Denver judge critical of Righthaven lawsuit tactics

[Newsjock]

Source: Vegas Inc (Las Vegas Sun)

A federal judge in Denver on Thursday criticized the litigation tactics of Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC.

Senior U.S. District Judge John L. Kane, who is presiding over all 58 Righthaven cases in Colorado, made the comments in a ruling that could signal difficulties down the road for Righthaven in its Colorado lawsuits.

... "The purpose of the courts is to provide a forum for the orderly, just, and timely resolution of controversies and disputes. Plaintiff’s wishes to the contrary, the courts are not merely tools for encouraging and exacting settlements from defendants cowed by the potential costs of litigation and liability," Kane wrote in his order.

... The judge's comments are some of the most critical to date among judges hearing Righthaven cases, as they echo some of the complaints by critics that Righthaven files frivolous lawsuits and then coerces defendants into settling for a few thousand dollars or risking damages of $150,000 and forfeiture of their website domain names.

Read more: http://www.vegasinc.com/news/2011/apr/07/judge-critical-righthavens-copyright-lawsuit-campa/