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Hi All I'm a founder of Shred Video and the author of this article. Happy to answer any questions about our experience.

cenal 11y ago
I feel for you guys! Obviously you only posted your side of this but I know how expensive navigating the legal system can be for a small business owner. Happy to offer some thoughts and advice from someone who is not a lawyer but has been sued before (and won by having the case thrown out with prejudice!). Email me lane (at) joinjune (dot) com Also, maybe setup a GoFundMe for having people help you raise funds to fight this?
- mikeshreds 11y ago
  Thanks Lane, I'd love to hear about your experience. I'll reach out to you separately. Financially we're going to be fine, we have enough already to fight this legally. Of course we'd rather not, and we want to expose this behavior for other entrepreneurs vulnerable through similar abuses of the legal process.
harryh 11y ago
I have no questions but I just want to chime in to say good luck. You're fighting the good fight here and that's awesome.
CodeWriter23 11y ago
Have you consulted your lawyers? Ridiculous question, I know. I ask because of a combination of three things. 1) You wrote: "Jeff Smith and Smule are big and rich, and the US legal system offers little protection against frivolous lawsuits." 2) Going by CA Secretary of State website (and whois database), Shred Video is clearly based in California. 3) California has some pretty strong Anti-SLAPP legislation that would enable you to collect punitive damages when you prevail. I'm pretty sure Anti-SLAPP issues can be brought up in pretrial motions too. Maybe you need to check into the bona fides of your legal team. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation#California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_publ... Standard disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice.
tomasien 11y ago
Feeling for you man - been there (recently). You'll get a lot of sideways looks from people who have no reason to doubt you. Ignore it. People always assume the person doing the suing MUST have a good reason. It's the same reason people jump ship whenever someone is accused of a crime: until it happens to you, nobody wants to believe something this destructive can happen without cause. But it does - every day. As a side note: everyone saying categorical things like "never walk away from a former employer with code on your computer" - remember that they don't know what they're talking about. Categorical statements in these situations are never correct. This is about a life lived honestly and in good faith being turned around on you - don't feel like you did anything wrong, just take opportunities to learn. Lastly, to everyone giving Smule the benefit of the doubt remember: this means nothing (NOTHING) to Smule and everything to the Shred Founders. If Smule turns out to be right (which seems ridiculously unlikely), then it still means nothing to them. If they are wrong, which seems to be the case, they're destroying a company and lives at the same time. Keep the stakes in mind when you're considering the situation.
- mikeshreds 11y ago
  This a more important point than anything I've said in here. Thank you.
  - tomasien 11y ago
    You're welcome!
- jonstewart 11y ago
  I do computer forensics and have been involved with many IP theft cases. I do know what I'm talking about. "Never walk away from a former employer with code on your computer" is indeed a categorical imperative to live by. - Never walk away from a former employer with code on your computer. - Never walk away with an employer's property. - Never walk away with a functioning email account. - Never walk away with documents. - Never walk away with paper. - Never walk away with anything. - Just walk away.
  - 11y ago
fitzwatermellow 11y ago
This sucks. I use ChucK for composing and Ge Wang's CCRMA class notes are fire. I was under the impression he was a pretty chill guy. Is he really down with this course of action as a co-founder? ps comp vision on mobile is the future so no matter what keep on building ;)

cenal 11y ago

I feel for you guys! Obviously you only posted your side of this but I know how expensive navigating the legal system can be for a small business owner. Happy to offer some thoughts and advice from someone who is not a lawyer but has been sued before (and won by having the case thrown out with prejudice!). Email me lane (at) joinjune (dot) com Also, maybe setup a GoFundMe for having people help you raise funds to fight this?

mikeshreds 11y ago
Thanks Lane, I'd love to hear about your experience. I'll reach out to you separately. Financially we're going to be fine, we have enough already to fight this legally. Of course we'd rather not, and we want to expose this behavior for other entrepreneurs vulnerable through similar abuses of the legal process.

harryh 11y ago

I have no questions but I just want to chime in to say good luck. You're fighting the good fight here and that's awesome.

CodeWriter23 11y ago

Have you consulted your lawyers? Ridiculous question, I know. I ask because of a combination of three things. 1) You wrote: "Jeff Smith and Smule are big and rich, and the US legal system offers little protection against frivolous lawsuits." 2) Going by CA Secretary of State website (and whois database), Shred Video is clearly based in California. 3) California has some pretty strong Anti-SLAPP legislation that would enable you to collect punitive damages when you prevail. I'm pretty sure Anti-SLAPP issues can be brought up in pretrial motions too. Maybe you need to check into the bona fides of your legal team. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_public_participation#California https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strategic_lawsuit_against_publ... Standard disclaimer: I am not a lawyer, and this isn't legal advice.

tomasien 11y ago

Feeling for you man - been there (recently). You'll get a lot of sideways looks from people who have no reason to doubt you. Ignore it. People always assume the person doing the suing MUST have a good reason. It's the same reason people jump ship whenever someone is accused of a crime: until it happens to you, nobody wants to believe something this destructive can happen without cause. But it does - every day. As a side note: everyone saying categorical things like "never walk away from a former employer with code on your computer" - remember that they don't know what they're talking about. Categorical statements in these situations are never correct. This is about a life lived honestly and in good faith being turned around on you - don't feel like you did anything wrong, just take opportunities to learn. Lastly, to everyone giving Smule the benefit of the doubt remember: this means nothing (NOTHING) to Smule and everything to the Shred Founders. If Smule turns out to be right (which seems ridiculously unlikely), then it still means nothing to them. If they are wrong, which seems to be the case, they're destroying a company and lives at the same time. Keep the stakes in mind when you're considering the situation.

mikeshreds 11y ago
This a more important point than anything I've said in here. Thank you.
- tomasien 11y ago
  You're welcome!
jonstewart 11y ago
I do computer forensics and have been involved with many IP theft cases. I do know what I'm talking about. "Never walk away from a former employer with code on your computer" is indeed a categorical imperative to live by. - Never walk away from a former employer with code on your computer. - Never walk away with an employer's property. - Never walk away with a functioning email account. - Never walk away with documents. - Never walk away with paper. - Never walk away with anything. - Just walk away.
- 11y ago

fitzwatermellow 11y ago

This sucks. I use ChucK for composing and Ge Wang's CCRMA class notes are fire. I was under the impression he was a pretty chill guy. Is he really down with this course of action as a co-founder? ps comp vision on mobile is the future so no matter what keep on building ;)