FreeAdvice.com Granted Temporary Restraining Order Against Self-Help Kit Publisher in Internet Site Piracy Case.Business Editors, Legal/High-Tech Writers SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 10, 2001 Leading consumer law website FreeAdvice.com (http://FreeAdvice.com) announced today that it had been granted a temporary restraining order temporary restraining order: see injunction. enjoining SJT SJT Stephen Joseph Theatre (UK) SJT Syndicat des Journalistes Tunisiens (Tunisian Journalists' Union) SJT Serjeant (archaic British 1900-1945) Enterprises, Inc. and SJT's owner Timothy J. Smith, both of Westlake, Ohio, from use or sale of content taken from the FreeAdvice.com website. The order was signed by United States District Judge Saundra Brown Armstrong in San Francisco yesterday afternoon. SJT and Smith, who publish dozens of "InfoAmerica" self-help legal and business kits, are charged in the suit with willful copyright infringement, web trespass and misappropriation misappropriation n. the intentional, illegal use of the property or funds of another person for one's own use or other unauthorized purpose, particularly by a public official, a trustee of a trust, an executor or administrator of a dead person's estate, or by any . "We are pleased the court granted a temporary restraining order to halt what we regard as an outrageous hijacking on the information superhighway. Thousands of pages of our FreeAdvice.com site were illegally copied. Our copyright notices and links were stripped out. SJT then illegally published our content as its own 'Legal Reference Guide', and began selling it over the Internet and through distributors nationwide," said Gerry H. Goldsholle, FreeAdvice.com's founder and CEO (1) (Chief Executive Officer) The highest individual in command of an organization. Typically the president of the company, the CEO reports to the Chairman of the Board. . "We want free, high-quality content to have a future on the Internet. If content can be pirated with impunity, that's the end of free content on the Web," said Goldsholle, who explained that his firm made a major investment in creating the award winning FreeAdvice content. "Copyright violations can be very serious. A willful infringer is subject to heavy civil damages, payment of counsel fees, injunctive relief, and under certain circumstances, even Federal criminal penalties," explained Robert F. Knox, Esq. of Mill Valley, California, litigation An action brought in court to enforce a particular right. The act or process of bringing a lawsuit in and of itself; a judicial contest; any dispute. When a person begins a civil lawsuit, the person enters into a process called litigation. counsel for the company. Andrew Katz, Esq. of Cozen coz·en v. coz·ened, coz·en·ing, coz·ens v.tr. 1. To mislead by means of a petty trick or fraud; deceive. 2. To persuade or induce to do something by cajoling or wheedling. 3. & O'Connor's Washington, D.C. office is intellectual property counsel. Knox noted formal discovery would commence shortly and additional defendants may be added. The court also directed the defendants to a hearing on May 18th to explain why a preliminary injunction should not be granted. Copies of papers in the suit, Advice & Counsel Incorporated v. SJT Enterprises, Inc., USDC An abbreviation for U.S. District Court. , NDCA NDCA National Dance Council of America NDCA North Dakota Chiropractic Association NDCA North Dakota Counseling Association NDCA North Dakota Chess Association NDCA New Dimensions Christian Academy (formerly Gulf Coast Christian Academy) , Civil 01-1718 CW, are available from the Court or the company. FreeAdvice.com, one of the most visited and highly respected law websites for consumers, is a unit of privately-held Advice & Counsel Incorporated, based in Mill Valley, California, which also operates the AttorneyPages.com (http://AttorneyPages.com) national lawyer directory, and ExpertPages.com (http://ExpertPages.com), the leading directory of expert witnesses. FreeAdvice.com helps over 2 million consumers a year find answers to legal questions with 125 law topics, 40 lawyer-moderated legal forums with over 50,000 questions and answers, and a unique free one-on-one live chat with a lawyer service. Goldsholle, formerly Chief Brokerage Executive of MetLife (NYSE NYSE See: New York Stock Exchange : MET), is himself an attorney who chaired numerous American and other bar association committees. Note to Editors: FreeAdvice is a registered trademark of Advice Company / Advice & Counsel Incorporated. |
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