Platinum Equity v. San Diego Reader [1]

Platinum Equity, LLC, the parent company of the Union-Tribune newspaper, sent a letter to the San Diego Reader, another local newspaper with a website edition [2], cautioning them against publishing a story on two lawsuits charging Platinum with workplace sexual harassment.

In June 2009, when a CNBC report publicized the two lawsuits, the Reader asked Platinum’s public relations executive, Mark Barnhill, for a comment. Platinum responded with a six-page letter [3] sent to the editor and publisher of the Reader and two of its reporters, warning them that Platinum would file a defamation suit if the newspaper published a story suggesting that Platinum engaged in wrongdoing as alleged in the lawsuits. 

Platinum's lawyers also marked the letter "Confidential Legal Notice" and threatened legal action for "breach of such confidence and a violation of the Copyright Act" if the Reader published the letter in whole or in part. 

The Reader published no in-depth coverage of the two lawsuits, but mentioned the lawsuit in two [4] articles [5]. In one [4], the Reader commented specifically on Platinum's threat letter and its assertion of confidentiality and copyright.  The article included a copy of the letter for download [6]. 

As of the time of writing, neither Platinum nor its lawyers have pursued any legal claims against the newspaper or individuals involved.