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.

Noiseux v. Avila

Date: 06/22/2005
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Connecticut
Publication: Forum
In June of 2005, Robert Noiseux sued Donna and Edward Avila, Jennifer Hart, and Raymond Sulich after statements about him appeared on Canterbury Web: Canterbury's Un-Official Town Forum.  According to the complaint, the Avilas owned and operated the website, and...
- 03/27/2009 - 12:37pm - 0 comments

Lennar Corporation v. Minkow

Date: 09/19/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Website
Lennar Corporation and Lennar Homes of California, Inc. filed a lawsuit in Florida state court against Barry Minkow, the Fraud Discovery Institute, Inc., Briarwood Capital, LLC, Nicolas Marsch III, and several unnamed defendants. Lennar alleged that Minkow, acting in concert...
- 03/24/2009 - 7:12pm - 0 comments

Wisconsin v. Haluska

Date: 05/22/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Convicted
Type: Criminal Charge
Jurisdiction: Wisconsin
Publication: Social Network
On May 20, 2008 Wisconsin realtor Kent Haluska was arrested and charged with criminal defamation.  According to press accounts, Haluska posted statements on the Real Estate networking site ActiveRain.com linking a fellow realtor to the Russian mafia.  Haluska was also...
- 03/24/2009 - 4:49pm - 0 comments

The Traditional Cat Association v. Gilbreath

Date: 05/22/2002
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (partial), Material Removed, Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Website
On May 22, 2002, Diane Fineran and The Traditional Cat Association (TTCA), filed a lawsuit against Laura Gilbreath, Lee Zimmerman, Randi Briggs, John Herold, Diane Dunaway, and Traditional Cat Association (TCA), claiming unfair competition, defamation, and conversion.  The individuals in this case are all cat...
- 03/24/2009 - 4:13pm - 0 comments

Novins v Cannon (Lawsuit)

Date: 02/13/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (partial)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Forum
On February 13, 2009, Charles Novins, a New Jersey attorney, filed a lawsuit on behalf of himself and his law firm, alleging that nine individuals posted defamatory statements about him "in a world-wide forum." Novins attached to his complaint a copy of...
- 03/19/2009 - 4:33pm - 0 comments

Novins v. Cannon (Letter)

Date: 01/30/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Lawsuit Filed
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Forum
On January, 30, 2009, Charles Novins, an attorney in New Jersey, sent a letter to Kevin A. Cannon stating that he was planning to file a lawsuit against Cannon, Cannon's employer TSB Bearings, Inc., and several others who were not named, for...
- 03/19/2009 - 4:32pm - 0 comments

Parker v. United States Chess Federation

Date: 02/20/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (partial)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Publication: Forum
On February 20, 2008, Gordon Roy Parker filed a lawsuit in federal court in Pennsylvania against the United States Chess Federation and several of its board members, including William Goichberg, Paul Truong, Susan Polgar, and Joel Channing. Parker alleged that...
- 03/19/2009 - 12:08pm - 0 comments

Thomas & Betts Corp. v. Does 1-50

Date: 05/12/2000
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
On May 12, 2000, Thomas & Betts Corporation, an electrical connector manufacturer, brought a John Doe lawsuit in California state court against several anonymous posters to a Yahoo message board about the company.  The company alleged that certain of the...
- 03/12/2009 - 4:27pm - 0 comments

Sienna/Johnson Development v. Calvin

Date: 12/13/2005
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Injunction Issued, Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Texas
Publication: Forum
In December 2005, Texas real estate developer Sienna/Johnson Development and its senior vice president Douglas Goff sued Chris Calvin and the Committee for Responsible Development (an organization co-chaired by Calvin).  Sienna and Goff alleged that Calvin posted critical comments about them on...
- 03/12/2009 - 11:54am - 0 comments

New York Times v. Newser

Date: 02/01/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Website
On February 25, 2009, Michael Wolff, founder of Newser, blogged that Newser had recently received a letter from the New York Times requesting that it stop using the Times' "T" logo.  Newser is a news aggregator and curator...
- 03/11/2009 - 4:07pm - 0 comments

Lesher v. Topix

Date: 02/03/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: California, Texas
Publication: Forum
On February 03, 2009, Mark and Rhonda Lesher filed a defamation lawsuit against anonymous messageboard posters on Topix.com.  Self-described as "the world's largest community news site," Topix.com aggregates news articles and hosts messageboards for users to comment and discuss.  According...
- 03/11/2009 - 2:52pm - 0 comments

Stillwater Lakes Civic Association v. Gorka

Date: 12/18/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Publication: Website
The Board of Directors of Stillwater Lakes Civic Association (the "Association"), a homeowner's assocation, sued a local watchdog organization and its members over websites that allegedly infringed the Association's trademarks.  Stillwater Lakes Community Activist ("Community Activist"), an organization of Stillwater Lakes property...
- 03/11/2009 - 2:40pm - 0 comments

Dart v. Craigslist, Inc.

Date: 03/05/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Illinois
Publication: Forum
Thomas Dart, the Sheriff of Cook County, Illinois, filed a lawsuit against online classified site Craigslist, alleging that the site is a "public nuisance" because its users have posted ads in the "erotic services" category that facilitate prostitution....
- 03/10/2009 - 8:51pm - 0 comments

State of Wisconsin v. Janzig

Date: 06/25/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Convicted
Type: Criminal Charge
Jurisdiction: Wisconsin
Publication: Email
In 2008, the state of Wisconsin brought criminal defamation charges against Laura Janzig.  According to Northland's NewsCenter, Janzig wrote a series of emails to members of the Superior, Wisconsin School District falsely claiming that a teacher was engaging in sexual activity...
- 03/05/2009 - 4:54pm - 0 comments

Woodhull v. Meinel

Date: 01/11/2007
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New Mexico
Publication: Website
Angela Victoria Woodhull sued hacker Carolyn Meinel after Meinel allegedly posted two false and defamatory statements about her on Meinel's website The Happy Hacker.  In 2003, Meinel posted on her website an email message from Woodhull entitled "Please contact me"...
- 03/05/2009 - 2:34pm - 0 comments

Lesher v. Does

Date: 02/03/2009
Status: Pending
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced, Verdict (defendant)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Texas
Publication: Forum
On February 03, 2009, Mark and Rhonda Lesher filed a defamation lawsuit against anonymous messageboard posters on Topix.com.  Self-described as "the world's largest community news site," Topix.com aggregates news articles and hosts messageboards for users to comment and discuss.  According...
- 03/05/2009 - 1:08pm - 0 comments

Finkel v. Facebook

Date: 02/16/2009
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Social Network
Teenager Denise Finkel sued four of her former high school classmates, their parents, and Facebook after the students created a private Facebook group called "90 Cents Short of a Dollar," which allegedly contained false and defamatory statements about her.  The complaint alleges...
- 03/03/2009 - 7:29pm - 0 comments

Zammito v. Havrda

Date: 11/19/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Material Removed, Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Massachusetts
Publication: Website
Automobile salesman Chris Zammito sued former employee Richard Havrda over a gripe site Havrda created at www.zammitoautogroup.com.  Zammito's complaint brought trademark infringment and cybersquatting claims over the site's use of the name "Zammito Auto Group."  As part of the cybersquatting...
- 03/03/2009 - 6:39pm - 0 comments

Singer v. Centropa

Date: 11/21/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Website
On November 21, 2008, John Singer filed a lawsuit against Centropa, a non-profit NGO based in Vienna, Austria, that focuses on documenting Jewish oral history through interviews. Centropa publishes these oral histories on its website, Centropa.org.  Singer's complaint, filed in...
- 03/03/2009 - 6:10pm - 0 comments

Harding v. Green

Date: 12/22/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Injunction Issued, Material Removed, Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Nevada
Publication: Website
Nevada attorney Samuel A. Harding filed a defamation and cybersquatting lawsuit against Joan L. Green after Green allegedly created a website critical of Harding at www.attorneysamharding.com. Harding alleged that Green's site "falsely states that Plaintiff committed illegal and criminal acts in the representation of clients."...
- 02/26/2009 - 5:14pm - 0 comments

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