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.

Donato v. Moldow

Date: 07/25/2001
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total), Subpoena Quashed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Forum
Stephen Moldow established the website "Eye on Emerson" in late 1999. He posted information about local government activities, including minutes of meetings of the borough council, planning board and board of education. Public opinion polls were conducted on the site, which included...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Landmark Education LLC v. Ross

Date: 06/25/2004
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Broadcast, Forum, Website
Landmark Education is a for-profit company engaged in the business of making "education programs" available to the general public and corporations, on subjects including communication, time management, and productivity. Its basic program is "The Forum" -- a three day/one evening seminar...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Olson v. Brodkorb

Date: 04/28/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Minnesota
Publication: Blog
Michael Brodkorb runs the blog, "Minnesota Democrats Exposted" (MDE), which is dedicated to discussing of the activities, statements, and tactics of Minnesota democrats. On December 28, 2005, MDE reported that Hubert Humphrey, a Senior Counselor for New Communications, Inc., a public relations...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Software Development and Investment v. Wall

Date: 08/11/2005
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Nevada
Publication: Blog
In August 2005, Software Development and Investment of Nevada ("Software Development"), a Nevada corporation in the business of "internet advertising and internet placement optimization" under the name Traffic-Power.com, sued Aaron Wall and an unknown number of anonymous users of Wall's blog for...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Gregerson v. Vilana Financial, Inc.

Date: 03/27/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Verdict (plaintiff)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Minnesota
Publication: Print, Website
Gregerson is a photographer who maintains a website containing his professional photographs. Vilana Financial, Inc. used two of Gregerson's pictures without permission in phone-book and web advertisements, and print advertisements in a local Russian-language newspaper. Gregerson discovered Vilana's use of his photographs...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Warren Kremer Paino Advertising v. Dutson

Date: 04/14/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Maine
Publication: Blog
Lance Dutson operates a blog, the "Maine Web Report." Beginning in February 2006, he published a series of posts that were critical of the Maine Department of Tourism and Warren Kremer Paino Advertising LLC ("Warren Kremer"), an advertising agency that had worked...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

McMann v. Doe 1

Date: 10/06/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total), Subpoena Quashed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Massachusetts
Publication: Website
Paul McMann, a Massachusetts real estate developer, sued the anonymous operator of an Internet "gripe site" about him. The website contained a photograph of Mr. McMann, the statement that he "turned lives upside down," and a suggestion to "be afraid, be...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Huff v. Nickolas

Date: 03/08/2007
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Material Removed, Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Kentucky
Publication: Blog
Anthony and Sheri Huff, a Kentucky businessman and his wife, sued Mark Nickolas, a political blogger, for defamation after he implied in a blog post that they bought dismissal of an alleged felony indictment by contributing to the Kentucky Republican Party and...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Gentle Wind Project v. Garvey

Date: 05/18/2004
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total), Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Maine
Publication: Website
The Gentle Wind Project ("GWP") was a "spiritual-healing" group that produced and distributed what it characterized as "healing instruments" based on designs communicated from "the spirit world." Husband and wife, James Bergin and Judy Garvey, left the group and started a web...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Glock v. Pilz

Date: 04/06/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total), Settled (partial)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Indiana
Publication: Print, Website
On February 21, 2006, Austrian politician Peter Pilz posted comments on his (Austrian) website about Glock pistols making their way to the black market in Turkey. Der Standard, a German-language newspaper, reported on Pilz's statements in its print and online editions. On...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

St. George Corrective Vision v. Kantis

Date: 09/12/2005
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Website
Dean Kantis published critical statements about St. George Corrective Vision and his opthamologist Nicholas Caro on his website, Life After Lasik. In September 2005, St. George and Caro sued Kantis for defamation and false light invasion of privacy, claiming, among other...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 1 comments

Welch v. Nyberg

Date: 09/06/2005
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Blog
Blogger Carl Nyberg filed a complaint against local school board president and lawyer Emanuel Welch with the state Attorney Registration and Discipline Commission, claiming that Welch violated conflict of interest rules by voting to hire his brother Bill Welch as a custodian...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Save-A-Life Foundation v. Baratz

Date: 05/03/2007
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Website
In May 2007, the Save-A-Life Foundation sued three critics of Henry Heimlich and his famous first-aid procedure, the Heimlich maneuver. Among the defendants is Peter Heimlich, Henry's son, who maintains the website "Outmaneuvered." The other defendants are Robert Baratz, an official of...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 16 comments

Fisher & Phillips v. Does

Date: 06/29/2005
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Publication: Blog
In June 2005, Fisher & Phillips LLP, an Atlanta employment law firm, sued 5 anonymous bloggers for defamation, false light invasion of privacy, and interference with business and contractual relations. The complaint did not identify the allegedly defamatory statements with any specificity...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

National Conference of Bar Examiners v. Earthlink

Date: 04/12/2007
Status: Concluded
Disposition: n/a
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Publication: Blog
The National Conference of Bar Examiners (NBCE) obtained an administrative subpoena issued pursuant to section 512(h) of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act, requesting that Earthlink disclose the identity of an Earthlink subscriber who posted comments anonymously to the Tab and...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Waters v. Miller

Date: 05/24/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Social Network
There is little information available about this case, but it appears that high school student Douglas Miller posted sexually demeaning statements alongside high school teacher Lee Waters's photograph on MySpace (it is not clear whether Miller also posted the photograph or just...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Banks v. Milum

Date: 06/16/2004
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Verdict (plaintiff)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Publication: Forum
David Milum, upset with his lawyer Rafe Banks over the handling of a prior case, demanded that Banks pay back the $3,000 in fees he had received. When Banks refused, Milum posted entries on the Forsyth County Political Forum, a...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Scheff v. Bock

Date: 12/31/2003
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Default Judgment
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Forum
Carey Bock hired Sue Scheff's company, Parents Universal Resource Experts (PURE) which provides referral services for families of teenagers with behavioral problems, to help withdraw her sons from a boarding school in Costa Rica. Scheff put Bock in touch with a consultant,...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Veranda Partners v. Giles (Lawsuit)

Date: 03/09/2007
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Website
Larry Giles set up a website called "The Veranda Park News," which covered events in his residential community, aesthetic issues in the neighborhood, and commentary. Allegedly, his site included statements to the effect that the housing developer of his community, Veranda Partners,...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

Ligonier Ministries v. Vance

Date: 08/25/2006
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Blog
Frank Vance wrote about Ligonier Ministries and its president, Timothy Dick, on his blog, Contending for the Truth. Statements on Vance's blog allegedly called into question Mr. Dick's ethics and qualifications for his position at Ligonier Ministries. In August 2006, the...
- 09/10/2007 - 3:58pm - 0 comments

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