How Lawyers Are Coping With The Internet Age

Posted by Eriq Gardner

An attorney at Melaleuca, Inc.  got sick of seeing his DMCA takedown notices posted and ridiculed on blogs. So he filed a certificate of copyright registration and got a judge to enforce the copyright. Santa Clara University School of Law professor Eric Goldman has a big problem with this, calling the strategy "bogus."

Meanwhile, John Henry Browne didn't like what Avvo's controversial lawyer rating service had to say about him and sued the company, alleging it violated the Washington Consumer Protection Act. That law prohibits “[u]nfair methods of competition and unfair or deceptive acts or practices in the conduct of any trade or commerce.”

A Seattle District Court ruled yesterday that the plaintiff had no cause of action and the defendant's website was protected by the First Amendment. "Neither the nature of the information provided nor the language used on the website would lead a reasonable person to believe that the ratings are a statement of actual fact."

The lesson of the day? Lawyers have feelings.