Overlawyered » nastygrams

“Vague and bumptious legal threats”

Walter Olson — Thu, 26 Apr 2012 11:08:24 +0000

From Ken at Popehat, a righteous response to a bumptious cease and desist letter [Regretsy]

“Vague and bumptious legal threats” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

The gang that couldn’t shake down straight

Walter Olson — Fri, 30 Mar 2012 12:19:48 +0000

Scam pretend-lawyers pose as real Hollywood lawyers firing off nastygrams to shake cash out of illicit downloaders. [Above the Law]

Tags: copyright, fraud, nastygrams, RIAA and file sharing

The gang that couldn’t shake down straight is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Penn Law to Louis Vuitton: zip that nastygram

Walter Olson — Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:20:35 +0000

A student organization at Penn Law created a poster for a fashion-law event playing off the well-known design of luggage-and-handbag purveyor Louis Vuitton. Lawyers for the luxury firm fired off a cease-and-desist letter, but the Penn law department declined to comply, a stance that Eugene Volokh finds persuasive: ” I think the use of the marks can’t qualify as dilution, is unlikely to confuse, and is likely to be a fair use in any event.” Another view: Ron Coleman (dilution a possibility).

Tags: law schools, nastygrams, trademarks

Penn Law to Louis Vuitton: zip that nastygram is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Not very peaceful

Walter Olson — Mon, 05 Mar 2012 14:33:16 +0000

North Carolina’s Peace College sends a nastygram to critics [Peter Bonilla, FIRE] More: Popehat.

Tags: colleges and universities, nastygrams

Not very peaceful is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

January 16 roundup

Walter Olson — Mon, 16 Jan 2012 15:42:18 +0000

Per Chevron, Kerry Kennedy getting undisclosed percentage of the take, potentially in millions, to side with plaintiffs in Ecuador suit [NY Post] Long New Yorker take-out on case [Patrick Radden Keefe]
Freetail Brewing fields a nastygram: “How to Comply With a Cease-and-Desist Letter But Still Win” [Lowering the Bar]
I.e. boycotts illegal? Odd Minnesota law bans economic “reprisals” based on “political activity.” [Volokh]
“Chris McGrath v. Vaughan Jones: An Unpleasant Peek Into U.K. Libel Law” [Popehat; suit over science-and-theology book review] Related: “You Can’t Read This Book: why libel tourists love London” [Nick Cohen, Guardian, on his new book]
Business experience isn’t be-all or end-all for presidential qualifications, but might avert some policy howlers [Kling]
“Arbitration Is Here to Stay and One Lawyer Says That Is Good for Consumers” [Alan Kaplinsky interview, Mickey Meese/Forbes, PoL]
Off-topic random thought: “Iranian nuclear scientist who moonlights in Broadway Spider-Man cast” must be world’s most uninsurable job description;
“D.C. Lawmakers Propose Requiring Students to Apply to College” [Fox]

Tags: arbitration, beer and brewers, Chevron, Minnesota, nastygrams, Robert F. Kennedy Jr., schools, United Kingdom, Washington D.C.

January 16 roundup is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

“Totally Meghan McCain” parody columns

Walter Olson — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 18:02:36 +0000

At RedState, Leon Wolf has been parodying the work of Senatorial daughter and talk-show personality Meghan McCain. McCain’s lawyer, Albin Gess of Snell & Wilmer, wrote RedState editor Erich Erichson to threaten litigation over the posts, which prompted this magnificent letter in response (PDF) from Georgia attorney Christopher Scott Badeaux, representing Wolf. It also guaranteed more critical attention to McCain herself and her work, including this cruel entry by Ken at Popehat.

What Ken calls “the use of money and power to achieve censorship” — particularly in jurisdictions where judges are averse to awarding sanctions and anti-SLAPP protections are weak — is a continuing problem long overdue for open public discussion.

Tags: bloggers and the law, nastygrams, parody

“Totally Meghan McCain” parody columns is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Attorney demand letters

Walter Olson — Sun, 04 Sep 2011 16:08:45 +0000

Should they be nastygrams, or adopt a more measured tone? [Ron Miller]

Tags: nastygrams

Attorney demand letters is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

Help wanted

Walter Olson — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 13:27:28 +0000

Attorney, for intimidation purposes only, no followup required [Elie Mystal, Above the Law]

Tags: lawyers, nastygrams

Help wanted is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

“So You Got My Letter”

Walter Olson — Wed, 22 Jun 2011 14:25:03 +0000

Patrick at Popehat has compiled “A Small Businessman’s Guide To Dealing With Obnoxious Letters From Lawyers.”

Tags: nastygrams, small business

“So You Got My Letter” is a post from Overlawyered - Chronicling the high cost of our legal system

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