On Thu, Jul 20, 2000, Rebecca Tushnet <tushnet[_at_]erols.com> wrote:
>
> Is anyone willing to share experience responding to threat letters
> in an online context? The situation is this: a large online archive
> of fiction (free for all to submit and read) -- with tens of thousands
> of stories -- contains one story that jokingly suggests harm to a
> popular children's fantasy character. The corporate owners of the
> fantasy character want the story removed. The archive owner doesn't
> want to set that precedent, since the story doesn't violate any
> submission guidelines. I would like to help the archive owner, who
> cannot afford a court battle, but I'm unable to figure out what tack
> to take.
The published case regarding the San Diego Chicken and the Barney character might be of some help. The Chicken did a routine where he beat up or killed Barney. My recollection is that the 9th Circuit approved it as a parody.
Charles McGarry
<cmcgarry[_at_]ix.netcom.com>
Received on Thu Jul 20 2000 - 13:31:03 GMT
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