospective economic advantage in Illinois federal court after Rubin posted criticism online of Matteo's photographs of the wedding of Rubin's daughter.  Rubin allegedly...
- 08/13/2008 - 4:26pm - 0 comments

FreeLife International v. Burge

Date: 10/15/2007
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (partial)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Arizona
Publication: Website
Direct sales company FreeLife International filed a defamation lawsuit against David Lucas Burge, a natural-foods activist whose website purported to expose FreeLife's health claims about its Himalayan Goji Juice drink. Burge's website, breathe.org, featured an in-depth investigative series that...
- 08/13/2008 - 4:00pm - 0 comments

Immunomedics v. Doe

Date: 10/12/2000
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Forum
Pharmaceutical company Immunomedics sued "moonshine_fr," a company employee who allegedly posted confidential internal documents on a Yahoo! Finance message board, and several John Does in New Jersey state court on claims of breach of contract, breach of duty of loyalty,...
- 08/13/2008 - 2:32pm - 0 comments

i-legions v. Leggio

Date: 07/24/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction:
Publication: Blog
Rob Frankel of i-legions sent an email to tech blogger Jennifer Leggio of ZDNet Feeds complaining about a post by guest author Aaron Strout that used the term "branded communities." Frankel indicated...
- 08/13/2008 - 12:18pm - 0 comments

Shy v. Dylan

Date: 06/17/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Blog
On June 17, 2008, Barry Shy, a Los Angeles real estate developer, and his development company, 5th St Loft, sued Jessica Jordan and Alan Dylan, who reside in a building developed by Shy and allegedly run the website Truedowntown, the...
- 08/12/2008 - 5:18pm - 0 comments

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