That story would've been much sadder had the lawyer's client decided it was worth the money to pursue him. A lawsuit against a well-monied opponent is no joke,

That story would've been much sadder had the lawyer's client decided it was worth the money to pursue him. A lawsuit against a well-monied opponent is no joke, whether you're on the right side or not. AFAIK unlike a copyright case, it is pretty hard to lose a defamation case as long as you haven't gone too crazy, but a lawsuit can seriously damage your life whether you win or not. Knowing a little bit about the law is indeed helpful, but it doesn't seem that a little bit of legal knowledge would lead one to congratulating the grandparent on sending an inflammatory mail to opposing counsel. C&Ds are in fact frequently bluffs, so that should be considered in the response, but some companies are notoriously well-known non-bluffers; if they send a C&D, they are chomping at the bit to file the lawsuit for real. It's best to ask a real lawyer whenever you're staring down these types of possibilities. Disclaimer: I'm not a lawyer.