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Home > Eclipse Aviation Corporation v. John Doe

Eclipse Aviation Corporation v. John Doe [1]

Submitted by DMLP Staff on Fri, 04/25/2008 - 14:20

Summary

Threat Type: 

Subpoena

Date: 

04/14/2008

Status: 

Concluded

Disposition: 

Withdrawn

Location: 

California

Verdict or Settlement Amount: 

N/A

Legal Claims: 

None
Eclipse Aviation, a manufacturer of "affordable" jets, recently sent a subpoena to Google seeking to uncover the identities of 28 users who posted on the blog Eclipse Aviation Critic NG, which Google hosts on its ... read full description
Parties

Party Receiving Legal Threat: 

John Doe; Jane Doe; Google Legal Support, Blogger CMCA Complaints

Type of Party: 

Organization

Type of Party: 

Individual

Location of Party: 

  • New Mexico

Location of Party: 

  • California

Legal Counsel: 

Angela F. Storey (Miller, Morton, Caillat & Nevis, LLP)

Legal Counsel: 

Warren Stephen Jacobson; Norman Malinski
Description

Eclipse Aviation, a manufacturer of "affordable" jets, recently sent a subpoena [2] to Google seeking to uncover the identities of 28 users who posted on the blog Eclipse Aviation Critic NG [3], which Google hosts on its Blogger [4] service.

The subpoena, which includes a colorful list of pseudonyms such as "Turn-and-Burn," "Bill E. Goat," and "Niner Zulu," does not state why the information is necessary. AINonline [5], an aviation news site, reports:

According to Eclipse president and CEO Vern Raburn, the Albuquerque, N.M. aircraft manufacturer has been irreparably damaged by the “lies” posted by anonymous visitors on the blog, and he seeks to unmask them via the subpoena. But the blog hasn’t been far off the mark on several occasions, suggesting that some of the anonymous posters might be Eclipse employees who could be breaking a non-disclosure agreement signed when they were hired.

According to news reports [6] and comments on Eclipse Aviation Critic NG [7], the website operator, Shane Price, and the impacted users plan to file a motion to quash in Santa Clara Superior Court where the subpoena was filed.

Update:

May 8, 2008 - "John Doe" filed a motion to quash the subpoena [8]

August 2008 - After a change in company management, Eclipse withdrew [9] the lawsuit.

Related Links: 

  • Legal Blog Watch: Jet Maker Subpoenas Blog Critics [10]
  • AINonline: Eclipse Aviation Looks To Out Blogging Critics [5]
  • Avweb.com: Eclipse Wants Identities Of Blog Critics [6]
  • CMLP Blog: Eclipse Aviation Uses Subpoena to Uncover Identities of Anonymous Critics [11]
  • CharterX: Eclipse Aviation: New CEO, Blogger Suit Quashed [9]
  • Superior Court Docket [12]

 

Details

Web Site(s) Involved: 

Eclipse Aviation Critic NG [3]

Content Type: 

  • Text

Publication Medium: 

Blog

Subject Area: 

  • Anonymity
  • Subpoenas
  • User Comments or Submissions
Court Information & Documents

Jurisdiction: 

  • California

Source of Law: 

  • California

Court Name: 

Santa Clara County Superior Court

Court Type: 

State

Case Number: 

108CV110380

Relevant Documents: 

PDF icon 2008-04-14-EclipseSubpoena.pdf [13]
PDF icon 2008-05-08-Motion to Quash Eclipse Subpoena.pdf [14]

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Source URL (modified on 08/20/2014 - 11:06pm): https://www.dmlp.org/threats/eclipse-aviation-corporation-v-john-doe

Links
[1] https://www.dmlp.org/threats/eclipse-aviation-corporation-v-john-doe
[2] https://www.dmlp.org/sites/citmedialaw.org/files/2008-04-14-EclipseSubpoena.pdf
[3] http://www.eclipsecriticng.blogspot.com/
[4] http://www.blogger.com/
[5] http://www.ainonline.com/news/single-news-page/article/eclipse-aviation-looks-to-out-blogging-critics/
[6] http://www.avweb.com/eletter/archives/bizav/1098-full.html#197701
[7] http://eclipsecriticng.blogspot.com/2008/04/our-roll-of-honour.html
[8] https://www.dmlp.org/sites/citmedialaw.org/files/2008-05-08-Motion%20to%20Quash%20Eclipse%20Subpoena.pdf
[9] http://www.charterx.com/resources/article.aspx?id=3444
[10] http://legalblogwatch.typepad.com/legal_blog_watch/2008/04/jet-maker-subpo.html
[11] https://www.dmlp.org/blog/2008/eclipse-aviation-uses-subpeona-uncover-identities-anonymous-critics
[12] http://www.sccaseinfo.org/pa6.asp?full_case_number=1-08-CV-110380
[13] https://www.dmlp.org/sites/dmlp.org/files/sites/citmedialaw.org/files/2008-04-14-EclipseSubpoena.pdf
[14] https://www.dmlp.org/sites/dmlp.org/files/sites/citmedialaw.org/files/2008-05-08-Motion%20to%20Quash%20Eclipse%20Subpoena.pdf