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.

King County, WA v. Sharkansky

Date: 01/02/2005
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Settled (total)
Type: Denial of Access
Jurisdiction: Washington
Publication: Blog
King County, Washington officials took two years to respond to Sound Politics blogger Stefan Sharkansky's requests for information relating to the 2004 state gubernatorial election.  Sharkansky sought a list of county voters who had participated in the election, at a time...
- 04/29/2009 - 11:17am - 0 comments

Too Much Media, LLC v. Hale

Date: 06/09/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Forum
Too Much Media, LLC ("TMM"), a software company that services the online adult entertainment business, sued Washington-based blogger Shellee Hale in New Jersey state court in June 2008, after she posted comments about a security breach in TMM's software product...
- 04/28/2009 - 6:34pm - 0 comments

Demings v. Harris

Date: 04/17/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Blog
On April 17, 2009, counsel for Orlando Police Chief Val Demings sent a letter threatening legal action against Ezell "Easy" Harris, publisher of Valdemings.com, a website that criticizes her performance in office. According to the Orlando Sentinel, the...
- 04/28/2009 - 1:00pm - 0 comments

Ecommerce Innovations v. Doe (Subpoena)

Date: 08/05/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: Arizona
Publication: Forum
On July 14, 2008, Ecommerce Innovations filed a suit in the Central District of California against several Does alleging defamation and trade libel for posts on Ripoff Report, a website that allows users to post reports about individuals and companies...
- 04/27/2009 - 7:07pm - 0 comments

Ecommerce Innovations v. Doe (Lawsuit)

Date: 07/14/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
On July 14, 2008, jewelry retailer Ecommerce Innovations filed a lawsuit against anonymous Ripoff Report posters who allegedly made "false and disparaging statements of fact about the [company's] products and services." Ecommerce allleged that Does 1-5 posted the comments...
- 04/27/2009 - 6:29pm - 0 comments

New York v. Sherwood

Date: 04/17/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Print, Website
Ontario County District Attorney R. Michael Tantillo subpoenaed Canandaigua Messenger Post reporter Julie Sherwood to testify at the DWI trial of Canandaigua Town Supervisor Lloyd Kinnear — the second such subpoena in the case. Attorney Michael J. Grygiel, a partner with...
- 04/26/2009 - 1:23pm - 0 comments

Orix v. Predatorix

Date: 04/24/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Material Removed, Retraction Issued, Settled (total), Verdict (plaintiff)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Texas
Publication: Website
In the course of an ongoing lawsuit, Orix Capital Markets, LLC filed a counterclaim against Super Future Equities, Inc., Schumann Rafizadeh, Cyrus Rafizadeh, Houman Thomas Arjmandi, and Keon Michael Arjmandi.  The counterclaim alleged that the defendants set up a website -- www.predatorix.com...
- 04/22/2009 - 12:05pm - 0 comments

Joyner v. Lazzareschi

Date: 09/26/2005
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (partial)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum, Website
Jeffrey Joyner, a California soccer coach, sued Jerry Lazzareschi, the operator of the forum Soccertalk.com, and his domain registrar Domains by Proxy, Inc., after a number of allegedly false and defamatory statements about Joyner appeared on Lazzareschi's forum site.   Joyner coached two...
- 04/22/2009 - 10:34am - 0 comments

New Jersey v. Jane Doe

Date: 03/01/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Criminal Charge
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Social Network
In late March 2009, the Passaic County Sheriff's office arrested a 14-year-old New Jersey girl and charged her with possession and distribution of child pornography after she posted nearly 30 nude photos of herself on MySpace.com.  This case has has received substantial...
- 04/21/2009 - 6:42pm - 0 comments

Grogan v. Hilliard

Date: 05/30/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Broadcast, Print, Website
On May 30, 2008, John Grogan filed a lawsuit in California state against Ralph Hilliard, John Trimarco, Joseph Paolella, Jack Trimarco & Associates Polygraph/Investigations, Inc., Wordnet Solution, Inc., and several John Does alleging defamation, invasion of privacy (false light), and intentional infliction...
- 04/21/2009 - 6:07pm - 0 comments

Barnes v. Yahoo!

Date: 05/24/2005
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Oregon
Publication: Social Network
On May 24, 2005, Cecilia Barnes filed a lawsuit against Yahoo! for negligently failing to remove unauthorized profiles from its Yahoo! Profiles website.  The profiles were created by Barnes' ex-boyfriend, and contained nude photos of Barnes and her work contact...
- 04/21/2009 - 5:08pm - 0 comments

Equidyne Corporation v. Does

Date: 05/16/2002
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (partial), Settled (partial), Subpoena Enforced
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Delaware
Publication: Forum
On May 16, 2002, Equidyne Corporation, a medical device company, sued twenty-one John Doe defendants (identified by pseudonyms) who posted statements about the company on the Yahoo! and Lycos financial message boards. Equidyne claimed that the defendants were...
- 04/21/2009 - 4:53pm - 0 comments

CW 11 News v. Improv Everywhere

Date: 04/01/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Website
After receiving a copyright complaint from the Tribune Company, YouTube took down a video from comedic performance group Improv Everywhere that allegedly infringed copright in a CW 11 (WPIX-TV) news broadcast. The CW 11 broadcast discussed an Improv...
- 04/20/2009 - 1:49pm - 0 comments

Davis v. Google

Date: 04/09/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Blog
Cherie Davis, mother of 2006 gold medal winner Shani Davis, the first African American speed skater to make the U.S. Olympic team, sued Google, Inc. in Illinois state court, seeking an injunction requiring the company to take down a blog post written...
- 04/16/2009 - 12:48pm - 0 comments

Raintree Homes v. Silverstein

Date: 07/10/2001
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (partial), Settled (partial)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Publication: Website
In July 2001, real estate developer Raintree Homes, Inc., filed suit against Carl Silverstein alleging trademark infringement and dilution under the Lanham act and common law claims including defamation, unfair competition, and trade libel. The complaint, filed in the United States...
- 04/15/2009 - 6:48pm - 0 comments

Goldman, Sachs v. Morgan

Date: 04/08/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Settled (total)
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Website
Banking and securities firm Goldman, Sachs & Co. sent a cease-and-desist letter to blogger Michael Morgan alleging that his websites infringed the firm's "Goldman Sachs" trademark.  The websites -- www.goldmansachs666.com and www.goldmansachs13.com -- serve as "an open forum for...
- 04/15/2009 - 3:41pm - 0 comments

Brandon v. Wizeman

Date: 04/09/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Settled (total), Verdict (plaintiff)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: South Carolina
Publication: Blog
Scott Brandon, the head of an ad agency, filed a defamation lawsuit in South Carolina state court against Donald Wizeman over statements published on the Myrtle Beach Insider blog.  According to The Sun News, Brandon alleged that Wizeman...
- 04/14/2009 - 11:40am - 0 comments

Esfeller v. The Daily Reveille

Date: 03/16/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Louisiana
Publication: Print, Website
In March 2009, Terrance Esfeller filed a defamation lawsuit in Louisiana state court against Louisiana State University, its student newspaper The Daily Reveille, faculty advisers to the newspaper, and its top student editors. The lawsuit revolves around anonymous comments posted on ...
- 04/13/2009 - 6:43pm - 0 comments

First Cash Financial Services v. Yahoo! Inc.

Date: 07/30/2003
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
First Cash Financial Services, a Texas-based company operating a chain of pawn shops and cash checking services, obtained a subpoena from a California state court requiring Yahoo to provide identifying information for an individual who posted anonymous comments to Fast...
- 04/13/2009 - 5:35pm - 0 comments

First Cash Financial Services v. Doe

Date: 08/19/2002
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California, Texas
Publication: Forum
First Cash Financial Services, a Texas-based company operating a chain of pawn shops and cash checking services, sued a John Doe defendant in Texas state court.  The complaint alleged breach of contract arsing out of critical statements about the firm's...
- 04/13/2009 - 4:57pm - 0 comments

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