Overlawyered » bullying businesses

Forever 21 chain vs. critical blogger

Walter Olson — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 11:07:42 +0000

“When people like Rachel Kane stand up to bullies, it makes it a little bit easier for each and every one of us to stand up to bullies,” writes Ken at Popehat about the blogger who runs a site making fun of some of the wares of the fashion chain Forever 21, and who’s not knuckling under despite a cease-and-desist letter from the store’s lawyer. More coverage: Atlantic Wire; press roundup at WTForever 21.

Tags: bloggers and the law, bullying businesses, nastygrams, Streisand effect

Forever 21 chain vs. critical blogger is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

“Media industry awash in cease-and-desist letters”

Walter Olson — Wed, 01 Jun 2011 05:19:10 +0000

“Spin magazine slapped Eric Rice, a Portland, Oregon Twitter user, with a cease-and-desist over his ‘@Spin‘ Twitter handle…. Spin, however, may just be following the precedent set by other magazines. Entrepreneur, for one, is notorious for bullying small businesses that use the word ‘entrepreneur,’ a term that the magazine claims to own.” [Dylan Stableford, Yahoo Cutline]

Tags: bullying businesses, publishers, Twitter

“Media industry awash in cease-and-desist letters” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Donald Trump, litigation bully

Walter Olson — Fri, 29 Apr 2011 20:35:39 +0000

At Cato at Liberty, I recall a couple of the tycoon’s ventures into the use of defamation litigation to intimidate critics — Reason #1,001 for thoughtful voters to stay well away from him.

P.S. And here’s Radley Balko with Reason #1,002.

Tags: bullying businesses, Donald Trump, libel slander and defamation, politics

Donald Trump, litigation bully is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

“I really don’t care what the law allows you to do…”

Walter Olson — Thu, 17 Mar 2011 17:51:36 +0000

“…It’s a more practical issue. Do you want to send your attorney a check every month indefinitely as I continue to pursue this?” [Paul Alan Levy, CL&P, on a business's threats against the "Insurance Forums" website]

Tags: bullying businesses, libel slander and defamation, online speech

“I really don’t care what the law allows you to do…” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Redskins owner sues Washington City Paper

Walter Olson — Mon, 07 Feb 2011 12:12:10 +0000

“Indeed, the cost of litigation would presumably quickly outstrip the asset value of the Washington City Paper,” wrote one Redskins official in a lawsuit-threatening letter to an investor in the alternative weekly. Not that owner Dan Snyder is a bully trying to silence his critics or anything! [letter from City Paper editor Amy Austin; Romenesko, TBD]

Tags: bullying businesses, football, libel slander and defamation, Washington D.C.

Redskins owner sues Washington City Paper is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

August 6 roundup

Walter Olson — Fri, 06 Aug 2010 12:30:02 +0000

“Vision Media Suit Over Criticism on 800Notes Dismissed” [Paul Alan Levy, Consumer Law & Policy, more; earlier here and here]
“In Search Of a Definition for the term ‘Patent Troll’” [Gene Quinn, IP Watchdog]
U.K.: “The end of ‘have-a-go’ litigation?” [Guardian, Telegraph]
“Lessons in Blogging”: it won’t kill you to link to opposing views [Turkewitz]
Briefing and fairness hearing in Volkswagen sunroof leak settlement [CCAF]
Troublesome treaty signed by US on ADA anniversary: “Ratification of the Disabilities Convention Would Erode American Sovereignty” [Steven Groves, Heritage]
Abolish summary judgment? Now hold on a minute [Ronald Miller]
A strong liability-reform advocate on a Democratic national ticket? It happened when Gore slated Sen. Lieberman as VP pick [ten years ago on Overlawyered]

Tags: bullying businesses, CCAF, disabled rights, international human rights, legal blogs, patent trolls, procedure, United Kingdom, Volkswagen

August 6 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

“Fight with student may wreck tow firm”

Walter Olson — Tue, 25 May 2010 11:59:16 +0000

The lawsuit against Justin Kurtz over his Facebook page “Kalamazoo Residents Against T&J Towing” hasn’t been working out so well for T&J. [Detroit Free Press, earlier]

Tags: bullying businesses, Facebook, Streisand effect

“Fight with student may wreck tow firm” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Princess-Di-as-trademark case

Walter Olson — Fri, 07 May 2010 15:36:04 +0000

If you want to get justice against a bad lawsuit, notes Ron Coleman, you might need to own a Mint.

Tags: bullying businesses, trademarks

Princess-Di-as-trademark case is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Suing critics, competitors not a winning business strategy

Walter Olson — Wed, 05 May 2010 05:06:37 +0000

Or at least it wasn’t for one video firm [Paul Alan Levy, Consumer Law and Policy]

Tags: bullying businesses, competition through litigation, online speech, trademarks

Suing critics, competitors not a winning business strategy is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Facebook page critical of towing company

Walter Olson — Mon, 26 Apr 2010 14:08:25 +0000

T & J Towing of Kalamazoo, Mich. has filed a lawsuit demanding $750,000 from the Western Michigan University student who started the Facebook page “Kalamazoo Residents Against T&J Towing“. [WOOD and Consumerist via Switched; Kalamazoo Gazette (Facebook group reaches 10,000 members); & welcome Kashmir Hill/Above the Law readers]

Tags: bullying businesses, Facebook, libel slander and defamation, Michigan

Facebook page critical of towing company is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system