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

Two more website operators sued for copyright infringement

Thu, Oct 7, 2010

Righthaven LLC sued two more website operators for copyright infringement Wednesday, charging they displayed Las Vegas Review-Journal stories without authorization.

Seven more defendants settle Righthaven copyright lawsuits

Wed, Oct 6, 2010

The cash register continues to ring at Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC, which has reached settlements with at least seven more defendants it had sued over unauthorized online ...

Defendant in R-J copyright case fighting Righthaven lawsuit

Tue, Oct 5, 2010

A Texas process server is fighting back against a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Las Vegas company Righthaven LLC, calling it predatory.

Nevada Democratic Party settles copyright lawsuit

Sat, Oct 2, 2010

The Democratic Party of Nevada is among the latest defendants to settle copyright infringement lawsuits filed over the online re-postings of Las Vegas Review-Journal stories.

Righthaven reaches another copyright settlement over R-J website content

Thu, Sep 30, 2010

Las Vegas online copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC has reached another legal settlement with a defendant that had been highly critical of Righthaven's lawsuit campaign.

Amid new criticism, Righthaven sues additional website operators

Wed, Sep 29, 2010

Even as Righthaven LLC’s most powerful critic pounded on Righthaven’s lawsuit campaign Tuesday, the Las Vegas company sued three more website owners, claiming they infringed on copyrights by re-posting news ...

R-J owner faces counterclaim in copyright lawsuit campaign

Tue, Sep 28, 2010

The owner of the Las Vegas Review-Journal has for the first time been hit with a counterclaim over its online copyright infringement lawsuit campaign, with attorneys for the Electronic Frontier ...

Attorneys attack Review-Journal copyright suit arrangement

Mon, Sep 27, 2010

First came "barratry" and now comes "champerty." These are the little-known legal concepts that defense attorneys are increasingly using in hopes of undermining the copyright infringement lawsuit litigation unleashed in ...

Attorney: Righthaven copyright suits a free speech threat

Thu, Sep 23, 2010

One of the attorneys fighting the Righthaven LLC copyright lawsuits has penned an opinion article critical of Righthaven, calling it a threat to free speech.

Observers note uncertainty over future of Righthaven/R-J copyright suits

Tue, Sep 21, 2010

Plenty of unanswered questions remain about the Las Vegas Review-Journal's online copyright infringement lawsuit campaign, observers said during a radio news discussion Tuesday.

Righthaven judge: Review-Journal 'implied license' defense may have merit

Mon, Sep 20, 2010

Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC has suffered a legal setback, with the newest federal judge in Las Vegas ruling one of the Righthaven defendants may have a meritorious ...

Defendants fight back against Righthaven copyright lawsuits

Mon, Sep 20, 2010

Even as Las Vegas online copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC continues to file new lawsuits, work appears to be piling up for its attorneys as additional defendants retain law firms ...

Copyright lawsuit filed against group fighting Pahrump prison

Wed, Sep 15, 2010

A group fighting the establishment of a prison in Pahrump is among the latest to be sued for copyright infringement after a Las Vegas Review-Journal story allegedly was posted on ...

State Bar of Nevada reviewing grievance against Righthaven CEO

Mon, Sep 13, 2010

The Nevada agency that regulates attorneys is looking into a grievance filed against the CEO of Righthaven LLC, the Las Vegas copyright enforcement company that sues over unauthorized online postings ...

Righthaven settles 2 lawsuits over R-J story copyrights

Mon, Sep 13, 2010

Righthaven LLC, the Las Vegas company suing website operators over copyright infringements involving Las Vegas Review-Journal stories, has reached settlements with at least two more defendants.

Another company fights back against copyright lawsuit

Sat, Sep 11, 2010

Another company facing a copyright infringement lawsuit filed by Righthaven LLC is fighting back, this time calling the Las Vegas company’s litigation campaign “a parasitical abuse” of judicial resources.

Quick settlement reached in copyright lawsuit against PR company

Fri, Sep 10, 2010

A quick settlement has been reached in a copyright infringement lawsuit pitting Righthaven LLC against the largest public relations company in Las Vegas.

Righthaven CEO defends company during roundtable discussion

Thu, Sep 9, 2010

American legal and media insiders seem to agree the unauthorized online re-posting of newspaper content is an issue. Some agree it’s a problem. But uncertainties abound in quantifying how it ...

Texas woman emerges as vocal critic of copyright lawsuit firm

Thu, Sep 9, 2010

Colleen Lynn is an admitted copyright infringer — at least by the standards of Las Vegas newspaper copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC.

Righthaven's suit against Sharron Angle draws increased attention

Wed, Sep 8, 2010

Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC's legal action against Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle is bringing wider attention to the company's online copyright infringement lawsuit campaign.

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.