Now here's something you don't see every day: The Electronic Frontier Foundation is urging a California court not to dismiss a frivolous lawsuit.
Why?
So that the "TV star" who filed the suit will get a taste of California's tough anti-SLAPP justice instead of scurrying off to the plaintiff-friendlier Illinois legal system.
From the EFF press release:
Corri McFadden, star of the VH1 show "House of Consignment," filed suit against Purseblog.com in a California federal court after a commenter accused McFadden's company, eDrop-Off, of "shill bidding" - making bogus bids to inflate the prices of designer goods the company sells in online auctions. But California has strong legal protections against lawsuits filed to chill participation in publicly significant discussions, and now McFadden is asking the court in California to let her dismiss the lawsuit without any penalty so that she can pursue it in a state with more favorable law. In a friend-of-the-court brief filed Friday, EFF urged the court in California not to let McFadden off the hook.
"This is a classic SLAPP suit - strategic litigation against public participation - and McFadden should have to face California's tough anti-SLAPP law, which lets defendants move to strike frivolous lawsuits and recover costs and fees if they win," said EFF Senior Staff Attorney Marcia Hofmann. "The plaintiffs set the stage by choosing to file their suit in California. The court should finish the case there as well, protecting Purseblog.com's speech rights by applying California law."
Throw the book at her, California. Heck, hit her with a designer handbag.
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