CLBR Segment 1: Popehat’s Ken White on The Oatmeal – FunnyJunk War
Lawyers Behaving Badly
Popehat’s Ken White sheds light on the strangest kerfuffle to hit the internet in some time.
Round 1
June 2, 2012
Charles Carreon sends demand letter to Matthew Inman claiming false statement made is copyright infringement and requests $20,000.
Round 2
June 11, 2012
Inman responds with challenge that he will raise $20K, give it charity but mail Carreon photo of money and drawing of his mother with a Kodiac bear. And concluding with “fuck off.”
Inman reaches $20K mark in 64 minutes.
Inman’s attorney,Venkat Balasubramani of Focal PLC in Seattle, provides a more substantive response.
Round 3
June 15 2012
Carreon files suit against Inman as well as – The American Cancer Society and National Wildlife Federation - confirming to the declining numbers who had not passed judgment yet that he is indeed a royal douchebag and schmeckel. The Complaint seeks a trust over the funds raised and attempts to assert claims of trademark infringement and incitement to commit cyber vandalism (huh?).
See Popehat analysis of Complaint.
Round 4
June 24, 2012
Electronic Frontier Foundation Joins Defense. ”This lawsuit is a blatant attempt to abuse the legal process to punish a critic,” said EFF Intellectual Property Director Corynne McSherry. “We’re very glad to help Mr. Inman fight back.”
Round 5
June 26, 2012
Inman concludes Indiegogo fundraising with $220,000.
KENNETH WHITE
POPEHAT Publisher
The irreverent yet poignant Popehat blogger Ken has, as Criminal Lawyer blogger Nathaniel Burney writes, “a distinct voice that stands out from the crowd in the blawgosphere.” Burney also notes that Ken’s posts are “structured well, with an eye for flow and tone that many would do well to emulate.” (Blawg 100 Description)
BROWN WHITE & NEWHOUSE – Partner
Bio - http://www.brownwhitelaw.com/attorneys/kwhite.html
Links
Popehat Summary:
The Oatmeal v. FunnyJunk, Part IV: Charles Carreon Sues Everybody
Ars Technica
FunnyJunk attorney ropes California Attorney General into The Oatmeal lawsuit
Defenders of The Oatmeal create parody websites to pick up the fight
FunnyJunk lawyer’s wife wades into fray, calls critics “nazi scumbags
TechCrunch
Can I Sue You People? Troll Lawyer Sues The Charities The Oatmeal Supports<
BoingBoing
Washington Post
THE OATMEAL’s CHARITY DRIVE: Inman’s Indiegogo campaign closes with $220K — next: the money shot
