You remember that lawsuit the GamerGate-loving, feminist-hating “Honey Badger Brigade” was apparently going to file against the Calgary Expo (for tossing them out) and The Mary Sue (for saying mean things about them, or something)? You know, the suit that they raised more than $30,000 to finance from their angry and apparently quite gullible fans?
Well, apparently they’ve filed the suit?
I ended with a question mark because they’ve been a teensy bit vague about what exactly they’ve done.
Rather than go with the traditional press release, you see, the Honey Damsels Badgers have decided to let the world (and their donors) know about this new development by obliquely referencing it on Twitter, nearly a week after the fact, and then pretty much refusing to answer any questions about it.
Like, for example, what exactly they filed, and where, and how exactly they think they can sue a website headquartered in the United States for allegedly getting them kicked out of an expo in Canada. Especially if they don’t actually file a separate lawsuit in the US.
Here’s how things went down on Twitter.
We're waiting on @Calgaryexpo and @TheMarySue to respond. They now have 18 and 40 days respectively. https://t.co/CaSgh0qC0h
— Honey Badger Radio (@HoneyBadgerBite) September 6, 2015
Breech of contract, injurious falsehood; filed last monday @scbritton @Brackstone
— Honey Badger Radio (@HoneyBadgerBite) September 7, 2015
I asked a few followup questions, trying to nail down some details about the filing — if the disbarred lawyer they got to help them with “research” was involved in the filing, and whether they had filed a separate claim against The Mary Sue in the US because, you know, the Mary Sue is based in the US.
@HoneyBadgerBite @Calgaryexpo @TheMarySue What did you file and with whom? A Statement of Claim? Was Kopyto involved in writing/filing?
— David Futrelle (@DavidFutrelle) September 7, 2015
@HoneyBadgerBite I'm just asking what you filed. So I won't have t report, 'the HBBs said they filed something but won't say what."
— David Futrelle (@DavidFutrelle) September 7, 2015
@HoneyBadgerBite Also, the Mary Sue is American. Did you file in NY state?
— David Futrelle (@DavidFutrelle) September 7, 2015
Well, so much for that, I guess.
I also sent a note to The Mary Sue to see if they had any statement or if they had even been notified that the HBB had filed anything. I haven’t heard back from them yet.
Given this dearth of information and the HBB’s apparent unwillingness to answer questions, my best guess is that they filed a Statement of Claim in Alberta based at least loosely on the “Legal Draft” posted on the HBB website back in July, prepared by the aforementioned disbarred lawyer, Harry Kopyto.
In that draft, the HBB’s declared that they were seeking
damages in the amount of $50,000 jointly and severally against the Defendants Alberta Comics and Entertainment Expo Inc. and The Mary Sue for injurious falsehood and also against the Defendant Alberta Comics and Entertainment Expo Inc. for breach of contract and against The Mary Sue for inducing breach of contract.
The Legal Draft describes The Mary Sue as “a daily internet newsletter which promotes itself as the premier destination for entertainment geeks.”
How do you do, fellow entertainment geeks. Could you kindly direct me to the nearest daily internet newsletter?
And it goes on to declare that
the false and disparaging comments published by The Mary Sue also dissuaded persons from engaging in and refusing to have any contact or purchasing merchandise from the Plaintiff.
Can I get in on that? No one bought anything from me that day either, and I’m pretty sure The Mary Sue was to blame. I’ll settle for $60,000 or maybe just a fruit smoothie.
If the HBB’s actual filing looks even vaguely similar to this draft, it will be interesting to see how one goes about suing an American entity in a Canadian court for allegedly saying things that allegedly stopped alleged persons from buying Honey Badger merchandise at a convention in Calgary.
I’m no disbarred lawyer, but somehow I just don’t see this working out for them.
Oh, and how do you “dissuade persons from engaging in?”
Engaging in what?
My guess is this is like the whole request the governor of KY free Kim Davis – he can’t, but it’s publicity. Same here, they’ll file whatever this is, then when no one responds, threaten to up legal action or whatever, ask for more money . . . and so the cycle goes.
Yes, they’re a joke, but true believers will send in the cash.
http://i96.photobucket.com/albums/l171/zombywoof_2006/cat-space-kitty-sleepy-tired-funny-nasa-air-stars-what.jpg
I’m assuming that was “engaging in, and refusing to have, any contact, or purchasing merchandise from the Plaintiff.” (I probably comma-faulted to within an inch of my life in over-correcting, there.)
That said, their crap-ass proofing and editing is kind of indicative of the likely quality of any filings that they might have performed. “Let’s make our professional public-facing documentation as high-school as possible!”
It is possible to sue an American entity in a Canadian court.
Enforcing any judgment might be problematic though. Generally the US and Canada will enforce each others judgements but actions founded in defamation are a possible exception; because of the First Amendment and some specific legislation in some states.
Nobody bought anything from me today. I’m going to sue the Honey Badgers. Why not?
“Breech” of contract?
According to our good friends at Wikipedia, a “breech” is:
Breeches, an item of clothing covering the body from the waist down
Breech, in a breech-loading weapon, a chamber integral to the rear portion of a gun barrel
Buttocks, the lower part of the human abdomen
Breech, the lower part of a pulley block
Breech, the penetration of a boiler where exhaust gases leave it
I’m trying to figure out which one they took out a contract on.
Fairly amusing, but they’re going to have to up their game if they hope to match the humorous train wreck that was “The Sarkeesian Effect.”
Meh, they just have to make a show of pursuing the claim, or the donors might start wanting their money back, along with any money they laid out to attend the conference that never was.
http://www.baconwrappedmedia.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/01/funny-lawyer-cat.jpg
http://rack.0.mshcdn.com/media/ZgkyMDEyLzA0LzE3LzIzXzA1XzE4XzU2Ml9maWxlCnAJdGh1bWIJODUweDg1MD4KZQlqcGc/c7d2bd19.jpg
I love lawyer pet memes way way too much.
http://www.quickmeme.com/img/bb/bbbb9e57a8b87fb5f42b89347a26e8985ffc466ec4a0e4dbe5e2fc1b35f4e0e5.jpg
Lawyer caaaats. Adorables. 😀
Well, because of your “No case too small” meme, I now have the Chip & Dale’s Rescue Rangers theme stuck in my head. I hope you’re happy.
If you need help just call Chip Chip Chip Chip and Dale’s Attournies at Law! Chip and Dale Avocados!
Or, or, and I’m just spitballin’ here, it could be that the merchandise you had up on display for everyone to see was geared towards GamerGaters, which most people actively don’t agree with and despise for their awful ways?
So, when people saw you had GG merch up for sale, they went “Oh, they’re GGers.” and promptly turned heel and walked away.
The Honey Badgers have made no secret of their ties to GG, and when you broadcast that to people who are aware that GG is comprised of a lot of really nasty people, they’re not going to want anything to do with you.
Not to mention that even before GG, the HBs had a reputation for being anti-feminists, and they went and disrupted a panel at the convention.
Trust me, The Mary Sue had nothing to do with people not wanting to talk to you.
Me too! Besides, I could really go for a mango smoothie…
@Tara — More importantly, which one they’re pulling their arguments out of.
http://pintast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/lawyer-cat-image-1407673319kn8g4.jpg
KITTYSQUEEEEEEEE!
Ahem. What was I gonna say, again?
Oh yeah: Honey Damsels. I’m gonna be using that from now on. Ha, ha.
Do you think GamerGaters will ever catch on that they are being scammed?
http://youtu.be/x4Lc4F5yqkg
http://www.wweek.com/portland/imgs/media.images/20444/lede_scroller.widea.jpg
Wait, didn’t the Badgers say they were going to do this like, two months ago? How freakin’ slow is the postal service in Canada? It’s almost like they don’t think they can actually win this and are just dragging the drama out for as long as possible to swindle even more money from- oh, wait, I just realised that’s exactly what they’re doing.
Well, I have figured out what this thread is about:
http://pintast.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/08/lawyer-cat-image-1407673319kn8g4.jpg
