NeoGAF

Sean · (10-01-2009, 10:18 AM)

Quote:

Oct. 1 (Bloomberg) -- Facebook Inc., the world’s most popular social-networking Web site, was accused in a lawsuit of letting site users post violent threats against a lawyer who was later disbarred.

Plaintiff Jack Thompson said the postings started after the CBS news show “60 Minutes” aired its interview with him in 2006 as a crusader against video game violence, according to the complaint he filed Sept. 29 in federal court in Miami. The games influence players to steal cars and shoot people, he says. Thompson sued some of the game makers before the Florida Supreme Court disbarred him as an attorney in 2008, according to court records.

Facebook users started an “I Hate Jack Thompson” group, according to the lawsuit. The complaint cites a posting that said “Jack Thompson should be smacked across the face with an Atari 2600.” Thompson included images of the Facebook postings in the lawsuit.

Thompson claims intentional and negligent infliction of emotional distress and failure to supervise the site, and seeks at least $120 million in damages.

Thompson said there was no response to his faxed requests to Facebook Chief Executive Officer Mark Zuckerberg in August and September to remove the postings. He noted in his complaint that a poll asking if President Barack Obama should be assassinated was removed from Facebook as soon as the company found out about it. The company said it’s investigating that matter with the U.S. Secret Service.

‘Without Merit’

“The suit is without merit and we will fight it vigorously,” Facebook said in an e-mailed statement. “Additionally, it is our practice to remove content that threatens an individual when it is brought to our attention.”

Facebook, which has about 300 million users, is based in Palo Alto, California.

The U.S. Communications Decency Act provides immunity to companies such as Facebook for what another party might post, said Parry Aftab, an attorney and executive director of Wired Safety, a charity designed to protect individuals who might be stalked or harassed on the Internet.

“I think there is no liability because of what somebody does on their Web site,” Aftab said in a phone interview.

Thompson said he believes the federal immunity provision doesn’t apply in his situation because he told the company about the threatening posts.

“It’s negligence,” Thompson said in a phone interview. “They were put on notice and they did nothing.”

He said his disbarment is irrelevant to this case.

“If I were Charles Manson, that wouldn’t warrant the postings” remaining on Facebook, he said.

The case is Thompson v. Facebook, U.S. District Court, Southern District of Florida (Miami).

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?p...d=aJ4XcDJlO1to

Rez · (10-01-2009, 10:19 AM)

who?

(wink)

GrotesqueBeauty · (10-01-2009, 10:20 AM)

This guy never quits.

fortified_concept · (10-01-2009, 10:21 AM)

Jesus christ, this moron will never go away.

ElNarez · (10-01-2009, 10:22 AM)

Jack Thompson is an attention seeking whore. News at 11.

Sean · (10-01-2009, 10:22 AM)

here's the facebook group he's "emotionally distressed" about: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2215436182

spats · (10-01-2009, 10:23 AM)

I don't know who to root for here. I hate Facebook and Jack Thompson equally.

So confused. :I

Jax · (10-01-2009, 10:23 AM)

Someone smack him across the face with an Atari 2600 please.

there I did it, he's gonna sue neogaf now

Cold-Steel · (10-01-2009, 10:23 AM)

This is actually a pretty smart move.

Start high. Let's say $120 MILLION DOLLARS.

Oh no I lost. I only got $1 MILLION DOLLARS.

Win-win.

billy.sea · (10-01-2009, 10:23 AM)

Can some GAF members make a group that go against me at Facebook, so I can sue them for $120 million too?

I found this funny not only because he is pretty much suing internet users for their comments, he is also overvalue himself for comparing himself to Obama.

Dra-Q · (10-01-2009, 10:25 AM)

Originally Posted by fortified_concept:

Jesus christ, this moron will never go away.

Originally Posted by Jax:

Someone smack him across the face with an Atari 2600 please.

Jack Thompson sues NeoGAF for $500 billion

Jtwo · (10-01-2009, 10:27 AM)

Originally Posted by Sean:

here's the facebook group he's "emotionally distressed" about: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2215436182

215 members?
Grow up, Jack.

elektrixxx · (10-01-2009, 10:30 AM)

I just saw a picture of him with his own copy of Facebook.

Woz · (10-01-2009, 10:30 AM)

Originally Posted by Cold-Steel:

This is actually a pretty smart move.

Start high. Let's say $120 MILLION DOLLARS.

Oh no I lost. I only got $1 MILLION DOLLARS.

Win-win.

How you can get 1 million $ if you loose?

SolarPowered · 10:40 AM

Originally Posted by Jax:

Someone smack him across the face with an OG XBOX please.

Fixed

Originally Posted by Woz:

How you can get 1 million $ if you loose?

Haggle for less if he gets the chance.

Also, wtf is up with cold-steel's tag? It is cracking me up.

Teetris · (10-01-2009, 10:34 AM)

More like a PS3

mr_bishiuk · (10-01-2009, 10:34 AM)

Originally Posted by Sean:

here's the facebook group he's "emotionally distressed" about: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2215436182

He's distressed over 215 members!!

Thats $558,138 per member!

The courts will laugh at him all day long, what a fool!

SilverLunar · (10-01-2009, 10:38 AM)

I am not sure if Facebook or the users are at fault here :/

It is stupid anyhow.

OperatorC · (10-01-2009, 10:39 AM)

What's the crazy guy going to do next?

Binabik15 · (10-01-2009, 10:40 AM)

Okay, finally a good thing from Jackie boy! This news made me chukle.

McBacon · (10-01-2009, 10:42 AM)

Get over it you big fucking baby

Station42 · (10-01-2009, 10:44 AM)

Originally Posted by Woz:

How you can get 1 million $ if you loose?

it's the consolation million.

Fakto · (10-01-2009, 10:45 AM)

I'm adding myself to that facebook group ASAP !

JCtheMC · (10-01-2009, 10:47 AM)

No seriously... Who?

SovanJedi · (10-01-2009, 10:48 AM)

Originally Posted by Sean:

here's the facebook group he's "emotionally distressed" about: http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2215436182

http://qkpic.com/f309e

*Clicks "Join this group"*

Thanks for letting me know of this group's existence, Jack!

elektrixxx · (10-01-2009, 10:48 AM)

Originally Posted by JCtheMC:

No seriously... Who?

It's ya boi JT.

OperatorC · (10-01-2009, 10:53 AM)

Originally Posted by SovanJedi:

*Clicks "Join this group"*

Thanks for letting me know of this group's existence, Jack!

Hah, I did the same thing.

Psychotext · (10-01-2009, 11:05 AM)

He's clearly got some fairly significant mental health issues, why isn't he getting any help?

Ramenman · 11:10 AM

AHAHAHAHAHAHA I took this was a joke thread.

Fucking Jack Thompson

He's almost funny when he's not bothering us.

And he did just an awesome job in making more people join this group !

Originally Posted by Dra-Q:

Jack Thompson sues NeoGAF for $500 billion

Denis Dyack joins him and justifies having it shut down.

News at 11.

Ramenman · (10-01-2009, 11:09 AM)

Sadist · (10-01-2009, 11:12 AM)

What an akward little man.

glaurung · (10-01-2009, 11:14 AM)

Awesome.

I hope this spawns a hundred worse Facebook groups related to hurting Thompson with video game metaphors.

Fimbulvetr · (10-01-2009, 11:21 AM)

The fuck, how did he find this group on facebook anyway? He doesn't seem like the type to make an account.

You can tell he was looking around for something like this just so he could sue someone.

LAUGHTREY · (10-01-2009, 11:22 AM)

That's like suing the air because someone used it to call him an idiot. He's a terrible lawyer.

pulga · (10-01-2009, 11:23 AM)

You have got to be fucking kidding me

This guy has become a parody of himself.

avatar299 · (10-01-2009, 11:23 AM)

Quote:

He noted in his complaint that a poll asking if President Barack Obama should be assassinated was removed from Facebook as soon as the company found out about it.

If this is true, then he actually has a winnable case. Maybe not 120 million, but a winnable case

mr_bishiuk · (10-01-2009, 11:24 AM)

If we set up a We love Jack thompson group and get over 215 members will he have to pay face book $500K for each additional person over the 215

(using JT logic here)

mentalfloss · (10-01-2009, 11:24 AM)

lawblob · (10-01-2009, 11:27 AM)

Originally Posted by LAUGHTREY:

That's like suing the air because someone used it to call him an idiot. He's a terrible lawyer.

I don't think he's a lawyer anymore. He had his license revoked, IIRC.

Stop It · (10-01-2009, 11:28 AM)

If Jack Thompson was wondering why he was disbarred, maybe he should look at his own actions.

Suing Facebook because some people were mean to him? Get over it Jack.

Originally Posted by avatar299:

If this is true, then he actually has a winnable case. Maybe not 120 million, but a winnable case

Asking whether someone should be killed isn't quite the equal to a group of people calling him an idiot, and no hitting him with an Atari 2600 isn't quite assassinating, either.

Dabanton · (10-01-2009, 11:30 AM)

I fully expect Jack to go out in a blaze of glory when he finally snaps and starts a downtown firefight before stealing a car and running pedestrians down before he gets taken down by a swat team.

Dirtyshubb · (10-01-2009, 11:32 AM)

Originally Posted by Dabanton:

I fully expect Jack to go out in a blaze of glory when he finally snaps and starts a downtown firefight before stealing a car and running pedestrians down before he gets taken down by a swat team.

That will be his last attempt at having games banned, shouting "GTA made me do it!!!!!" while going down in a blaze of glory!

That man really does seem like a complete retard. Shit, now i have to pay him $120mil :(

Bad_Boy · (10-01-2009, 11:32 AM)

The group will only get larger now.

avatar299 · (10-01-2009, 11:32 AM)

Originally Posted by Stop It:

Suing Facebook because some people were mean to him? Get over it Jack.

Asking whether someone should be killed isn't quite the equal to a group of people calling him an idiot, and no hitting him with an Atari 2600 isn't quite assassinating, either.

It's still a threat. If Facebook is admitting a more hands-on policy about threats than say Craiglist then there is no reason why JT shouldn't be allowed to say something about this.

xbhaskarx · (10-01-2009, 11:32 AM)

Someone please start a Facebook Group about me so I can get my $120 mil.

TheBranca18 · (10-01-2009, 11:35 AM)

Originally Posted by avatar299:

It's still a threat. If Facebook is admitting a more hands-on policy about threats than say Craiglist then there is no reason why JT shouldn't be allowed to say something about this.

JT can say what he wants. He can try to sue for what he wants. He's a moron. The facebook group about Obama was a poll about whether or not he should be killed. The facebook group about JT was about him getting smacked with an Atari 2600. Are these anywhere close to the same? Seriously?

ZeMMiK · (10-01-2009, 11:35 AM)

be scared, if you against him in this thread he will do the same on Neogaf .....

IrishNinja · (10-01-2009, 11:37 AM)

Originally Posted by avatar299:

If this is true, then he actually has a winnable case. Maybe not 120 million, but a winnable case

wait, uh...how? i thought publicly threatening the president's life was considered a different echelon than...fantasizing about slapping an ex-lawyer with a console. i think he'd need polanski's lawyer from back in the day to get CASH MONIES here.
...too soon?

avatar299 · (10-01-2009, 11:40 AM)

Originally Posted by TheBranca18:

JT can say what he wants. He can try to sue for what he wants. He's a moron. The facebook group about Obama was a poll about whether or not he should be killed. The facebook group about JT was about him getting smacked with an Atari 2600. Are these anywhere close to the same? Seriously?

In terms of severity, no. Are they both calling for violence, yes. The Obama poll was taken down by the request of the white house. If JT requested the same, and nothing happened, then he has a case. if he hasn't, he won't win, but the group will probably still be taken down.

SolidSnakex · (10-01-2009, 11:42 AM)

Originally Posted by avatar299:

If this is true, then he actually has a winnable case. Maybe not 120 million, but a winnable case

Proving an emotional distress case is very difficult. A general example of emotional distress is someone mailing you a letter claiming that a family members of yours had died when they hadn't. That would be an easily winnable case. A Facebook page about slapping you with a videogame console would likely get laughed out of court.