Magazine High Times and weekly paper Westword sue Colorado over marijuana ad restrictions
“State rules limit recreational pot businesses – but not medical – to advertising in adult-oriented publications”…
Whispers and Warnings
Writer posts complaint about Trail Blazer Magazine
Writer claims to be owed $600 for 3 articles. https://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Trail-Bla … de-1068155…
Author posts complaint about Raider Publishing International
Author claims to be unhappy with this publisher after paying them $3500. https://www.ripoffreport.com/r/Raider-Pu … -m-1090255…
Author posts complaint about christianebookpublisher.com?
An author has posted a complaint about this ebook publisher. https://www.ripoffreport.com/r/christian … iv-1103754…
Author alleges justbrainatwork owes her money
Writer alleges she’s owed $265.00. https://www.ripoffreport.com/r/justbrain … es-1120418…
Best-selling author ‘Zane’ faces financial mess worthy of a plot twist in her steamy novels
“Zane, the renowned Prince George’s County author who has sold millions of steamy novels, has been…
Whispers And Warnings For February 12th
- Best-Selling Author 'Zane' Faces Financial Mess Worthy Of A Plot Twist In Her Steamy Novels
- Author Alleges Justbrainatwork Owes Her Money
- Author Posts Complaint About Christianebookpublisher.com?
- Author Posts Complaint About Raider Publishing International
- Writer posts complaint about Trail Blazer Magazine
- Magazine High Times And Weekly Paper Westword Sue Colorado Over Marijuana Ad Restrictions
- Penguin To Pull Book On Hinduism In India After Legal Row
- Forbes Sale Nears As Final Bids Are Planned
- Philip Seymour Hoffman's Friend Sues Tabloid Over Gay Allegations
- In The Wake Of The Revenge P*rn Epidemic, Dmcadefender.com Announces Their Service To Help (Alleged) Victims Of MyEx.com
Whispers And Warnings For February 5th
- HEY, PUBLISHAMERICA! CHANGING YOUR NAME ISN'T GOING TO WORK!
- Winnipeg mayor sues university, newspaper publisher, writer
- Apple faces $840M e-books claim
- ESPN Photographer Sues Kentucky Sports Radio for Image Copyright Violation
- WHY DIDN'T THEY THINK OF THIS BEFORE?!
- Tom Cruise is the latest celeb to be sued by a screenwriter
Whispers And Warnings For January 29th
- Bloggers Enjoy First Amendment Protection Against Libel Suits
- Texas Parents Sue Six Bullies And Their Parents For Cyberbullying Page
- After Publishing An Article Alleging A Teacher Was Abusive, Freelance Journalist Sues That Teacher For Alleged Defamation
- Pop Star Prince Sues Mega-Fans Who Posted Bootleg Performances Online - Seeking Millions In Damages (Then Immediately Drops The Lawsuits)
- Quentin Tarantino Copyright Lawsuit Says Site Posted Leaked Script
- Dad Spent 2.5 Years In Prison For Blogging About His Divorce
- Lawyer Plans To Drop Lawsuit Over Comments On Columbia Website
Whispers And Warnings For January 23rd
- Lawsuit Over Local Yelp Criticism Raises Questions About On Line Comments
- Iowa Supreme Court to hear defamation suit
- Dermot Desmond to testify in racketeering and defamation case
- MP claims Simon and Garfunkel song was recorded at expense of County Durham stonemasons
- Playboy Is Suing Another Magazine for copyright infringement
- Attorney files lawsuit over comments he says cast him as 'tree mutilator'
- China passes new laws to weed out web anonymity
- UK - Bored with patent trolls? Small fry - prepare for the Design Trolls
Whispers And Warnings For January 15th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9346 Jailing of an Alabama blogger: It's worse than we thought "A New York Times report on the imprisonment of a journalist may have underplayed how chilling the case is." Dow Jones Sues British News Aggregator Ransquawk for Allegedly Stealing 'Hot News' "Dow Jones & Co has filed a lawsuit accusing a London-based news aggregator known as Ransquawk of illegally accessing its news feed, and redistributing its content within seconds of publication to financial professionals and other subscribers." Stripper releases tell-all book "Several 'legitimate' publishing efforts fell through. 'One firm was nervous about a libel suit.'" Science writer prepares suit against ex-TV host "A popular science writer has prepared a lawsuit against a former talk-show anchor, claiming his reputation was damaged during online debates." Judge lets defamation lawsuit proceed against John Woodell "We are very pleased the court very thoroughly analyzed all of the arguments, and rejected the assertion that anything goes when talking about a politician..." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9346 …
Whispers And Warnings For January 8th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9345 When Corporations Want Profits, They Don't Ask for Permission "Large retail companies are stealing the work of independent artists - and forcing them to remain silent about it." Judge says Sherlock Holmes is in the public domain, but Conan Doyle estate fights on "A federal judge ruled that the characters of Sherlock Holmes, John Watson, and many others from Arthur Conan Doyle's stories are in the public domain, but the Conan Doyle estate says Sherlock Holmes still isn't free for use." What Could Have Entered the Public Domain on January 1, 2014? A partial list - On the Road, Atlas Shrugged, The Cat in the Hat... Since the law changed in 1978, they won't be in the public domain until 2053. In Louisville courts, serial lawsuit filers hit with wrath of judges "In November, Louisville resident Edward Flint filed a lawsuit against the publisher and top editors of The Courier-Journal, claiming they had ignored his allegations of corruption by local judges and public officials - and that the newspaper executives were part of a cover-up. The newspaper is only the most recent of Flint's legal targets..." https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9345 …
WHISPERS AND WARNINGS FOR JANUARY 3RD
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9344 Lady Gaga's Ex Threatens Lawsuit Over Bad Guy Portrayal In New Book "Lady Gaga's ex, L…
WHISPERS AND WARNINGS FOR DECEMBER 27TH
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9342 Shia LaBeouf Apologizes For Plagiarizing New Short Film From Obscure Comic After The Internet Called Him Out "Shia LaBeouf is in hot water today after the Internet called out the actor for plagiarizing his new short film 'HowardCantour.com' from Daniel Clowes' obscure 2007 comic 'Justin M. Damiano.'" Partner says 'Carson' biography author stiffed him "Henry 'Bombastic' Bushkin shafted his business partner, denying him a share of the profits from his scathing biography of Johnny Carson a new lawsuit claims." Concerned About Thai Navy Defamation Case against Reporters "The United Nations human rights office today urged the Government of Thailand to drop criminal defamation charges against two journalists who wrote about the alleged involvement of the Thai Navy with human trafficking." Want To Know Amazon's Confidential Settlement Terms For A Keyword Advertising Lawsuit? Merry Christmas! "...trademark owners will find Amazon's concessions interesting..." More Than One Prodigal Son "The first few years I taught undergraduates, I kept a box of tissues in my office in case of office-hour tears. A box would last a semester, particularly when the tears flowed because I had flunked a bunch of students for plagiarism. When tear-stained plagiarists showed up in my office, waving their F papers, tearing their hair and rending their garments, I told them to buy their own damned tissues." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9342 …
WHISPERS AND WARNINGS FOR DECEMBER 18TH
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9341 I'm Your Lawyer, Mr. Grinch "Thank you, (Mr. Grinch), for visiting our offices to explore the possibility of a defamation claim regarding statements recently made about you..." After latest shooting, murder manual author calls for book to be taken 'immediately' out of print "It was an accessory in the arsenal of Karl Pierson, the student who opened fire last week inside a Colorado high school, leaving one girl in a coma before taking his own life. 'The Anarchist Cookbook,' which Pierson read before his rampage, isn't a guide to culinary revolution. It's the original how-to of homicide and mass murder - and sales are still raging, with distribution from the likes of Amazon and Barnes & Noble, even as the work is linked to terrorist acts around the world." It has sold more than 200 million copies. fishbat, Leader in Online Marketing Companies, Comments on YouTube's Increasing Copyright Claims "fishbat, a leader in online marketing companies, responds to an article published by Kotaku on December 13th, which reports that YouTube's new copyright claims might cripple professional YouTubers." Lawsuit Challenges 'Happy Birthday To You' Copyright Claim By Warner/Chappell, Music Giant "While it is has a place in the Guinness Book of World Records as the "most recognized" song of all time, 'Happy Birthday To You' - the full title of the song best known as simply, 'Happy Birthday' - is probably the most bootlegged song of all time as well." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9341 …
WHISPERS AND WARNINGS FOR DECEMBER 11TH
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9339 Spanish publisher pulls sexist 'joke' book "A Spanish 'joke' book derided as sexist has been pulled from the shelves amid threats of a lawsuit from a women's group." Tom Cruise's $50 Million Lawsuit: Magazine Publisher Wants Him to Pay Their Legal Fees "Lawyers for Bauer Publishing are asking Magistrate Judge Jacqueline Chooljian to order Cruise to pay $35,000 in legal fees associated with his attempt to tie the company to alleged anti-Semitism in his lawsuit..." Creative Revenge P*rn Charges Filed In California "The Attorney General of California announced today that her office is seeking criminal charges against the operator of a "revenge p*rn" website..." Former interns battling to change the culture of US work "Lucy Bickerton sued a company that she interned with - and won." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9339 …
Whispers And Warnings For December 4th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9337 Interesting allegations about Nicholas Sparks' latest book "In an Amazon review of the book, one reader noted that the ending first appeared as 'Who'll Take the Son,' a Christian parable that can easily be found all over the Internet, although its origin and author appear uncertain." Archie Comics CEO accused of discriminating against male employees "Male employees of the comic publisher say Nancy Silberkleit referred to them as 'p*nis' in place of their names. The lawsuit also alleges that Silberkleit brought members of the Hell's Angels to the company's New York office to intimidate employees, and frequently inquired about the location of a handgun she says her late husband kept at the office." Bob Dylan Could Be In Trouble for 'Incitement to Hatred' in France "In an interview, Dylan indirectly compared Nazis to Croatians by referencing war crimes committed against minority Serbians." Judge dismisses Tom Cruise's attempt to link mag publisher with Nazism "A judge supervising Tom Cruise's defamation lawsuit against magazine publisher, Bauer Media, has dismissed the star and his legal team's claims that linked the publisher with Nazism and Hitler worship." Hotfile Ordered to Pay $80M for Copyright Infringement "Hotfile must pay $80 million in damages for copyright infringement and cease operations, the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida ruled on Tuesday." HERE'S A COMPANY WE'LL NEVER BUY FROM! - Couple fined for negative online review, allegedly violated KlearGear.com's so-called non-disparagement clause in its customer agreement terms "A Utah couple is facing a $3,500 fine and a damaged credit score for doing what many people do after a bad purchasing experience: posting an online review." The couple plans to sue (of course). Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9337 …
Whispers And Warnings For November 29th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9335 The Legal Feud Behind Blackwater Founder's Memoir The Mercenary, His Ghosts, and the CIA... Man Allegedly Gets Back at Journalists by Linking Their Names to a (bleep!!!) site A lawsuit claims that one disgruntled businessman from New Jersey opted to go a different, much quirkier route, by linking journalists' domain names to a porn website specializing in (bleep!!!) videos. Mossad book sparks NIS 4 million lawsuit by journalist Ronen Bergman claims authors plagiarized his work in the latest twist of a legal battle over the story of Israel's secret service. Polish Forbes mag issues apology to Jewish community The Polish edition of Forbes magazine apologized for three articles about the restitution of prewar property of Jewish communities that targeted the leaders of Poland's organized Jewish community and several Jewish organizations. Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9335 …
Whispers And Warnings For November 20th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9334 Will states and consumers sue Apple over e-book prices? "This summer a judge ruled that Apple arranged a conspiracy with major publishers to raise e-book prices. Now Apple faces a class action lawsuit from plaintiff states and a consumer class." Author's Guild to appeal judge's decision in Google book scanning suit (of course!) "Google has emerged victorious in its eight-year battle for its Books service, with a judge ruling that Google's use of copyrighted material was allowed under fair use." Local Politician Working On Bill To Criminalize Revenge Sites "They're sites of revenge and spite where anonymous users post lewd pictures and scurrilous accusations, calling their victims drug and sex addicts and worse." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9334 …
Whispers And Warnings For November 13th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9332 Tom Cruise's attorney compares journalist to a Nazi as intimidating new letters are revealed in ongoing $50m court battle "Documents obtained by RadarOnline in conjuction with the actor's court battle, show Bert Fields using intimidation tactics in attempt to quash a story by The Hollywood Reporter's Kim Masters, which discussed the effect a Vanity Fair article on Scientology would have on Cruise's career." 'Doctor Who' Time Machine Copyright Challenged "Writer Tony Coburn's son, Stef Coburn, has launched a provocative copyright claim that argues that 'Tardis,' the time machine that looks like a blue police phone box, no longer belongs to the BBC." When can you legally copy someone else's work? "Attorney explains how 'fair use' works." Music publishers' association issues takedown notices to 50 lyrics websites "The US National Music Publishers' Association has sent takedown notices to the top 50 sites that host song lyrics without a licence." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9332 …
Whispers And Warnings For November 6th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9330 MARVIN GAYE HEIRS SUE 'BLURRED LINES' ARTISTS "Robin Thicke's summertime hit "Blurred Lines" is an illegal rip-off of Marvin Gaye's "Got to Give It Up," Gaye's children claim in court documents filed Wednesday." HOUSTON WOMAN SUES RAP START 50 CENT OVER PHOTO "A Houston woman is suing rap star 50 Cent for copyright infringement, claiming the performer has used a photograph she took." PLAGIARISM IN SEVERAL SPACE HISTORY ARTICLES "Several space history articles written by one author and published in venues like Ars Technica appear to be plagiarized from other sources." FEWER STUDENTS REPORTED FOR CHEATING, PLAGIARISM VIOLATIONS "The number of cheating and plagiarism violations reported at GW dropped 20 percent last year, the first decrease in three years." MOSCOW REGION GOVERNOR RESIGNS FROM UNIVERSITY POST, AVOIDING PLAGIARISM CHARGES "Governor of the Moscow region Andrei Vorobyov resigned from his position at the Higher School of Economics two days before an investigation into allegations of plagiarism was set to begin." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9330 …
Whispers And Warnings For October 30th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9329 Yelpers Suing Review Site Over "Unpaid Wages" WritersWeekly predicts this lawsuit will be dismissed. UMaine professor: Newspapers lied about 'War of the Worlds' hysteria to smear radio "There's only one problem: The supposed panic was so tiny as to be practically immeasurable on the night of the broadcast. Despite repeated assertions to the contrary in the PBS and NPR programs, almost nobody was fooled by Welles' broadcast." Conde Nast Ends Intern Program, Raising Question: Are Internships About the Money? "Conde Nast's decision to discontinue its program next year comes as the company faces a class-action lawsuit over its intern pay practices. Earlier this year, two former interns filed a lawsuit claiming the publisher failed to pay them minimum wage." Is The NFL Committing Copyright Infringement By Using Photos Without Consent? "On October 21, 2013, seven photographers filed a federal lawsuit in the Southern District of New York against the National Football League (NFL), Replay Photos, Getty Images and the Associated Press. The lawsuit requests damages for copyright infringement." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9329 …
Whispers And Warnings For October 23rd
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9328 Writer/Biologist who refused to write for free was (allegedly) called an Urban Whore by Biology-Online.org editor. Biology-Online had (allegedly) only offered her the old "exposure" line we writers hear all the time. The editor has since been fired. Beatles documentary sparks $100 million lawsuit against Sony/ATV "According to the suit, filed in U.S. district court in New York last week, the company that filmed the concert allowed the film to be transferred without copyright protection, and that no copyright was ever filed on the performances, putting them in the public domain." Harper Lee sues hometown museum "The legendary author doesn't like the museum using her name and the book's title on souvenirs without her approval or any compensation." Damages in E-Book Case Pegged at $307 Million "A filing from the plaintiff states and consumer class made public this week puts the total damages in their lawsuit against Apple over fixing e-book prices at more than $307 million." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9328 …
Whispers And Warnings For October 14th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9325 eBook Sales Down Almost 4% in the First Half of 2013, AAP Reports "...total ebook and audiobook sales (across all segments) decreased by 3.6% for the first 6 months of 2013 ($828.4 million vs $860 million)." The Secrets of Bezos What's Jeff Bezos like behind closed doors? Would you want to work for this guy? Two Philly Inquirer owners sue company, publisher "Two owners of The Philadelphia Inquirer sued their company and publisher Thursday over this week's firing of Pulitzer Prize-winning editor Bill Marimow..." Delaware judge lifts veil covering Al Jazeera-AT&T case "Al Jazeera must unseal its lawsuit against AT&T Inc within five business days after a Delaware judge sided on Monday with news organizations that objected to secrecy in the case." Two suits seek withheld police report from Sparta "After repeatedly proclaiming their support for transparency, Sparta officials will now have an opportunity to explain to a judge how their notion of transparency comports with denying access to public records." Hero of Captain Phillips Movie Portrayed as Villain in Lawsuit "The big movie this weekend is the well-reviewed Captain Phillips, a high-seas piracy drama based on a 2009 hijacking in which Tom Hanks plays the eponymous Richard Phillips. In real life, some of Phillips's former crew members are complaining about how Hollywood told their story." Small university shop at centre of India publishing row "Cambridge University Press, Oxford University Press and Taylor & Francis have filed a lawsuit against Delhi University and a small shop for producing "course packs" -- de facto "textbooks" made of photocopied portions of various books..." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9325 …
Whispers And Warnings For October 9th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9322 Madeleine McCann's parents' pain at losing her was 'multiplied 100 times' by police chief's book "Speaking at the libel trial of former police chief Goncalo Amaral, Mrs Cameron (Gerry McCann's sister) said the publication of his book in 2008 and a TV documentary based on it the following year caused the family to be 'vilified' and 'demonised'." Stephen Baldwin Gets Book He Didn't Write Thrown at Him in Publishing Lawsuit "Stephen Baldwin has allegedly violated the First Commandment of publishing: Thou shalt not pocket your book advance without eventually ponying up a draft." Hatchette wants their $110K advance back! ATF tries to block whistleblowing agent's Fast and Furious book 1st Amendment battle over 'gun-walking' expose. Calgary publisher brings legal battle against Canadian Standards Association to Parliament "In a last ditch escalation of a legal battle that could bankrupt his family business, a Calgary publisher of an electrical manual is taking his fight to Parliament this week..." Apple, Simon & Schuster appeal price-fix ruling in e-book case "Apple will continue to fight the allegations that it conspired with some of the largest book publishers to fix e-book prices. Apple notified the Second Circuit Court of Appeals that it intends to appeal a July district court decision that found Apple violated antitrust laws. In addition, Apple and Simon & Schuster, the CBS-owned book publisher, also notified the appeals court that they want it to toss out an injunction..." How Ralph Nader became D.C. libraries' biggest headache (and pissed off a whole neighborhood) "Ralph Nader, according to his critics, has become the single greatest obstacle to the redevelopment of D.C.'s public libraries." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9322 …
Whispers And Warnings For October 2nd
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9319 Yahoo! settles copyright lawsuit with Singapore news publisher "US Internet giant Yahoo! has settled a two-year lawsuit filed by Asian media group Singapore Press Holdings (SPH) over the reproduction of its news content without permission." EA Sports Cuts 'NCAA Football' Series, Settles Lawsuit "In the summer, the NCAA stopped allowing EA Sports to use its name or logo... after former players sued over their likenesses being used for free." Harry Winston sues failed ad agency for $1M "Jeweler to the stars Harry Winston is suing defunct luxury ad agency Lipman and its parent, Revolate Holdings, for leaving it nearly $2 million out of pocket." Danish drama: The curious case of a journalist and a plagiarised Britney Spears essay "Jean Hannah Edelstein was delighted when an obscure article she'd written about Britney Spears became a part of the Danish curriculum. But when she learnt that knock-off study notes about her piece were being flogged online, she set out to track the perps down." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9319 …
Whispers And Warnings For September 25th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9316 Eminem copyright infringement case has court date "Eight Mile Style accused Facebook of using Eminem song 'Under the Influence' during April advertising campaign." Tattoo Artist Looks to Show Value of Copyright Claim Against Videogame Publisher Christopher Escobedo demanded $4.16 million for unauthorized use of his "Lion Tattoo" in "UFC Undisputed." McBride publisher in TV tussle The publisher of Damian McBride's memoirs is facing questions from police after tussling with a protester as the former spin doctor gave a live television interview. Google Books Case Appears Ready to Be Decided It took Judge Denny Chin less than 40 minutes yesterday to hear oral arguments on the cross motions for summary judgment in the Authors Guild's long-running lawsuit against Google over its library book scanning project. Photo plagiarist said financial woes made him steal pic The 22-year-old amateur photographer who has come under fire for submitting somebody else's work as his own to a photo contest said he was forced to commit plagiarism because of financial troubles. Plagiarizing poet withdraws from contest. Wait, poets plagiarize? The poet C.J. Allen has withdrawn his poem, "Explaining the Plot of Blade Runner to My Mother Who Has Alzheimers," from the shortlist of Britain's Forward Poetry prize after admitting to plagiarizing some early poems. Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9316 …
Whispers And Warnings For September 18th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9315 How TheWrap's Investigation Led to Bauer Media Shutting A Pro-Nazi Magazine "It isn't often that TheWrap gets to play a role in shutting down a pro-Nazi publication, which happened last week in Germany." Federal Court Restricts Apple's Ebook Deals "Apple must comply with a series of new restrictions on its ebook contracts, according to an injunction issued last week by a federal court in New York City." Village People's Victor Willis wins copyright case "Village People star Victor Willis has won a long-running legal battle to reclaim the rights to more than 30 of the disco group's hit songs." US journalist faces US$10M defamation lawsuit in Pakistan "The Muttahida Qaumi Movement (MQM) issued a 10-million-dollar defamation notice to The New York Times' former Islamabad bureau chief, Declan Walsh, and the editor, printer and publisher of the newspaper..." Another politician sued for (allegedly) using a copyrighted photo "A Sept. 11 photo of three New York City firefighters erecting an American flag has landed former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin's political action committee in hot water with a New Jersey-based publisher, who has decided to sue the group for copyright infringement." Poetry plagiarism scandal plays out "A Brisbane poet should apologise for serial plagiarism, according to a pair of literary Sherlocks who have uncovered evidence of borrowed material." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9315 …
Whispers And Warnings For September 11th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9314 Amazon's Book Publishing Chief Accused Of Sexual Assault In Lawsuit "Laurence 'Larry' Kirshbaum, Amazon's book publishing chief, has been accused of sexually harassing and assaulting a former lover, according to a lurid New York State lawsuit." Lance Armstrong and his publishers win class action lawsuit brought by readers "Judge rules doping lies were 'free speech.'" Yahoo, Facebook file suits on surveillance orders "Pummeled by continuing reports about their role in NSA surveillance programs, major Internet companies are intensifying their push to publish more information on government orders." Suggestive and Freely Distributed Magazine Banned in Moscow "Flirt v Bolshom Gorode (Flirting in the Big City) has been shut down following a decision by a Moscow region court." Boston Common Press tactics anger consumers "Brookline-based Boston Common Press, best known for publishing Cook's Illustrated magazine and producing the show 'America's Test Kitchen,' has also won a less-desirable reputation for how the company sells subscriptions and books." Company makes coloring book to tell 'the truth' about terrorism, spoofs Rolling Stone's Tsarnaev cover "A Missouri company's coloring book, which purports to tell the 'truth' about terrorists, contains images criticizing Usama bin Laden and Boston Marathon bomber Dzhokhar Tsarnaev after he was featured on a controversial Rolling Stone cover." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9314 …
Whispers And Warnings For September 4th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9313 Warner Music Aims to Keep 'Happy Birthday' Away From Public Domain "The music publisher points out some key flaws in a lawsuit that looks to establish that "Happy Birthday" belongs to all." Don't tread on Chubby Checker "Famed singer Chubby Checker is suing Hewlett Packard for using his name - which he has trademarked - on a mobile phone software application." Heads up, ebook buyers: Here's how much you're likely to get in the Apple ebook settlement "Consumers who bought eligible ebooks between 2010 and 2012 are likely to receive up to $3.06 per book." Airline passenger buys tweet promotion to shame airline into finding lost luggage And, it worked! Former Patch editor sues over treatment during pregnancy, chronic illness "In a lawsuit filed Tuesday in federal district court, the former editor alleges abusive tactics." College papers cutting back on print editions "At least three college newspapers announced this month that they're going to cut their print schedules..." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9313 …
Whispers And Warnings For August 28th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9312 Scottie Pippen loses appeal of suit over reports on his finances "Former pro basketball star Scottie Pippen has lost his appeal of a lawsuit that sought damages for publication of inaccurate reports about his finances." Bully book co-authors accuse each other of bullying, plagiarism "A former Canadian business exec and a U.S. bestselling author were to write a book together on bullying. Now they're in a legal battle over plagiarism and bullying allegations." Citing Steve Jobs email, DOJ claims Apple changed in-app purchase to retaliate against Amazon "The federal government outlined a revised punishment for Apple in the ebook pricing case Friday. It argued that Apple changed its in-app purchase rules to retaliate against Amazon. And it wants to make big changes in the way Apple does business in the iTunes Store." Correction Department reverses ban on novel "The state Department of Correction has banned and then lifted its ban on Wally Lamb's best-selling novel She's Come Undone." Las Vegas Sun, Review-Journal square off in lawsuit "There is a battle brewing between the two newspapers that serve southern Nevada, and one of them could disappear." Manager explains seized newspapers, firing "(When asked) whether she took any copies of the Mount Pleasant Review's August edition. The publisher, Cindy Stafford, estimated about 250 were taken in bulk from local businesses and not by individual readers. Williams admitted she did take some." Plagiarism can ruin reputations and careers! "A longtime Yellowstone County official accused of plagiarizing an anti-Obama editorial in a letter to the editor he submitted to The Billings Gazette also may have plagiarized a petition to impeach the president in another letter to the editor published in June." Sisters must pay their uncle $125K in libel damages "A judge has ordered two sisters from Ancaster, Ont., to pay their uncle $125,000 in libel damages for falsely accusing him of sexually assaulting them in a rural farmhouse when they were children." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9312 …
Whispers And Warnings For August 21st
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9310 Complaint about Carmel Business Sales in Carmel, CA / Mike Russell Writer claims he's owed $600. Trial on Damages in Apple E-Books Litigation Set for May, 2014 "A trial has been set for next May to determine potential monetary damages against Apple Inc. ( AAPL ) after a federal judge found last month that the technology firm colluded with publishers to drive up the price of electronic books." Court says skipping ads (when recording shows) doesn't violate copyright. "On Wednesday, the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit issued a landmark ruling that modern digital video recorders with the ability to automatically skip commercials are permitted under copyright's fair use doctrine." Barnes & Noble tanks 16% as buyout bid fizzles "Shares plummeted 16% on Tuesday after the bookseller reported a big loss, and its chairman dropped his bid to buy the retail part of the business." Simon and Schuster, Barnes & Noble Finally Settle Terms Dispute "After a protracted disagreement over terms between Barnes & Noble and Simon & Schuster that left the retailer's stock of titles from the publisher diminished, the companies have announced that they have settled their dispute." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9310 …
Whispers And Warnings For August 14th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9306 True Crime Author sues Freelancer (and Newspaper) Who Criticized Her Book But Failed to Divulge the Freelancer was Engaged to the Criminal Featured in the Book. Confused yet? Me, too! An interesting read! "Swart (the freelancer) is married to the subject of Rule's New York Times best-selling book, 'Heart Full of Lies'. The book follows Liysa Northon, a woman who shot her Hawaiian Airlines pilot husband Chris Northon in the head while he was either asleep or unconscious during a camping trip in Eastern Oregon in 2000." YouTube Cover Songs Threatened by New Copyright Lawsuit "The New York Times is reporting a group of music publishers including Warner/Chappell are taking aim at Fullscreen, the company behind many of YouTube's most popular videos." Comic Artist's Family Loses Lawsuit - Rights to Remain with Publishers "Spider-Man, Iron Man and The Incredible Hulk can continue to reside in Marvel's offices after a federal appeals court on Thursday rejected an ownership claim by the children of an artist who helped create them. The judge ruled they were 'works for hire'. Battle rages over 'Mockingbird' copyright "After decades of avoiding the limelight and attention 'To Kill a Mockingbird' brought with it, the frail 87-year-old author, Nelle Harper Lee, has re-entered the public eye with a lawsuit against a former literary agent …
Whispers And Warnings For August 7th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9305 Forensic Art Expert's Libel Case Against New Yorker Magazine Is Dismissed "In a 51-page decision released on Thursday, Judge J. Paul Oetken explained that as a public figure, Mr. Biro failed to show that the writer, David Grann, or the magazine had acted 'recklessly' or 'with actual malice.' Conde Nast Beats Libel Suit Over New Yorker Article "A federal judge on Thursday threw out a libel suit a Canadian art expert brought against Conde Nast over a 2010 article in the New Yorker." '87 Rape-Hoaxer Finally Shells Out for Slander "Last week, 10 checks totaling $3,764.61 were delivered to ex-prosecutor Steven Pagones - the first payments Brawley has made since a court determined in 1998 that she defamed him with her vicious hoax. A Virginia court this year ordered the money garnisheed from six months of Brawley's wages as a nurse there." Hearst Corp. Defeats Arrestee's Class Defamation Claims "The Hearst Corp., its affiliates and other local media companies defeated a putative defamation class action in Connecticut federal court on Monday filed by a woman who claimed she was smeared by stories of her arrest, which was later expunged." Magazine Newsstand Sales Plummet, but Digital Editions Thrive "Magazines continue to struggle with sales of subscriptions and newsstand copies in the first half of 2013, but they have made inroads in selling digital editions." Gawker Wants Richard Cohen Canned "WaPo columnist Richard Cohen wrote a Dear Diary type confessional this morning. The headline gets right to the point: 'When Linda cheated.' And this afternoon Gawker got to their point - Cohen ought to be fired..." Taiwan Defence Minister Quits after Plagiarism Allegation "Taiwan's scholar-turned defence minister resigned Tuesday after he was accused of plagiarism, less than a week after taking office to replace his predecessor who also stepped down." Dermatologist Censured for Plagiarism "A Case Western dermatologist has admitted to plagiarizing a grant she reviewed, plus taking text from eight research papers and a patent application." Boston Principal Resigns amid More Plagiarism Allegations "A newly appointed Boston middle school principal who admitted to plagiarizing a Forbes magazine column in her first memo to staff submitted her resignation Wednesday after new allegations emerged that she had plagiarized portions of her job application materials." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9305 …
Whispers And Warnings For July 31st
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9303 Ex-boyfriend of sex blogger wins libel suit "The former boyfriend of London sex blogger Belle de Jour has accepted substantial libel damages over a claim he threatened her." Prime minister awarded "substantial" damages in libel suit against paper "Prime Minister Amama Mbabazi has been awarded damages by a British tabloid, The Daily Mail, which published an article that his "cronies" took about sh39b meant for foreign aid." WHY YOU SHOULD READ EVERY CONTRACT!!! - 'I own your criticism': How one dentist tried to stifle defamation by patients "(Allegedly) used copyright take-down notices to remove criticism posted by a patient." Oakland University faculty members who self-plagiarized received promotions "...the Board of Trustees appointed two faculty members to senior positions in 2012 who were found to have resubmitted the same research in two leading academic journals - an offense considered self-plagiarism." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9303 …
Whispers And Warnings For July 24th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9301 Penguin, Author Solutions Seek Dismissal of Potential Class Action Suit Call the authors' allegations "a series of gripes." With Judge's Approval, Jesse Ventura is Still Suing the Widow of a Fallen Navy SEAL "U.S. Magistrate Judge Arthur Boylan reportedly wrote in his decision concerning Ventura…
Whispers And Warnings For July 17th
Links to the stories below can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9301 The Murky World of Literary Libel "Lawsuits, pulped books, family rifts: when novelists base their characters on real people, trouble tends to follow." Apple Found Guilty Of Fixing Ebook Prices, Says It's "Done Nothing Wrong" And Will Appeal "While publishers have agreed to a settlement in the ebook price-fixing case involving Apple and all the major book publishers, the federal judge has ruled that Apple is guilty of fixing ebook prices with its iBookstore, according to Reuters." New York Public Library Is Sued Over Book Plan "A group of prominent writers and scholars filed a lawsuit on Wednesday to stop the New York Public Library from demolishing the stacks in its flagship 42nd Street building or moving any books off the site." Apple and Amazon settle "app store" lawsuit "Apple Inc. and Amazon.com Inc. have ended their lawsuit over who has the right to use the 'app store' name, clearing the way for both companies to use it." Pippa Middleton may sue: 'Pippa tips' creator facing lawsuit? "Her lawyers have reportedly sent a letter to the book's publisher, demanding that the 'Pippa Tips' Twitter account be deactivated." Quentin Tarantino's girlfriend is accused of plagiarism "Lianne MacDougall, a film writer who specializes in genre movies and has been linked romantically to Quentin Tarantino, has been accused of repeated plagiarism and apparently has taken to Twitter to apologize for lifting whole sections of other articles." Links to the stories above can be found here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9301 …
Whispers And Warnings For July 10th
Angela is on vacation. Whispers and Warnings will return next week. …
Whispers And Warnings For July 3rd
Links to stories below are here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9298&p=68957 Interesting Development in Google's 8-year-old digital books lawsuit "A trial judge should consider Google's argument that showing excerpts from books online is a 'fair use' that's allowed under copyright law. It's unusual to decide that kind of question at this stage in a lawsuit..." Ghost Rider lawsuit heads to trial in November "Writer Gary Friedrich is suing over the rights to the character." Unpaid-Intern Lawsuits Explained "Why are so many interns suing their employers?" Studio JMS sues self-publisher in feud over 'Sidekick' character "In a preemptive move, Studio JMS has sued a self-publisher who threatened legal action over a character in J. Michael Straczynski's Sidekick." Texas Supreme Court rules libel suit against an Austin TV station can proceed "A lawsuit alleging an Austin TV station aired a report that defamed a local physician appears to be back on track for trial after the Texas Supreme Court reversed decisions by two lower courts." Court of Appeals sides with The Buffalo News in libel suit "The Buffalo News' four-year legal battle with the owner of an air cargo company ended last week when the state's highest court ruled that the newspaper's stories about the company were fair and true." $20 Million Awarded in Internet Libel Case "The era when someone could use the cloak of anonymity of the Internet to destroy reputations and lives is over. There is no cloak of anonymity. We're coming for you." Has Iran elected a cheater? Rowhani accused of PhD plagiarism "Mr. Kamali is closely associated with the regime but his book was published in his own name and the extracts are virtually identical," said Morshedi, which is a pen name. "We will be submitting a petition calling on the university to cancel the PhD." Links to stories above are here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9298&p=68957 …
Whispers And Warnings For June 26th
Links to stories below are here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9295 Author Sues 2 Moon Press "Company's shutdown still being investigated by Marshall police." Kickstarter Apologizes for Book Project "The offensive material was part of a draft for a 'seduction guide' that someone was using Kickstarter to publish." Psychic Wins Libel Lawsuit Against U.K. Tabloid "The Daily Mail had called her a 'charlatan' in a 2011 article." Daily Mail in …
Whispers And Warnings For June 19th
Links to stories below are here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9294 Publisher of the Westchester Guardian files lawsuits against the IRS and FBI "A Westchester County newspaper owner refiled a federal lawsuit this week, alleging the IRS and FBI investigated him for potential tax violations because of his Tea Party activities." Two Interns sue Conde Nast After unpaid interns who had worked at Fox Searchlight earlier this week scored a legal victory, a new lawsuit has been filed, this time against Conde Nast Publications, alleging that the publisher violates the Fair Labor Standards Act and New York labor law. News Corp sued by stunt double for Angelina Jolie - claims they hacked her phone "A stunt double for Oscar-winning actress Angelina Jolie has sued News Corp over allegations its British newspapers hacked her phone, the first lawsuit in the United States against the company since the scandal broke two years ago." Patton Oswalt on "prodigalsam" plagiarism flap: "There's no wiggle room there" Oswalt opens up about the attitudes that hurt comedy - including those that helped a minister (allegedly) plagiarize jokes. Addicted To Plagiarism Bobby Parker speaks to David Morgan - perhaps the most prolific poetry plagiarist of all time - about his work (and 'his work') Update on the Apple Ebook Price Fixing Trial "Nook Media v-p of digital content Theresa Horner took the stand on Tuesday at the Apple e-book price fixing trial and the government and Apple clashed over questions about the profitability - or lack of it - in the e-book market of 2009-2010." Links to stories above are here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9294 …
Whispers And Warnings For June 12th
Links to stories below are here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9291 Don't use celeb names in your novel without written permission! Scarlett Johansson Suing Over Use of Her Name in Book "Don't mess with Scarlett Johansson...or use her name in your book. The actress is reportedly suing over the unauthorized use of her name in a French novel, titled The First Thing We Look At, seeking compensation and damages from the 'breach and fraudulent use of personal rights,' as well as a ban on 'future transfer of rights and adaptations of the book,' according to The Hollywood Reporter." MORE DISTURBING ALLEGATIONS ABOUT AUTHOR SOLUTIONS (AuthorHouse, Xlibris, iUniverse, Trafford, WordClay, et. al.) "Author Solutions pressures customers into writing positive testimonials before releasing their books for publication. I received one such complaint the last time I posted about Author Solutions, from an AuthorHouse UK customer who said that they wouldn't publish the book she had already paid for until she wrote the testimonial here..." NY 'Ghost Rider' lawsuit reinstated "A federal appeals court in New York has reinstated a lawsuit against comic book publisher Marvel Entertainment by a man who claims he owns the rights to the 'Ghost Rider' character." Saudi prince sues Forbes for libel over claim he's only worth $20 billion "Saudi billionaire Prince Alwaleed bin Talal has sued Forbes magazine for libel in a British court, alleging its valuation of his wealth at $20 billion was short of the mark by $9.6 billion." Links to stories above are here: https://forums.writersweekly.com/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=9291 …