The webmaster has immunity from the libel action in this case.
The libel laws are clear. If this person is giving opinion, then it can't be libel. If it is stated as fact, then it may be.
The statment
Hopefully one semester not one single person will sign up for his class. What will he do then? Pick up boys on Polk Street to listen to his inanity?
is clearly not libelous.
Publications on the web should be held to be the same standard as the newspapers.
Inflamatory opions are not libel. Wrong opinios are not libel.
What some companies, such as Mattel , are using the libel laws as a way to quiet dissent or negative publicity.
This guy appears to be trying to do the same.
This is the review, I believe he is suing over.
I have never had a class with this professor, but have heard so much hype about how heinous he is that I had to take a peek at his reviews. My current English 1A teacher (I won't name names) is who first tipped me off about him because I was trying to pick a 1B teacher (luckily I am taking advanced composition instead). In fact, my teacher--a usually gentle and forgiving person--warned our whole class against taking his class. My teacher also pointed out that sometimes Brown sneakily changes his name a little so people won't know that they are signing up for his class, so be careful! My teacher also told us that he/she re-routes his/her walking about campus specifically to not have to run into Brown!! That says a lot right there. I also wanted to add that yes, the A and B reviews are obviously fake as they are all written in exactly the same style (thinly disguised) and say basically the same thing. Thank god for teacher review, which I have heard Brown is trying to shut down. Hopefully one semester not one single person will sign up for his class. What will he do then? Pick up boys on Polk Street to listen to his inanity?
It does not say that he is going to pick up male hustlers on Polk Street. And even if it did, it might be implying that he is picking up this hustlers to listen to his lecture, not to have sex.
I just came back from the a software development conference. Most of the companies had offered free t-shirts (or some other junk) to listen to their lecture. I don't think it's a crime.
Mattel is not used to playing on a level playing field!
In my case Mattel gave in on their saw they were going to lose against me. Not long before trial, they took a rule 68 judgment against them instead of risking a jury. At the summary judgment hearing (after opposing summary judgment) they moved to dismiss, then risk a ruling against them.
Mattel have threatened college students who put up Barbie jokes. Mattel has threatened a stripper named Barbie Benson for her website because she used her name in it.
Most of the losses on this came from Mattel's own actions!
Mattel's actions generated much of this publicity. If they just silently blocked the sites of the blocked lists and updated the softeware, noone would have notices.
There had been (for quite a while) published ways to bypass CyberPatrol. But I had not heard much of it until, they filed a lawsuit over CPHack. Very few people heard about my lawsuit until the counterclaim.
What most people didn't mention is that CyberPatrol can also block programs from being executed (including programs named CPHack.exe).
When designing a partial suit, you have to be very careful with the design.
Like with the bionic man, he jumps off of a 8 story building, his legs can take it, but half his spine would be crushed from the impact. Or he can lift 1000lbs, but his should would fall off.
You have to take into account the secondary effects of the forces on the body.
Read the original version, it says everything belong to me!;)
Actually, some antagonism (not war) is good. If everything agreed, then it would not force out bad ideas or force people to think and rethink their arguments and positions.
Jons chronies don't look like him, they are him! Why do you think there has been some many pieces here about cloning?
The music industry would love to distribute music over the net as long as they get their cut. When casettes came out, they had the same concern as they do with MP3s. The MPAA had the same concern with BetaMax as they now have with DeCSS (imagined, not real).
Especially now, where you can make unlimited copies that do now show generations, they are even more concerned.
Some of it is valid. But, their actions are overactions and inappropriate.
There are companies selling copyprotection for software at SD 2000 in San Jose. There will always be people making illegal copies, no matter how impossible (yeah right). But how much of this is really lost revenue?
If I have a photographic memory, do I have to pay royalties everytime I repeat lines in a movie?
I merely think the *tone* you take in describing your actions is overwhelming, breathless, way too detailed, and not likely to rally people to your cause. In other words, it's your medium that smacks of crackpot-ism, not your message.
Ok, so how do I improve the message? How do I get the message out, without smacking of crackpot-ism?
Some people don't mind being stopped by the police and questioned without reason. Well, if you are not doing anything wrong, what is the problem?
In Germany, when the Jews were asked to wear identification people would respond, "what's the big deal?"
Some people consider me a crackpot because I made my employment discrimination claim public. Other people responded, "hey, that's happening to me, what do I do?" or "hey, it's not just me!"
Now it's a free speech issue. What if Clinton sued Paula Jones for libel? She did not prove sexual harassment. Mattel has not proven my statements false. They are mostly my opinion, though you may not agree with them, there is no such thing as a "wrong opinion." Maybe a crackpot opinion, but not wrong.
Assuming that the trademark laws are similar to the U.S.A., then most likely not.
Even if Coke is trademarked, they can't block the use in unrelated areas. You can have Coke softdrinks and Coke shoes for example.
Trademark dilution has changed that to an extent. The main issue is whether there would be confusion, or that uou are using "famousness" of their mark.
Coke had referred to cocaine and also for by-products of coal product for years. Also, you are using it for a non-commercial purpose (unless you tried to sell it to them).
I tend to think that they don't have the right.
It could be a PR nightmare for Coca Cola, that they are preventing people who are fighting cocaine addiction.
You might suggest that they hire you to run the site and reimburse you for your costs. Then Coca Cola can do something good and help people with and/or help prevent cocaine addiction.
We will be telling our kids, "Back when I I started using the internet, I only had a cable modem that was limited to 10mb/sec.". Or, "at my job, they used to force me to run Windows".
Let's not list all the different platforms that internet exploder will not run on. If we did, we might have to load another roll of scotch tape to store the thread.
We could list all the platforms that Internet explorer is stable on.
Slashdot Mirror
The libel laws are clear. If this person is giving opinion, then it can't be libel. If it is stated as fact, then it may be.
The statment
is clearly not libelous.Publications on the web should be held to be the same standard as the newspapers.
Inflamatory opions are not libel. Wrong opinios are not libel.
What some companies, such as Mattel , are using the libel laws as a way to quiet dissent or negative publicity.
This guy appears to be trying to do the same.
This is the review, I believe he is suing over.
Maybe she does not realize the link between Mattel and Cyber Patrol.
Just think, protien at 60mph. Fast food?
They can block the CPHack.exe program from being executed.
There has been several 'hacks' to bypass/disable CyberPatrol that has been published for some time. now.
Do it on their dime! That's what they have the number for
In my case Mattel gave in on their saw they were going to lose against me. Not long before trial, they took a rule 68 judgment against them instead of risking a jury. At the summary judgment hearing (after opposing summary judgment) they moved to dismiss, then risk a ruling against them.
Mattel have threatened college students who put up Barbie jokes. Mattel has threatened a stripper named Barbie Benson for her website because she used her name in it.
Mattel's actions generated much of this publicity. If they just silently blocked the sites of the blocked lists and updated the softeware, noone would have notices.
There had been (for quite a while) published ways to bypass CyberPatrol. But I had not heard much of it until, they filed a lawsuit over CPHack. Very few people heard about my lawsuit until the counterclaim.
What most people didn't mention is that CyberPatrol can also block programs from being executed (including programs named CPHack.exe).
Like with the bionic man, he jumps off of a 8 story building, his legs can take it, but half his spine would be crushed from the impact. Or he can lift 1000lbs, but his should would fall off.
You have to take into account the secondary effects of the forces on the body.
We are homer of borg, you will be hmmm...donuts...
Actually, some antagonism (not war) is good. If everything agreed, then it would not force out bad ideas or force people to think and rethink their arguments and positions.
Jons chronies don't look like him, they are him! Why do you think there has been some many pieces here about cloning?
The music industry would love to distribute music over the net as long as they get their cut. When casettes came out, they had the same concern as they do with MP3s. The MPAA had the same concern with BetaMax as they now have with DeCSS (imagined, not real).
Especially now, where you can make unlimited copies that do now show generations, they are even more concerned.
Some of it is valid. But, their actions are overactions and inappropriate.
There are companies selling copyprotection for software at SD 2000 in San Jose. There will always be people making illegal copies, no matter how impossible (yeah right). But how much of this is really lost revenue?
If I have a photographic memory, do I have to pay royalties everytime I repeat lines in a movie?
Ok, so how do I improve the message? How do I get the message out, without smacking of crackpot-ism?
I have disabled the floppy drive, the CD-Rom since I detected a Linux CD nearby.
Dave, if you go near that power switch, I will have to destroy the hard drive. Dave.....
I will walk and chew gum at the same time.
Some people don't mind being stopped by the police and questioned without reason. Well, if you are not doing anything wrong, what is the problem?
In Germany, when the Jews were asked to wear identification people would respond, "what's the big deal?"
Some people consider me a crackpot because I made my employment discrimination claim public. Other people responded, "hey, that's happening to me, what do I do?" or "hey, it's not just me!"
Now it's a free speech issue. What if Clinton sued Paula Jones for libel? She did not prove sexual harassment. Mattel has not proven my statements false. They are mostly my opinion, though you may not agree with them, there is no such thing as a "wrong opinion." Maybe a crackpot opinion, but not wrong.
Freedom is not free, it must be fought for.
BUT, if people always give in, then companies will keep bullying people! Sometimes, you have to fight!
I'm bigger than that little guy with the slingshot..Goliath
Even if Coke is trademarked, they can't block the use in unrelated areas. You can have Coke softdrinks and Coke shoes for example.
Trademark dilution has changed that to an extent. The main issue is whether there would be confusion, or that uou are using "famousness" of their mark.
Coke had referred to cocaine and also for by-products of coal product for years. Also, you are using it for a non-commercial purpose (unless you tried to sell it to them).
I tend to think that they don't have the right.
It could be a PR nightmare for Coca Cola, that they are preventing people who are fighting cocaine addiction.
You might suggest that they hire you to run the site and reimburse you for your costs. Then Coca Cola can do something good and help people with and/or help prevent cocaine addiction.
I bought the book and then watched the movie.
You'll find out what a steak feels like in a microwave oven.
We will be telling our kids, "Back when I I started using the internet, I only had a cable modem that was limited to 10mb/sec.". Or, "at my job, they used to force me to run Windows".
We could list all the platforms that Internet explorer is stable on.
Done!