Blogger Case Yields Unconditional Surrender
PORTLAND, ME-- May 5, 2006 -- In what has been called a great
victory for the First Amendment Rights of bloggers, Warren Kremer
Paino Advertising agency voluntarily dismissed its multi-million
dollar federal lawsuit against Lance Dutson, a Media Bloggers Association
member targeted for the content of his blog’s reporting and commentary.
Gregory W. Herbert,
an attorney with the international law firm Greenberg Traurig, represented
Dutson pro bono as lead counsel.
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Greg Herbert |
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The decision to withdraw the lawsuit comes on the heels of a
media campaign orchestrated by the Media Bloggers Association on
behalf of MBA Member Lance Dutson. Hundreds of bloggers responded
to the MBA's call to arms and were joined by media outlets around
the world in highlighting the heavy-handed tactics of the state
contractor.
“The story of this case is how Internet users have discovered
a powerful and instantaneous new weapon in the battle to protect
First Amendment rights from conventional attacks launched through
the often sluggish and expensive court system,” said Herbert, who
focuses his practice on Media law.
The Association’s General Counsel Ronald Coleman of the Coleman
Law Firm and private attorney Jon Stanley assisted with the defense.
The lawsuit, which alleged copyright infringement and defamation,
was filed in the U.S. District Court in Maine.
About Greenberg Traurig, LLP
Greenberg Traurig, LLP is an international, full-service law firm with 1,500
attorneys and governmental affairs professionals in the U.S., Europe and Asia. The
firm is ranked seventh on The American Lawyer's Am Law 100 listing of the
largest law firms in the U.S., based on number of lawyers.
Greenberg Traurig serves clients from offices in: Albany, NY; Amsterdam, The
Netherlands; Atlanta, GA; Boca Raton, FL; Boston, MA; Chicago, IL; Dallas, TX; Denver,
CO; Fort Lauderdale, FL; Houston, TX; Las Vegas, NV; Los Angeles, CA; Miami, FL;
Morristown, NJ; New York, NY; Orange County, CA; Orlando, FL; Philadelphia, PA;
Phoenix, AZ; Sacramento, CA; Silicon Valley, CA; Tallahassee, FL; Tokyo, Japan;
Tysons Corner, VA; Washington, D.C.; West Palm Beach, FL; Wilmington, DE; and Zurich,
Switzerland. Additionally, the firm has strategic alliances with the following independent
law firms: Olswang, London and Brussels; Studio Santa Maria, Milan and Rome; and
Hayabusa Kokusai Law Offices in Tokyo.
For additional information, please visit the firm's Web site at
www.gtlaw.com.
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