Legal Threats Database

legal threats database Welcome to the CMLP's Database of Online Legal Threats! The database contains lawsuits, cease & desist letters, subpoenas, and other legal threats directed at those who engage in online speech. You can view, search, and comment on every entry in the database. Interested in lawsuits against bloggers? You'll find them on the Lawsuits Involving Blogs page. How about threats involving forum posts and user comments? You'll find those here. You can use our advanced search page to sort the entries by any criterion of your choosing, as well as perform full-text searching of the underlying documents.

We need your help to keep the database accurate and up to date. If you've been threatened with legal action or know of someone who has, please let us know by using our contact form or by entering the information directly into the database through our easy to use threat entry form. If you have questions, check out our database FAQ.

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New Threat Entries

  • United States v. Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, USA, Inc.
    Added:
    November 20th, 2009
    On March 2, 2006, Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty (SHAC) and six of its members were convicted of terrorism and Internet stalking under the Animal Enterprise Protection Act. The group was charged with engaging in various forms of harassment and intimidation...
  • Huntingdon Life Sciences, Inc. v. Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, USA Inc.
    Added:
    November 18th, 2009
    Huntingdon Life Sciences (HLS) and one of its employees filed a lawsuit in California state court against Stop Huntingdon Animal Cruelty, USA (SHAC), the Animal Liberation Front (ALF), and animal rights activists associated with both groups.  The plaintiffs sought an injunction against...
  • Florida v. RateMyCop.com
    Added:
    November 18th, 2009
    The Tallahassee Police Department subpoenaed records from RateMyCop.com after an anonymous user posted the name, address, and telephone number of a Tallahassee police officer on the site, according to Wired. When the authorities obtained identifying information for the poster,...
  • Florida v. Brayshaw
    Added:
    November 18th, 2009
    Florida state authorities charged Robert Brayshaw with a misdemeanor for violating Fla. Stat. § 843.17 after he anonymously posted the name, address, and telephone number of a Tallahassee Police Department officer on RateMyCop.com.  Section 843.17 prohibits publication of a law...
  • Jenzabar, Inc. v. Long Bow Group, Inc.
    Added:
    November 11th, 2009
    In 2007, Jenzabar, a company that makes software systems for colleges and universities, sued Long Bow Group, the maker of a documentary film about the 1989 student protests at Tiananmen Square called The Gate of Heavenly Peace. The...
  • Taylor Building Corp. v. Benfield
    Added:
    November 9th, 2009
    On August 5, 2004, Taylor Building Corporation of America, a residential construction business, sued Eric Benfield in Ohio federal court alleging libel, tortious interference, and misappropriation of trade dress. The dispute revolved around Benfield's publication of a self-described "gripe site" that included...
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Most Viewed Threat Entries

  • Doe v. Fortuny
    Total Views:
    33559
    On February 20, 2008, an anonymous plaintiff sued Jason Fortuny in Illinois federal court for copyright infringement, invasion of privacy through the publication of private facts, and intrusion, after Mr. Fortuny allegedly posted his photograph and personal information on the Internet. Mr....
  • Johnson v. Tucker Max
    Total Views:
    16507
    Tucker Max maintains a website detailing his sexual exploits with women. He had a relationship with former Miss Vermont, Katy Johnson, and put the entire story on his website under the title, the "Miss Vermont Story." Johnson sued Max in...
  • Doninger v. Niehoff
    Total Views:
    10870
    Administrators barred a Connecticut high school student from running in a student election after the student critized admininstrators online for their handling of a student festival. In the spring of 2007, Jamfest, a yearly music festival at a Connecticut high school, experienced...
  • Beck v. Eiland-Hall
    Total Views:
    9470
    In September 2009, conservative talk show host and self-described "rodeo clown" Glenn Beck filed an administrative complaint with the WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center under the Uniform Domain Name Dispute Resolution Policy (UDRP) against the privacy...
  • Xyience Inc. v. Bergeron
    Total Views:
    8443
    Xyience Inc., a manufacturer of energy drinks and supplements, sued Rich Bergeron in Nevada state court over statements posted on his MySpace.com page and website, unlimitedfightnews.com. According to the complaint, Bergeron posted an article to his MySpace page that contained allegations that...
  • Julius Baer Bank and Trust v. Wikileaks
    Total Views:
    8288
    On February 6, 2008, Julius Baer Bank and Trust Company, a Cayman Islands banking entity, filed suit in federal court in California against Wikileaks, which is developing an "uncensorable Wikipedia for untraceable mass document leaking and analysis." ...
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