I do apologize profusely for not reporting this when it happen on Friday. I've been up to my face in assembly code and it ain't pretty (the code, my face is very pretty). Apparently Fleen has done a much better job of covering this whole Todd Goldman/David Kelly fiasco. So much better that Goldman is suing Fleen for libel.
Apparently, several sites received similar form letters (this is according to Fleen, I haven't seen any links, if you know of any, post them so we can spread the word). This makes me kinda feel left out. I reported on this issue. I called Goldman out, I was probably a little more mellow than many but still, I'm starting to feel left out.
Seriously though, this is pretty low, Goldman said some pretty nasty things about Kelly. Much worse than anything that was said on Fleen about him.
So far it doesn't look like too much has happened beyond some lawyers getting in contact with people. I'm going to start keeping a better eye on this. Ripping off artists is bad enough, but when you start attacking Bloggers trying to make sense the world of Web comics, then it starts getting personal to me. I think I speak for all of us when I say “If there’s anything we can do to help, let us know.”
I'm no lawyer, but from what I've gather from work, to win a libel case you have to prove that the printed words have done irreparable harm and were false. I haven't read anything said about Mr. Goldman that fits that description. I don't think he has a case at all.
What he does have, however, is money. And in today's legal system, sometimes that's more important.
Sorry, I got a little bitter right there. Hope I didn't get any on you.
You guys are the best Official Internet Rivals I could ever hope to have.
Gary
As someone who’s dayjob is running the UK-division of a consumer report website, I have a to handle quite a bit of “internet libel” dramas…usually from companies. The issue is rarely the reporting but rather the blog-responses that say all sorts of crazy things about murdering someone’s first born son because a movie/play/book/shampoo was terrible and the clerk needs to be stabbed in the face. I’d be willing to bet the issue here is similar when it comes to their tactics for removing this. I guess what my 2 cents here is that they’re getting it removed because of the crazy allegation/madness of the community part…not the actual topic itself. Of course that’s crap in the legal longterm but its enough to harass someone. :sigh:
So, what does the comic defense fund have to say/do about this? Isn’t that what they’re for? Or is Todd NOT going after SomethingAwful because Dave Kelly resides there?
-jared