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.

State of Utah v. Ian Lake

Date: 05/18/2000
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Criminal Charge
Jurisdiction: Utah
Publication: Website
In May 2000, Beaver County Utah deputies seized Ian Lake’s computer and arrested the 16-year-old Milford High School student.  Lake was charged with one count of criminal libel in violation of Utah Code section 76-9-502 and one count of criminal slander for...
- 12/19/2008 - 4:10pm - 0 comments

Hammitt v. Busbin

Date: 12/28/2007
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Georgia
Publication: Website
On December 28, 2007, Ed and Brenda Hammitt filed a defamation lawsuit in the Superior Court  of Chattooga County, Georgia against Ken Busbin, Teresa Watson, operator of RomeNewsByWatson.com, and RomeNewsByWatson.com, Inc.  The Hammits alleged that Busbin pseudonymously posted a comment on ...
- 12/17/2008 - 4:44pm - 0 comments

IGIA, Inc. v. Xcentric Ventures, LLC

Date: 01/11/2007
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Default Judgment, Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New York
Publication: Forum
IGIA, Inc., a company that sells vacuum cleaners and other houseware products, sued Xcentric Ventures, LLC and Ed Magedson in federal court in New York over negative user reports published on the Ripoff Report, a consumer complaint website.  IGIA claimed that...
- 12/15/2008 - 6:46pm - 0 comments

EDF Ventures v. Ressi

Date: 07/24/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Subpoena Enforced
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
In August 2008,  Michigan venture capital firm EDF Ventures subpoenaed Adeo Ressi, operator of The Funded, a website that enables entrepreneurs to rate venture capitalists anonymously.  The subpoena issued in connection with a defamation lawsuit against an anonymous commenter to...
- 12/15/2008 - 5:15pm - 0 comments

EDF Ventures v. Doe

Date: 07/24/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
In July 2008,  Michigan venture capital firm EDF Ventures sued an anonymous commenter to The Funded, a website that enables entrepreneurs to rate venture capitalists anonymously.  The lawsuit, which alleges defamation, revolves around a post warning readers to avoid EDF Ventures...
- 12/15/2008 - 4:55pm - 0 comments

Internet Solutions v. Garga-Richardson (2nd Lawsuit)

Date: 07/10/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
After voluntarily dismissing a nearly identical lawsuit in federal court in Florida, Internet Solutions filed a complaint against Archie Garga-Richardson in Los Angeles County Superior Court, alleging defamation, interference with business relationships, trade libel, and unfair competition under California law. Garga-Richardson...
- 12/15/2008 - 12:08pm - 1 comments

Blue Mountain School District v. J.S.

Date: 03/01/2007
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed
Type: Disciplinary Action
Jurisdiction: Pennsylvania
Publication: Social Network
In March 2007, the Blue Mountain School District suspended two eighth-grade students after they created a fake MySpace profile for James McGonigle, principal of the Blue Mountain Middle School in Pennsylvania. The MySpace page did not identify McGonigle by name, but...
- 12/12/2008 - 12:48pm - 0 comments

Thompson v. Gelin

Date: 12/09/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Disciplinary Action
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Blog
Jack Thompson, a former Florida attorney, recently disbarred, filed a complaint with the Florida Bar against JAABlog publisher and attorney William Gelin. Thompson is seeking to have Gelin sanctioned by the Florida Bar (potential punishments range from reprimand to disbarment) because...
- 12/10/2008 - 3:36pm - 0 comments

Dynacq International, Inc. v. Yahoo! Inc.

Date: 06/26/2002
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Subpoena Quashed
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: Texas
Publication: Forum
In June 2002, Dynacq International, Inc. subpoenaed Yahoo! seeking the identity of anonymous posters to its Yahoo! Message Board.  Yaho0! notified the anonymyous posters, and one John Doe moved to quash the subpoena, arguing that the subpoena violated...
- 12/10/2008 - 10:49am - 0 comments

Pembroke Pines Charter High School v. Evans

Date: 12/08/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Disciplinary Action
Jurisdiction: Florida
Publication: Social Network
Katherine Evans, a former student at Pembroke Pines Charter High School, filed a federal lawsuit against the school's principal, alleging that he violated her First Amendment rights by suspending her for creating a Facebook group in which she...
- 12/09/2008 - 3:54pm - 0 comments

Brodie v. Independent Newspapers, Inc. (Subpoena)

Date: 08/01/2006
Status: Pending
Disposition: Material Removed, Subpoena Quashed
Type: Subpoena
Jurisdiction: Maryland
Publication: Forum
Real estate developer and business owner Zebulon Brodie subpoenaed Independent Newspapers, Inc. ("INI") seeking the identity of three anonymous commenters to a community forum hosted by INI.  The subpoena issued in connection with a defamation lawsuit Brodie filed...
- 12/08/2008 - 7:08pm - 0 comments

Brodie v. Independent Newspapers, Inc. (Lawsuit)

Date: 05/26/2006
Status: Pending
Disposition: Dismissed (partial), Material Removed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Maryland
Publication: Forum
Real estate developer and business owner Zebulon Brodie sued Independent Newspapers, Inc. ("INI") and three anonymous commenters to a community forum hosted by INI for defamation and conspiracy. According to a brief filed on appeal,...
- 12/08/2008 - 6:18pm - 0 comments

RSA Enterprises v. Ripoff Report

Date: 04/23/2007
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: New Jersey
Publication: Forum, Other
In April 2007, building contractor RSA Enterprises, Inc. and its owner Raffi Arslanian sued Ripoff Report for defamation and trade libel over a negative report submitted to the consumer complaint website by a dissatisfied customer. In addition,...
- 12/05/2008 - 5:55pm - 0 comments

Matrixx Initiatives v. John Doe

Date: 12/12/2002
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Withdrawn
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Arizona
Publication: Forum
Pharmaceutical company Matrixx Initiatives, Inc. sued several named and anonymous Internet users in Arizone state court over negative posts about the company on the Yahoo! Finance and Silicon Investor message boards.  Although the court filings for the case...
- 12/05/2008 - 5:10pm - 0 comments

Denner v. Gillenwater

Date: 10/10/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: Injunction Issued
Type: Other
Jurisdiction: Massachusetts
Publication: Blog
Derrick Gillenwater sued lawyers Jeffrey Denner and Kevin Barron for malpractice in Massachusetts state court.  During the litigation, Gillenwater allegedly sent a threatening email to Denner and Barron, stating that he would "send his blog posting out to the media" and that...
- 12/03/2008 - 6:26pm - 0 comments

Denner v. Boston Bob

Date: 12/01/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Correspondence
Jurisdiction: Massachusetts
Publication: Blog
On December 1, 2008, the blog-hosting service Blogger removed the blog titled "Jeffrey Denner's ineffective assistance of counsel" after Jeffrey Denner delivered to it a court order prohibiting Derrick Gillenwater from using the words "Jeffrey" or "Denner" or...
- 12/03/2008 - 6:17pm - 0 comments

Stewart v. Oklahoma Publishing Co.

Date: 05/13/2002
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total), Material Removed
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Oklahoma
Publication: Website
Dennis Stewart sued the Oklahoma Publishing Co. and others for publishing the Oklahoma Department of Corrections sex offender registry on NewsOK.com, a regional news website.  The registry incorrectly listed Stewart's address as associated with a registered offender who had previously...
- 12/03/2008 - 1:45pm - 0 comments

MCW, Inc. v. Badbusinessbureau.com

Date: 12/02/2002
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Dismissed (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Texas
Publication: Forum
MCW, Inc., a company providing career counseling under the trademark "Bernard Haldane," sued Badbusinessbureau.com, LLC ("BBB") and Edward Magedson in Texas ...
- 12/03/2008 - 12:14pm - 0 comments

Byrge v. Campfield

Date: 11/01/2008
Status: Pending
Disposition: n/a
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: Tennessee
Publication: Blog
After losing his bid for a seat in the Tennessee House of Representatives, Democratic candidate Roger Byrge sued incumbent Republican Representative Stacey Campfield for libel over statements posted on Campfield's Camp4u blog. ...
- 12/03/2008 - 10:37am - 0 comments

Biegel v. Norberg

Date: 02/25/2008
Status: Concluded
Disposition: Material Removed, Settled (total)
Type: Lawsuit
Jurisdiction: California
Publication: Forum
In February 2008, chiropractor Steven Biegel sued former patient Christopher Norberg and various John Doe defendants over a critical review that Norberg posted to consumer review website Yelp.com. According to the Complaint, the review accused Biegel of being...
- 12/02/2008 - 5:04pm - 0 comments

Pages