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I'm glad that these donors are funding Techdirt's defense... in the same way that I'm glad Peter Thiel backed Hogan against Gawker. If two parties go to court

by basseq 9y ago

I'm glad that these donors are funding Techdirt's defense... in the same way that I'm glad Peter Thiel backed Hogan against Gawker. If two parties go to court over a dispute, there should be equal "firepower" on both sides so justice can be served. Gawker lost the Hogan suit because Thiel's funding allowed that suit to be brought in the first place. Thus, arguments that Thiel's funding was "unfair" equates to logic that Hogan shouldn't have won because he shouldn't have been "allowed" to seek justice in the first place. The same argument follows here. Threatening a suit that the defendant is not "allowed" to defend (because they can't afford it) is the real injustice. This is still a band-aid on the real problem: that economic inequality can buy justice.

aetherson 9y ago
It sure was nice of Thiel to help poor down-and-out Terry Bollea, who hardly has two dimes to rub together. Unless you count his $25 million or so.
- basseq 9y ago
  It's relative. Thiel contributed a reported $10M. As an individual, it’s difficult to be able/willing to spend a third of your net worth to pursue a lawsuit. I didn’t see any accusation that the Gawker lawsuit was won because Hogan spent more money. Thus: “fair justice” was served and the amount of money doesn’t matter. Thiel’s contribution enabled Hogan (necessary or not) to seek “fair justice”—which I have a hard time finding fault with. Likewise in this case. Donors are enabling TechDirt to seek “fair justice” in court. Good on them. Bottom line: money should not be the deciding factor in a court case, either in your ability to win it or bring one in the first place.
danso 9y ago
Coincidentally, the lawyer who represented Hogan, Charles HArder, is the lawyer who is representing Ayyadurai, this alleged "Inventor of EMAIL", in his lawsuit against TechDirt: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/01/man-who-says-he-invented-e-mail-sues-techdirt-for-disputing-claim/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/01/man-who-says-he-... http://gizmodo.com/peter-thiel-wont-say-if-hes-bankrolling-lawsuit-against-1791652277 http://gizmodo.com/peter-thiel-wont-say-if-hes-bankrolling-l... http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2017/07/09/shiva-ayyadurai/ http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2017/07/09/shiva-... Ayyadurai and Thiel deny having any connection or knowledge of each other, even though Ayyadurai and Harder successfully won a lawsuit against Gawker shortly after Hogan's and Harder's victory against Gawker: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/06/shivas-war-one-mans-quest-to-convince-the-world-that-he-invented-e-mail/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/06/shivas-war-one-m... I guess it would be embarrassing for Thiel to be associated with the guy who is shitting on the graves of such tech pioneers as Ray Tomlinson: https://twitter.com/va_shiva/status/706670699713335297 https://twitter.com/va_shiva/status/706670699713335297 > "I'm the low-caste, dark-skinned, Indian, who DID invent #email. Not Raytheon, who profits for war & death.Their mascot Tomlinson dies a liar"
guelo 9y ago
Such bullshit on the Gawker thing. Gawker probably would have won the appeal on first amendment grounds but they couldn't afford to continue the fight.
- basseq 9y ago
  Maybe—I don't know. In the grand scheme of things, "I could have won the appeal, but I couldn't afford to continue to fight" is a lesser offense than, "I could have won the case, but I couldn't afford to start the fight." (Which itself is a lesser offense than, "I could have won the case, but I couldn't afford to defend myself." If only because this is a breeding ground for predatory lawsuits.) And not for nothing, we don't know if Hogan could have afforded to continue the fight either.

by basseq 9y ago

aetherson 9y ago

It sure was nice of Thiel to help poor down-and-out Terry Bollea, who hardly has two dimes to rub together. Unless you count his $25 million or so.

basseq 9y ago
It's relative. Thiel contributed a reported $10M. As an individual, it’s difficult to be able/willing to spend a third of your net worth to pursue a lawsuit. I didn’t see any accusation that the Gawker lawsuit was won because Hogan spent more money. Thus: “fair justice” was served and the amount of money doesn’t matter. Thiel’s contribution enabled Hogan (necessary or not) to seek “fair justice”—which I have a hard time finding fault with. Likewise in this case. Donors are enabling TechDirt to seek “fair justice” in court. Good on them. Bottom line: money should not be the deciding factor in a court case, either in your ability to win it or bring one in the first place.

danso 9y ago

Coincidentally, the lawyer who represented Hogan, Charles HArder, is the lawyer who is representing Ayyadurai, this alleged "Inventor of EMAIL", in his lawsuit against TechDirt: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/01/man-who-says-he-invented-e-mail-sues-techdirt-for-disputing-claim/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/01/man-who-says-he-... http://gizmodo.com/peter-thiel-wont-say-if-hes-bankrolling-lawsuit-against-1791652277 http://gizmodo.com/peter-thiel-wont-say-if-hes-bankrolling-l... http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2017/07/09/shiva-ayyadurai/ http://www.bostonmagazine.com/news/article/2017/07/09/shiva-... Ayyadurai and Thiel deny having any connection or knowledge of each other, even though Ayyadurai and Harder successfully won a lawsuit against Gawker shortly after Hogan's and Harder's victory against Gawker: https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/06/shivas-war-one-mans-quest-to-convince-the-world-that-he-invented-e-mail/ https://arstechnica.com/tech-policy/2017/06/shivas-war-one-m... I guess it would be embarrassing for Thiel to be associated with the guy who is shitting on the graves of such tech pioneers as Ray Tomlinson: https://twitter.com/va_shiva/status/706670699713335297 https://twitter.com/va_shiva/status/706670699713335297 > "I'm the low-caste, dark-skinned, Indian, who DID invent #email. Not Raytheon, who profits for war & death.Their mascot Tomlinson dies a liar"

guelo 9y ago

Such bullshit on the Gawker thing. Gawker probably would have won the appeal on first amendment grounds but they couldn't afford to continue the fight.

basseq 9y ago
Maybe—I don't know. In the grand scheme of things, "I could have won the appeal, but I couldn't afford to continue to fight" is a lesser offense than, "I could have won the case, but I couldn't afford to start the fight." (Which itself is a lesser offense than, "I could have won the case, but I couldn't afford to defend myself." If only because this is a breeding ground for predatory lawsuits.) And not for nothing, we don't know if Hogan could have afforded to continue the fight either.