Missourian
Diamond Member
Righthaven then writes to the website operators alleging copyright infringement and demanding payments of up to $150,000 to settle the action. A lawyer acting for some of the targeted websites told OUT-LAW recently that most cases settle for around $2,500.
Digital rights group the Electronic Frontier Foundation (EFF) has been looking for a test case to challenge what it calls Righthaven's bullying tactics. It is now backing a counter-claim by political discussion site Democratic Underground, which is asking the US District Court of Nevada to declare Righthaven's claims invalid.
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"Thousands of people discuss and debate political issues on our site every day, particularly now during election season," said Democratic Underground founder David Allen. "Online discussion often requires quoting from news sources -- a legal fair use of the material. By targeting short excerpts of news articles with their sham copyright claims, Righthaven is chilling free and open discussion on the Internet."
EFF backs political site's Righthaven counter-suit | Pinsent Masons LLP