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.

Polo Ralph Lauren v. Boing Boing

Date: 10/02/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: California, Canada
Publication: Blog
In October 2009, Ralph Lauren sent a DMCA takedown notice to Boing Boing's webhost, Priority Colo, alleging that Boing Boing's posting of a Ralph Lauren advertisement violated its copyright. The Ralph Lauren advertisement featured a...
- 10/14/2009 - 12:53pm - 0 comments

RSA v. Scott Jarkoff

Date: 07/19/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: Japan
Publication: Blog
After Jarkoff posted an entry about the security risks he sees with the login mechanism of the Navy Federal Credit Union (NFCU) website on his blog, TechMiso, he received an e-mail from the RSA Anti Fraud Command Centre.  RSA Security...
- 10/09/2009 - 10:55am - 0 comments

Video Professor, Inc. v. Montgomery

Date: 02/26/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Colorado
Publication: Website
On February 26, 2009, Video Professor filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court for the District of Colorado against Cameron Montgomery, the owner of a website that labels itself "the Internet's ONLY Certified Review AuthorityTM for work at home opportunities" at...
- 10/08/2009 - 7:44pm - 0 comments

Nevyas v. Morgan II (Federal Lawsuit)

Date: 01/29/2004
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Publication: Website
The plaintiffs, Drs. Nevyas and Nevyas-Wallace and Nevyas Eye Associates, brought suit in federal court in 2004 for damages and injunctive relief for violations of the Lanham Act, defamation, and breach of contract for statements about their LASIK eye surgery practice posted...
- 10/07/2009 - 2:02pm - 0 comments

Alf v. Buffalo News Inc.

Date: 10/23/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Print, Website
In October 2007, Christopher J. Alf filed a lawsuit against The Buffalo News for publishing allegedly defamatory articles about National Air Cargo, Inc., Alf's Orchard Park, NY freight-forwarding firm. According to Alf's complaint, The Buffalo News...
- 10/07/2009 - 1:48pm - 0 comments

Nevyas v. Morgan

Date: 11/07/2003
Status: Pending
Disposition: Injunction Denied, Injunction Issued, Material Removed, Material Reinstated
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Publication: Website
The plaintiffs, Nevyas, Nevyas-Wallace, and Nevyas Eye Associates, brought suit in November 2003 for damages and injunctive relief for defamation and breach of contract for statements about their LASIK eye surgery practice posted online by a former patient, Dominic Morgan. A motion...
- 10/07/2009 - 11:23am - 0 comments

Thompson v. Facebook

Date: 09/29/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Social Network
Disbarred Florida attorney and critic of the video game industry Jack Thompson, proceeding pro se, filed a complaint against Facebook, Inc. in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida on September 29, 2009.  The ...
- 10/01/2009 - 7:51pm - 0 comments

Beck v. Eiland-Hall

Date: 09/04/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Other
Jurisdiction: Switzerland
Publication: Website
In September 2009, conservative talk show host and self-described "rodeo clown" Glenn Beck filed an administrative complaint with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) against the privacy...
- 09/28/2009 - 6:24pm - 0 comments

Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission of Illinois v. Peshek

Date: 08/25/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Disciplinary Action
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Blog
The Illinois Attorney Registration and Disciplinary Commission filed a disciplinary complaint against a former Illinois assistant public defender, Kristine Ann Peshek, for revealing confidential information about her clients and "assisting a criminal or fraudulent act" on her blog, "The Bardd [sic] Before...
- 09/28/2009 - 4:04pm - 0 comments

MonaVie v. Lazy Man and Money

Date: 08/01/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Blog
In August and September of 2009, MonaVie LLC sent two cease-and-desist letters to Lazy Man and Money, a personal finance blog authored by Corey Whitlaw.  MonaVie produces, markets and distributes "MonaVie" juices, açai berry drinks that are rich in antioxidants. MonaVie...
- 09/28/2009 - 2:24pm - 0 comments

City of Kirkland v. Sheehan

Date: 03/27/2001
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Injunction Denied, Injunction Issued, Material Removed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Washington
Publication: Website
City officials in Kirkland, Washington sued William Sheehan and other defendants for publishing personal information about Kirkland police officers on his website, www.justicefiles.org. The website, which was critical of law enforcement, contained substantive political argument but also the names, addresses, dates of...
- 09/28/2009 - 1:33pm - 0 comments

American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine v. Wikimedia

Date: 08/19/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Wiki
The American Academy of Anti-Aging Medicine (A4M) and its co-founders Robert M. Goldman and Ronald M. Klatz sued Wikimedia Foundation and ten anonymous posters for defamation in New York state court over comments appearing on A4M's Wikipedia page. In their...
- 09/25/2009 - 11:26am - 0 comments

National Marketers, LLC v. SMC Promotions

Date: 08/13/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Arizona
Publication: Website
On August 13, 2009, Plaintiff National Marketers, LLC filed a complaint in Arizona state court against Defendants SMC Promotions, Inc.; Specialty Merchandise Corp.; John Does I-X; and Blue Corporations I-X, asserting claims for injurious falsehood, libel, tortious interference with business...
- 09/24/2009 - 9:55pm - 0 comments

ACORN v. O'Keefe

Date: 09/17/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Maryland
Publication: Website
The Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) sued James O'Keefe, Hannah Giles, and Breitbart.com LLC for allegedly violating Maryland surveillance and wiretapping law by making and disseminating a hidden-camera video of ACORN employees Shera Williams and Tonja Thompson giving tax advice to...
- 09/23/2009 - 6:48pm - 0 comments

United States v. Turner

Date: 06/24/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Criminal Charge
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Blog
- In June 2009, federal authorities in Chicago charged right-wing New Jersey blogger and Internet radio host Hal Turner with threatening "to assault and murder three United States judges with intent to retaliate against [them] on account of performance of official duties," in...
- 09/21/2009 - 7:34pm - 0 comments

Connecticut v. Turner

Date: 06/11/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Criminal Charge
Jurisdiction: Connecticut
Publication: Blog
In June 2009, state authorities in Connecticut charged right-wing New Jersey blogger and Internet radio host Hal Turner with inciting injury to person or property, a class C felony.  According to press accounts, Turner urged readers to "take...
- 09/21/2009 - 6:38pm - 0 comments

Przydzial v. Alkhateeb

Date: 08/01/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Website
In August 2009, photo-sharing site Flickr removed an image from Firas Alkhateeb's photostream in response to a DMCA takedown notice.  The image was a photograph of President Barack Obama from the cover of Time Magazine modified to look like...
- 09/18/2009 - 11:20am - 0 comments

Sarah Palin v. "Gryphen"

Date: 08/01/2009
Status:
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: Alaska
Publication: Blog
On August 1, 2009, Sarah Palin's lawyer sent a cease and desist letter to Alaskan blogger "Gryphen" over a post published earlier that day on Gryphen's blog ImmoralMinority.   The cease and deist letter takes issue with a number...
- 09/17/2009 - 9:21pm - 0 comments

Admission Consultants, Inc. v. Google

Date: 11/13/2007
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Subpoena Quashed
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Forum
Admission Consultants, Inc. filed a motion for pre-action discovery in New York court, asking Google for identifying information relating to two email addresses tied to anonymous posts to a forum about business schools on BusinessWeek.com. The objected-to comments criticized...
- 09/16/2009 - 9:19pm - 0 comments

Chang v. Greenwald

Date: 07/17/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Blog
On September 9, 2009, Superior Court Judge Shelleyanne Chang ruled (scroll to Item 7) on blogger David Greenwald's motion to quash a subpoena seeking the identity of commenters to his blog, the People's Vanguard...
- 09/14/2009 - 6:04pm - 0 comments

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