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

Defendant accuses Righthaven of misusing legal system

Sun, Sep 5, 2010

Even as Righthaven LLC made headlines for suing Nevada U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle last week, attorneys in another Righthaven case accused the firm of misusing the legal system to ...

Sharron Angle hit with R-J copyright infringement lawsuit

Fri, Sep 3, 2010

The Las Vegas Review-Journal’s copyright infringement lawsuit partner on Friday sued U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle over R-J material posted on her website, allegedly without authorization. The suit seeks damages ...

Righthaven wins key ruling as new criticism leveled over suits

Fri, Sep 3, 2010

The Las Vegas Review-Journal's online copyright enforcement partner won an important legal ruling in federal court Thursday -- just as a new round of criticism erupted over the no-warning lawsuit ...

Righthaven sues D.C.-based group over R-J editorial posting

Thu, Sep 2, 2010

A Washington, D.C., group advocating against taxes on food is among the latest to be sued for copyright infringement after a Las Vegas Review-Journal editorial was posted on its website. ...

PR firm Kirvin Doak sued by Righthaven over Celine Dion story it promoted

Wed, Sep 1, 2010

"Improving public relations" doesn't seem to be high on the to-do list at Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC. Righthaven sued Kirvin Doak Communications, a longtime source of news ...

Why we are writing about the R-J copyright lawsuits

Wed, Sep 1, 2010

Some commentators are wondering why the Las Vegas Sun, and our sister publication In Business Las Vegas, have published so many stories about the Las Vegas Review-Journal/Righthaven LLC copyright infringement ...

Judge questions Righthaven over R-J copyright suit costs

Thu, Aug 26, 2010

A federal judge on Thursday questioned Las Vegas copyright enforcement company Righthaven LLC about the litigation costs it's expecting defendants to pay. Righthaven since March has retroactively sued at least ...

Consumer group offers help to defendants over R-J copyright suits

Wed, Aug 25, 2010

An influential group that works to promote freedom of speech on the Internet will try to help some of the defendants that have been sued by Righthaven LLC for posting ...

Righthaven CEO's law firm in merger

Tue, Aug 24, 2010

Detroit law firm Dickinson Wright PLLC has expanded to Las Vegas by combining with Las Vegas firm Gibson Lowry Burris LLP. Steven Gibson is the CEO of Righthaven LLC, a ...

Blogger asks to pay $200 to close R-J copyright suit

Fri, Aug 20, 2010

One of the bloggers being sued for posting a Las Vegas Review-Journal story online without authorization is asking that the copyright infringement lawsuit against him be closed and that he ...

Righthaven reaches settlements in 2 cases over R-J copyrights

Thu, Aug 12, 2010

Righthaven LLC, the company suing website owners over copyrights to Las Vegas Review-Journal stories, has reached confidential settlements with two more defendants.

Righthaven sues Democratic Underground website over R-J posting

Wed, Aug 11, 2010

The Democratic Underground, which operates a big political website from Washington, D.C., is the latest website owner to be sued for copyright infringement after a portion of an R-J story ...

Websites, bloggers make moves to avoid Righthaven lawsuits

Mon, Aug 9, 2010

As word spreads around the country about the copyright infringement lawsuits filed over online Las Vegas-Review Journal stories, some bloggers and attorneys are advising website operators to immediately take steps ...

Righthaven continues suits over R-J copyrights; 91 total

Fri, Aug 6, 2010

Attorneys for a law firm continue to attack a copyright infringement lawsuit campaign involving Review-Journal stories, saying it's a "massive cash grab" aimed at coercing settlements from small website owners.

State Democratic Party fighting R-J copyright lawsuit

Thu, Aug 5, 2010

The Democratic Party of Nevada is fighting back against a copyright infringement lawsuit over Las Vegas Review-Journal stories posted on its website, enlisting Washington, D.C., attorneys experienced in representing public ...

Some targets of Righthaven lawsuits fighting back

Wed, Aug 4, 2010

The Righthaven lawsuits filed in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas at first glance seem pretty simple: They show bloggers, nonprofits and generally small-time websites around North America for years ...

R-J mob source hit with copyright suit

Tue, Jul 27, 2010

Former mob enforcer turned government witness Anthony Fiato over the years has been the subject of a book by Las Vegas Review-Journal columnist John L. Smith and a source for ...

More copyright lawsuits filed over Review-Journal stories

Fri, Jul 23, 2010

Four more website operators have been sued for copyright infringement after Las Vegas Review-Journal stories were posted on their websites, allegedly without authorization.

5 more suits filed over alleged R-J copyright violations

Thu, Jul 15, 2010

Righthaven LLC, the company suing website operators for infringing on copyrighted Las Vegas Review-Journal stories, filed five more lawsuits this week in federal court in Las Vegas.

Nevada Democratic Party hit with R-J copyright lawsuit

Fri, Jul 9, 2010

The Democratic Party of Nevada was sued for copyright infringement Friday after Las Vegas Review-Journal stories allegedly were posted on its website without authorization this spring.

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.