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.

Doherty Enterprises, Inc. v. Murray

Date: 01/01/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total), Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Website
Doherty Enterprises, Inc., a large Applebee's restaurant franchisee with approximately 80 restaurants in New Jersey and neighboring states, sued Michael Murray for defamation and trade libel over a critical comment posted to a September 2008 article on NorthJersey.com, the online...
- 05/26/2009 - 6:14pm - 0 comments

Gingrich v. The Truth About EFCA.Org

Date: 05/13/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: California, Canada
Publication: Micro-blog, Website
Counsel for Newt Gingrich, Saul Anuzis, and American Solutions for Winning the Future sent a cease-and-desist letter to The Truth About EFCA.org, a website advocating in favor of enacting the proposed Employee...
- 05/22/2009 - 11:12am - 0 comments

Leahy v. Grasmick

Date: 05/18/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Material Removed, Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Tennessee
Publication: Blog, Micro-blog
Michael Patrick Leahy, author and founder of "Top Conservatives On Twitter," filed a lawsuit against blogger Stephanie Grasmick, Twitter user "Duke St. Journal," and 25 anonymous Twitter users for libel, false light invasion of privacy, intentional...
- 05/21/2009 - 3:50pm - 0 comments

Colocation America v. Garga-Richardson (Lawsuit)

Date: 04/22/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Verdict (plaintiff)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum, Print
In April 2009, Colocation America, a company providing computer server co-location to companies operating on the Internet, sued Archie Garga-Richardson, the founder and operator of ScamFraudAlert.com.  The complaint, filed in small claims court in California, includes claims for...
- 05/20/2009 - 7:02pm - 0 comments

Cintas Corp. v. UNITE HERE

Date: 03/05/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Print, Website
On March 5, 2008, Cintas, a Fortune 500 company and manufacturer of uniforms, sued several unions, including UNITE HERE, Change to Win, and International Brotherhood of Teamsters, and several individuals, including Bruce Raynor, Ahmer Qadeer, Keith Mestrich, Elizabeth Gres, Peter Demay, Katie...
- 05/19/2009 - 6:12pm - 0 comments

David v. Nourallah

Date: 09/11/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Texas
Publication: Blog, Email
On September 11, 2008, concert promoter Ally David filed a defamation suit in conjunction with Bend Studio, LLC against local musician Salim Nourallah after Salim criticized David's handling of charity funds on his blog. David had been one of a group in...
- 05/19/2009 - 5:54pm - 0 comments

Merrill Lynch v. "Tyler Durden"

Date: 05/12/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction:
Publication: Blog
In May 2009, lawyers for Merrill Lynch sent cease-and-desist letters alleging copyright infringement to"Tyler Durden" of the financial blog Zero Hedge over six posts that cited or excerpted from Merrill Lynch reports authored by Merrill's former chief economist, David Rosenberg. According to...
- 05/14/2009 - 2:59pm - 0 comments

Digital Broadband Networks v. Does

Date: 12/01/2003
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Forum
Digital Broadband Networks and its president Patrick Lim sued seven pseudonymous internet posters in New Jersey state court for defamation over statements on electronic bulletin boards dedicated to Digital Broadband on Ragingbull.com and on general messages boards on Yahoo. The company alleged...
- 05/13/2009 - 6:32pm - 0 comments

Dolen v. Ryals (Email)

Date: 11/05/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Lawsuit Filed
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: Texas
Publication: Website
According to BustedScammers.com on November 5, 2008, Deborah Dolen, author of several "Do It Yourself" craft books, requested all information about her be removed from their website.  BustedScammers.com also alleges Dolen threatened the owner of their hosting company with legal action. On...
- 05/13/2009 - 4:05pm - 0 comments

Dolen v. Ryals (Lawsuit)

Date: 12/22/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Texas
Publication: Website
On December 22, 2008, Deborah Dolen, author of several "Do It Yourself" craft books, sued Julie Ryals and an unknown poster, listed on the complaint as "Jane Doe Libel Cyberstalker," for negative statements about Dolen that appeared on BustedScammers.com.  Dolen, acting pro...
- 05/12/2009 - 1:43pm - 0 comments

Eppley v. Iacovelli

Date: 03/30/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Injunction Issued
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Indiana
Publication: Blog, Email, Forum, Website
On March 30, 2009, Dr. Barry Eppley, a plastic surgeon in the Indianapolis area, filed a lawsuit against former patient, Lucille Iacovelli.  The complaint included claims for defamation, trade disparagement, harassment, false designations and descriptions of fact, and false light publicity based on...
- 05/12/2009 - 1:30pm - 0 comments

Duran v. Andrew

Date: 09/15/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Missouri
Publication: Email
On September 15, 2008, Dan Duran, CEO of the U.S. Soybean Export Council, sued two former Council employees and several anonymous Internet users over emails that allegedly defamed him.  Christopher Andrew, one of the former employees, allegedly sent several emails containing defamatory statements about...
- 05/12/2009 - 1:07pm - 0 comments

FORBA v. Hagan

Date: 11/14/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Injunction Issued, Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Kentucky
Publication: Blog
FORBA Holdings, a dental practice management company, sued blogger Debbie Hagan after she posted internal FORBA documents on her blog, Dentist the Menace, which covers alleged misconduct in the dental profession. According to the complaint, Google search crawlers indexed a...
- 05/12/2009 - 12:11pm - 0 comments

National Organiztion for Marriage v. YouTube Users

Date: 04/01/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Website
In April 2009, the anti-gay-marriage group National Organization for Marriage ("NOM") sent a number of DMCA ...
- 05/06/2009 - 4:00pm - 0 comments

National Organization for Marriage v. Maddow

Date: 04/13/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed, Material Reinstated
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Broadcast, Website
According to Wired's Threat Level blog, in April 2009 the anti-gay-marriage group National Organization for Marriage ("NOM") sent a DMCA takedown notice to YouTube, demanding that it take down a clip from MSNBC's Rachel Maddow Show. ...
- 05/06/2009 - 3:33pm - 0 comments

Miss Universe v. National Organization for Marriage

Date: 05/04/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Broadcast, Micro-blog, Social Network, Website
On May 4, 2009, counsel for Miss Universe L.P., LLP ("MUO") sent a cease-and-desist letter to the National Organization for Marriage ("NOM") complaining about an advocacy ad entitled "No Offense," which incorporates excerpts from...
- 05/06/2009 - 2:48pm - 0 comments

Freeman v. Rucinsky

Date: 04/01/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Blog, Micro-blog
In April 2009, Danyelle Freeman, an author and restaurant critic for the New York Daily News who runs the Restaurant Girl Blog, had her lawyers send a cease-and-desist letter to Adam Robb Rucinsky, the operator of an unflattering parody blog and...
- 05/06/2009 - 1:45pm - 0 comments

St. Charles County Election Authority v. Doe

Date: 04/01/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Criminal Investigation
Jurisdiction: Missouri
Publication: Blog
An anonymous blogger who sponsored a fake campaign for St. Louis Blues hockey player T.J. Oshie to become mayor of O'Fallon, Missouri posted a photograph of a ballot with Oshie's name written in. (Although the blog remains, the photo -- available...
- 05/06/2009 - 11:55am - 0 comments

Lavandeira v. National Organization for Marriage

Date: 04/30/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Broadcast, Website
Mario Lavandeira, a.k.a. Perez Hilton, sent a DMCA takedown notice to YouTube, claiming that a clip of an advocacy ad entitled "No Offense" from the National Organization for Marriage ("NOM") violated his copyright. In response to Lavandeira's notice,...
- 05/06/2009 - 11:38am - 0 comments

South Carolina v. Craigslist

Date: 05/05/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Criminal Investigation
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
On May 5, 2009, South Carolina Attorney General Henry McMaster sent a letter to craigslist CEO Jim Buckmaster threatening company management with "criminal investigation and prosecution" over the website's erotic services section, as well as...
- 05/05/2009 - 5:26pm - 0 comments

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