The North American Olive Oil Association filed a lawsuit on Tuesday in Fulton County Superior Court in Atlanta against Dr. Mehmet Oz, claiming that the TV personality made disparaging statements about the quality and purity of its members’ products on his talk show...
Read MoreA judge sided with a student who was sued for leaving a negative review of a law firm online, dismissing the defamation lawsuit and ordering the firm to pay her $26,831.55 in legal fees. The student’s lawyer successfully petitioned the court to have the lawsuit dismissed as a violation of Texas’s law against Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPP).
Read MoreA Rhode Island restaurant filed a lawsuit against six people who posted to the restaurant’s Facebook page alleging the oysters served at the restaurant were stolen from a local “shellfisherman.” A lawyer for one of the defendants called the lawsuit a "SLAPP” suit intended to silence his client.
Read MoreA flooring company brought a defamation lawsuit against a Colorado couple for negative reviews they left on Yelp. The parties eventually settled the suit, but the dispute cost the defendant $65,000 in legal fees.
Read MoreTim Evans, The Indianapolis Star's consumer advocate, writes about “bad reviews and lawsuits.”
Read MoreIn 2004, Sharper Image sued Consumers Union for its poor review of a Sharper Image air cleaning system in Consumer Reports. CU successfully invoked the California anti-SLAPP law to dismiss the case.
Read MoreIn 1989, 60 Minutes broadcast a story about the harmful effects of a chemical called alar, used in apple growing. In this famous SLAPP, apple farmers in Washington state sued 60 Minutes and its parent companies, alleging more than $100 million in damages.
Read MoreIn 2007, Avvo, Inc., an attorney-rating website, was sued by some attorneys who opposed Avvo’s numerical rating system (or more specifically, the number Avvo had awarded them). Avvo argued that the rating system was non-actionable fact, and the court agreed. Avvo’s site also allows consumers to post comments.
Read MoreIn perhaps the most well-known SLAPP, Oprah Winfrey was sued in 1996 by Texas cattle ranchers after a show called “Dangerous Food,” in which she invited experts on mad cow disease, and said she wouldn’t eat another hamburger.
Read MoreIntellect Art Media, Inc., a Massachusetts-based company that operates a college-level summer program called Swiss Finance Academy, sued Mathew Milewski, a student at Fordham University; Xcentric Ventures, LLC, operators of the website RipoffReport.com; and five anonymous posters for defamation.
Read More
