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Judge Won't Punish Lawyer For Anti-RIAA Blogging

Posted by kdawson on from the out-of-the-kitchen-with-you dept.

xander_zone_xxx writes with news that Ray Beckerman, known around here as NewYorkCountryLawyer, was not a "vexatious" litigant, as the RIAA claimed. In the same ruling the judge dismissed Beckerman's counter-claims against the RIAA. (We discussed the claims and counters a year back.) "An attorney defending against a music-piracy lawsuit didn't cross ethical bounds by filing motions broadly attacking the recording industry and posting them on his blog, a magistrate judge has ruled, rejecting demands from the RIAA for monetary sanctions. Attorney Ray Beckerman was 'less than forthcoming at times' in defending a client against an RIAA lawsuit, but the music industry's concerns were 'largely overstated,' New York Magistrate Judge Robert M. Levy wrote Friday."

6 of 160 comments (clear)

  1. vexatious litigant? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

    I guess the RIAA were thinking it takes one to know one.

    1. Re:vexatious litigant? by DarthVain · · Score: 3, Funny

      lol!

      Ya, way to cheapen extortion! Whenever I hear about this stuff, I always think about these guys as mafia, selling "protection"...

      "Hey momma mia, myself and my two esteemed compatriots here are part of the firm "Knuckles, Icepick, and Hammer", capiche?"

      "Youse gotta pay us 5g's now, or we be coming back, and den we might not be so reasonable... mabbe den we take all you money..."

      "So do the smart thing and just give us the money, OK?"

      Demeans the integirty of judicial proceedings? What a joke.

    2. Re:vexatious litigant? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

      Or have I?

  2. I am shocked! by Locke2005 · · Score: 4, Funny

    the music industry's concerns were 'largely overstated,' What?!? RIAA lawyers exagerating? That is certainly a first!

    --
    I've abandoned my search for truth; now I'm just looking for some useful delusions.
  3. Wow, freedom of expression? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 4, Funny

    I must have missed this one. The RIAA really requested monetary sanctions for a piracy defense lawyer who blogged about disliking the RIAA?

    Holy shit, recording industry, this is getting out of control. You're supposed to be evil but it's supposed to be Disney evil or James Bond villain evil. This is closer to frothing tyrannical dictator evil.

  4. Layman's terminology? by NoYob · · Score: 5, Funny
    FTFA:

    “I’m gratified that the motion was denied. It was based on gross misstatements of fact. I would have preferred for the judge’s language to be stronger. But the result is the same,” Beckerman said during a brief telephone interview.

    I see. So in layman's terms, "gross misstatements of fact" means - "Liar, liar, pants on fire!"

    --
    It's NOT me! It's the meds! I'm on 1000mg of Fukitol.