George S. May International v. Xcentric Ventures [1]

In September 2004, management consulting firm George S. May International Company (GSMIC) filed a  lawsuit against Ripoff Report [2], a consumer review website.  GSMIC's complaint included claims for defamation, "false descriptions and representations" in violation of the Lanham Act, trade libel, and deceptive trade practices.  It alleged that the site and operator Ed Magedson published false and misleading user comments accusing the company of "illegal and immoral activities." Cmplt.¶¶ 11-12 [3]. 

A federal district court in Illinois granted GSMIC's motion for a temporary restraining order [4].  The TRO prohibited Xcentric from "making, hosting or transmitting false or deceptively misleading, descriptions, statements or representations concerning George S. May, its business, owner, officers, employees and/or agents." GSMIC also requested a preliminary injunction, but the parties ultimately agreed to extend the TRO and the court never ruled on it.  In October 2008, GSMIC successfully moved the court for a finding of contempt of court for violating the TRO, and Xcentric subsequently removed eight postings that the court found violated the TRO.

Before resolution of a  complex series of motions, including one for partial summary judgment [5] arguing that section 230 of the Communications Decency Act [6] (CDA 230) protected Xcentric and Magedson from liability, the parties settled the case on undisclosed terms.