Righthaven Stories

Since March 2010, Righthaven has teamed with the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Denver Post to file a whopping 275 federal lawsuits alleging copyright infringement and seeking damages of $150,000 apiece.

These lawsuits are filed in retroactive fashion, meaning if someone posted a Review-Journal story without authorization in December, Righthaven spotted the infringement in January, obtained the copyright to the story in February and sued the unsuspecting defendant in March.

The suits say Righthaven has the right to collect damages for infringements, be they in the past, the present or the future. Internet sites, bloggers and message board posters throughout North America and in Europe are accused in the suits of posting, without authorization, on their websites partial or entire stories from those newspapers, as well as editorials, columns, graphics and photos.

Archive highlights

Righthaven: The controversy over copyrights

Mon, Jul 25, 2011

The time has come to add copyright lawsuits—alongside casinos—as one of the things Las Vegas is best known for nationally. Copyright lawsuits? Yes, in national legal and media circles, Las ...

Judge: Righthaven masquerading as a company

Thu, Jul 14, 2011

A judge today fined newspaper copyright lawsuit filer Righthaven LLC of Las Vegas $5,000 for misleading Nevada’s federal court about its lawsuits.

Righthaven hurts news industry, one ruling at a time

Sun, Jun 26, 2011

Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist and former Publisher Sherman Frederick’s column today involving his “little friend” Righthaven could be Exhibit A in the case against Righthaven’s litigation strategy.

Legal attack dog sicked on websites accused of violating R-J copyrights

Wed, Aug 4, 2010

When it comes to fighting copyright theft in the news industry — the piracy of stories, editorials, columns, photos and videos — there are watchdogs and there are attack dogs.

All stories

Judge strikes Righthaven website domain demand

Sat, Apr 16, 2011

Things went from bad to worse on Friday for Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC when a judge rejected Righthaven’s standard copyright infringement lawsuit demand that defendants forfeit their ...

Judge unseals Review-Journal/Righthaven contract

Fri, Apr 15, 2011

A federal judge in Las Vegas on Friday unsealed the agreement for prosecuting copyright infringement lawsuits between Righthaven LLC and Las Vegas Review-Journal owner Stephens Media LLC.

Righthaven challenges judge in copyright case

Thu, Apr 14, 2011

Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC on Thursday said a judge in Colorado was wrong to strike its commentary from a recent court filing, and Righthaven refiled the commentary ...

Defense attorneys want Righthaven to pay up

Wed, Apr 13, 2011

Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC faces more problems in its most-regretted lawsuit, the one over a Denver Post photo that it dismissed Sunday against autistic North Carolina blogger ...

More defendants fighting Righthaven copyright lawsuits

Wed, Apr 13, 2011

With a judge in Colorado already critical of Righthaven LLC, the Las Vegas copyright enforcement company faces more work there in the form of dismissal motions in two more cases.

Judge strikes Righthaven warning from court record

Mon, Apr 11, 2011

Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC on Sunday voluntarily dismissed its lawsuit against autistic blogger Brian D. Hill, which had evolved into a public relations disaster for Righthaven and ...

Copyright lawsuit filed over sports-betting content

Sat, Apr 9, 2011

Righthaven LLC of Las Vegas has expanded into a new line of copyright enforcement: the protection of online sports-betting content. Righthaven is best known for suing websites, bloggers and message ...

Righthaven hits porn defendant with hypocrisy charge

Fri, Apr 8, 2011

Las Vegas newspaper copyright enforcer Righthaven LLC is accusing one of its defendants of hypocrisy -- for first fighting copyright infringements and then allegedly infringing on Righthaven's material.

Denver judge critical of Righthaven lawsuit tactics

Thu, Apr 7, 2011

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 made the comments in ...

White supremacist David Duke settles copyright lawsuit

Sat, Apr 2, 2011

White supremacist David Duke has agreed to settle a copyright infringement lawsuit filed against him by Las Vegas company Righthaven LLC. Duke and his nonprofit European-American Unity and Rights Organization ...

Righthaven message-board suit survives dismissal motion

Thu, Mar 31, 2011

The owners of a Utah website may be liable for copyright-infringing content posted on their site without their knowledge, a federal judge in a Righthaven LLC lawsuit ruled Wednesday.

Righthaven drops infringement lawsuit against journalist

Tue, Mar 29, 2011

After experiencing a quick wave of criticism, Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC today dropped its lawsuit against journalist Eriq Gardner. Many commentators noted Friday's suit appeared to be ...

Righthaven wins round in litigation campaign

Tue, Mar 29, 2011

One of Righthaven LLC's long-running copyright infringement lawsuits will continue in federal court in Las Vegas after a judge denied motions to dismiss or for a change of venue.

Righthaven hits journalist with infringement lawsuit

Mon, Mar 28, 2011

The writer of a story about Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC is now being sued by Righthaven.

Righthaven loses second fair use ruling over copyright lawsuits

Fri, Mar 18, 2011

An Oregon nonprofit did not infringe on copyrights when it posted without authorization an entire Las Vegas Review-Journal story on its website, a judge ruled Friday. The judge also found ...

Righthaven faces seventh counterclaim over copyright lawsuits

Wed, Mar 16, 2011

Las Vegas newspaper copyright enforcer Righthaven LLC was hit with a seventh counterclaim Tuesday, this time over one of its lawsuits over the Denver Post TSA pat-down photo.

Righthaven battles challenges to copyright lawsuit campaign

Sun, Mar 13, 2011

Newspaper copyright enforcer Righthaven LLC of Las Vegas is fighting challenges to its business plan and assertions lawsuit defendants are protected by the concepts of fair use and implied license. ...

Righthaven accuses defendant of running up legal fees in copyright case

Thu, Mar 10, 2011

Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC is complaining that one of its litigation foes is needlessly running up legal costs that Righthaven may end up paying for.

Five more Righthaven copyright lawsuits filed

Tue, Mar 8, 2011

The owners of a Canadian newspaper website are among the latest to be sued by Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC.

Righthaven defendants respond; more copyright lawsuits filed

Sun, Mar 6, 2011

Four more website operators have filed court papers denying copyright infringement allegations leveled against them by Righthaven LLC over material allegedly reposted online from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the ...

Videos

Dead in the Water?
Dead in the Water?
A federal judge has called Righthaven's tactics in suing to protect online content not just ...

More Information

What is a copyright?

According to the US Copyright Office, copyright is a form of intellectual property law that protects original works of authorship, including literary, dramatic and musical works, and artistic works such as poetry, novels, movies, songs, computer software and architecture. Such protection encourages creativity.

Under the fair use doctrine of the US copyright statute, it is permissible to use limited portions of a work, including quotes, for purposes such as commentary, news reporting and scholarly reports. What is fair use is decided on a case-by-case basis, with judges often relying on evolving case law.

Righthaven’s numbers as of July 15

• Of Righthaven’s 276 lawsuits, all but one involved material from the Las Vegas Review-Journal and the Denver Post. One suit was filed over sports betting material that didn’t involve a newspaper.

• Righthaven’s lawsuits were filed in Las Vegas, Denver and Charleston, SC.

213 Righthaven lawsuits involve Las Vegas Review-Journal material. After settlements and dismissals, 79 were active.

62 involved Denver Post material and 34 were active.

What others are saying about Righthaven

"Plaintiff’s litigation strategy has a chilling effect on potential fair uses of Righthaven-owned articles, diminishes public access to the facts contained therein and does nothing to advance the Copyright Act’s purpose of promoting artistic creation.”— U.S. District Judge James Mahan in Las Vegas

"The purpose of the courts is to provide a forum for the orderly, just, and timely resolution of controversies and disputes. Plaintiff’s (Righthaven’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.’’ — U.S. District Judge John Kane in Denver

"Righthaven and Stephens Media have attempted to create a cottage industry of filing copyright claims, making large claims for damages and then settling claims for pennies on the dollar, with defendants who do not want to incur the costs of defending the lawsuits, (and) are now offended when someone has turned the tables on them and insisting on a judgment in their favor rather than a simple dismissal of the lawsuit.” — U.S. District Judge Roger Hunt in Las Vegas

"I’m asking you nicely once again—don’t steal our content. Or, I promise you, you will meet my little friend called Righthaven.” — Sherman Frederick, at the time publisher of the Las Vegas Review-Journal

"Where the law has created a legal way to extort money from hapless netizens, Righthaven has stepped in for some quick cash. They’re not evil geniuses. They’re not right-wing extremists. They’re not left-wing zealots. The truth is much worse. They’re just jerks.” — Eric Johnson, associate professor of law at the University of North Dakota

"We were surprised to witness such behavior here, in the United States, while this is generally a phenomenon Reporters Without Borders witnesses in authoritarian regimes to silence netizens and intimidate journalists, bloggers and others. Therefore, we ask you to drop the lawsuit against him and find a reasonable compromise regarding his case.”— International press freedom group Reporters Without Borders, in a letter to the Denver Post regarding a Righthaven lawsuit against young autistic blogger Brian Hill and Righthaven’s $6,000 settlement demand along with its threat to garnish his Social Security Disability Insurance income at the rate of $50 per month for 10 years.