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Jim Sterling is being sued by Digital Homicide
- Thread starter H1PSTER
- Start date
There sure is some fascinating commentary over there from the "devs." I found this particular snippet extra hilarious:
You hear that, Jim! You're corporate now, to go with all your other faultsIndie_Brotha_Man said:
"Blacklist" is just another word for VIP club!You hear that, Jim! You're corporate now, to go with all your other faults
ImaLemming
Member
I've always "loved" this comeback.
If you call a terrible movie, book, or meal terrible, nobody cares whether or not you've made a $120 million movie, written so much as an MLP slash fanfic, or spent years in a culinary institute.
But call a terrible video game terrible, and it's "LEARN TO MAKE A GAME OR STFU". Also seems to apply to awful webcomics, funnily enough.
They're basically saying "I admit it's shit, but you're not allowed to say that!"
I guess it's because bad wecomics and asset flip video games are made for/by the lowest rung on the intellectual ladder, so that's what comes running to their aid.
CraigerGamer
Member
If I was a game dev I'd purposely make a crap game, release it on Steam, pray that he review it, and then sue the living pants off of him just so I can meet him one day in court, look him in the eye, shake his hand, and say, "Thank God for Jim Sterling."
SinCityAssassin
Member
Even when one goes down, another one just goes in.
I'd like to think that the whole digital homicide and CSGO thing lit something under Valve's ass, there's going to be a whole mountain of corpses laying below Jim's feet if they keep doing shady shit and none of them learn from other's mistakes.
How About No
Member
Lol I saw Jim's video on the Art of Stealth and almost wanted to make a thread on it cuz that was some funny shit (link here). Now this happens lmao
/dying
/fallingthruworld
It looks like digihom can't let it go:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf8IK3bnONE
Doesn't look like they can find a lawyer, so they are trying to find another way out.
Since my knowlege of the legal system is limited to a few episodes of Law and order, I can't really tell what this really means for the lawsuit.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vf8IK3bnONE
Doesn't look like they can find a lawyer, so they are trying to find another way out.
Since my knowlege of the legal system is limited to a few episodes of Law and order, I can't really tell what this really means for the lawsuit.
Wow. They're really reaching now.
Hilariously sad. I would love to know how their family is dealing with this shit.
What's the gist of it?
Nothing in the proposed amended complaint addresses the judges order w/r to entities (in this case Digital Homicide) having to be represented by an attorney. I dont see where this avoids being dismissed around 2/10 for failing to comply with the judges order.
Furthermore, Romine admits (in section 14 and others) that there are several other companies that were created to use for future DH style business including some sock puppet like accounts that wouldn't be attached to the Romine name. I dont know if those companies were properly created with the relevant state agencies (to actually create a company).
Sid Alpha kindly provides links to the documents if you wish to peruse yourself. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6FG7o2HBZWlUUpXSEhnNUxSNDA
Furthermore, Romine admits (in section 14 and others) that there are several other companies that were created to use for future DH style business including some sock puppet like accounts that wouldn't be attached to the Romine name. I dont know if those companies were properly created with the relevant state agencies (to actually create a company).
Sid Alpha kindly provides links to the documents if you wish to peruse yourself. https://drive.google.com/open?id=0B6FG7o2HBZWlUUpXSEhnNUxSNDA
Thanks, I reposted what you said as a commnet under the video so that everyone can see it.
ElRenoRaven
Gold Member
So continuing to not listen to judge, admitting they tried to "rebrand" Digital homicide, are basically committing fraud, and then crying that Jim brought that to light is the update. What morons. They're so hanging themselves in that updated complaint. Oh yea we're using a fake name for support and then changing our name but damn Jim he caught us. Meanwhile going oh hey Judge we know you told us to get a lawyer but fuck you here is an update to our complaint.
Mase Gumble
Member
I've only been following this loosely, but it seems like a big time case of when not just taking the L goes wrong.
ElRenoRaven
Gold Member
It is. You can't get more blatant then going oh yea we set up a new company and are using this name as the person behind it and doing it's support. If I was the judge I'd point blank go so you say you're trying to commit fraud and he called you out on it?
It's snowballed so much he's got to see it through at this point. Which is hilariously sad.
ElRenoRaven
Gold Member
The good thing is that it's not a matter of if Jim wins, it's just a matter of when he wins.
Weltall Zero
Member
Sunken cost fallacy at its best. Best for us spectators, that is.
I wonder if they'll end up like Prenda Law after this...
steescribbles
Member
alfredofroylan
Member
Edit: Same info as above.
America, presumably. My sister got into a fender bender with another guy who then sued her for roughly double what the damage was to his vehicle, on top of money he thought he was owed for missing a day to go to the doctor's for "whip lash". He won't get anywhere near that kind of money, but he will get a larger portion than what would have normally been owed.
The same is true here, I suspect. These guys are suing for 15.3 million not because they think they'll get it, but probably a large enough portion to justify the cost of lawyers and other legal fees.
ImaLemming
Member
Glitchesarecool
Member
Romine has been doing self representation this entire time, so there are no lawyers involved. Also this is radically different from a fender bender because the charges are entirely made up, there is no real documentation, and most of it is coming out of whatever Romine can pull from his ass as "justification" for the damages.
If you listen and follow this entire adventure, he genuinely believes he's going to get this money and he's doing it to defend other developers of shlock.
R_thanatos
Member
Wait ... so he is a patreon follower of jim just so he can try to pin him in a court case ?
I'm ..just ...
Wow ...
Some people are stupid , but he's at another level
EDIT : Wait it's a claim , so he might not be a follower after all . Maybe it's just another lie on top of that giant cake of bullshit
ImaLemming
Member
I'm sure the real goal in suing for $15 million was to scare Jim with such an outrageous amount that he'd settle out of court. But Jim called his bluff, and now he's beating around more bushes than the US Botanic Garden.
Leonard French, a copyright attorney with his own YouTube channel, has also been following the Sterling v DigiHom debacle closely. His thoughts on the latest development are here.
He does spend a lot of time (a bit too much, IMHO) reading parts of the filing verbatim, but you can really see how exasperated he, as an actual practicing attorney in this field, is at Romine's antics.
He does spend a lot of time (a bit too much, IMHO) reading parts of the filing verbatim, but you can really see how exasperated he, as an actual practicing attorney in this field, is at Romine's antics.
Lanrutcon
Member
I follow this guy. He gives a down to earth breakdown of events as they unfold.
The latest DH case activity sounds like desperate flailing.
ImaLemming
Member
Oh hey, somebody at The Escapist (who in turn was referring to somebody from Reddit) pointed out that there's a very familiar stamp on the top of the latest filing.
I'm also curious about something; if legal documents are supposed to be printed on 8.5x14-inch paper, but Romine kept printing them on 8.5x11-inch pages, why weren't they being immediately rejected?
I'm also curious about something; if legal documents are supposed to be printed on 8.5x14-inch paper, but Romine kept printing them on 8.5x11-inch pages, why weren't they being immediately rejected?
The court system is likely a little bit softer on the truly incompetent.
Like if a real lawyer stands up and says "Your honor, I forgot my briefcase in the bathroom", the judge is going to get really upset with that lawyer.
But if someone like James Romine says it, the judge will facepalm and say "Of course you did. Please go and get it. We will wait."
The fact that Romine is upset that Jim references Digital Homicide when talking about his newly re-branded company is hilarious.
He thought he could just start up a new company name, use an alias, and be back in business? Not on Jim's watch. Perhaps if he wasn't up to his old tricks, and turned a new leaf under the new company, Jim would have ignored it, but the fact that he took games from the DH library to sell under his new company sealed his fate. What a fucking moron. (oh wait, fuck, can he sue me for that?)
He thought he could just start up a new company name, use an alias, and be back in business? Not on Jim's watch. Perhaps if he wasn't up to his old tricks, and turned a new leaf under the new company, Jim would have ignored it, but the fact that he took games from the DH library to sell under his new company sealed his fate. What a fucking moron. (oh wait, fuck, can he sue me for that?)
Chie Satonaka
Member
I'm sure he believes he can. Tread lightly.
Youtube reviews of video game related cases. That isnt a bad idea. I'll consider something similar assuming I pass the bar this summer.
You've got a sub from me, guaranteed. Always appreciated your input here.
At this point the man is going to ruin himself forever, despite having every opportunity to cut his losses and move on. He's got absolutely nothing left and he still acts like he's about to get a hefty payday if he stays the course.
It's like a car accident, I feel so bad for everyone involved but I just can't look away.
That's not a thing.
To clarify, the only time I've submitted anything to a court in 8.5 x 14" paper (i.e., "legal" sized paper) was in relation to estate and real estate work. Pleadings, motions, etc. in civil cases are almost universally required by courts to be on 8.5 x 11" paper (i.e., "letter" sized paper). Romine has made several missteps in this litigation, but the paper size he's chosen to submit his filings on is not one of them.
Glitchesarecool
Member
Please do, love your posts.
that bit in the Jim interview where he mentions he has children...
EatinOlives
Member
They put more effort into this lawsuit than they ever did any of their games.
That stamp is not referencing an issue with the paper size. Paper size is covered under LRCiv 7.1(b)(1) and is required to be 8.5x11 inches.
The rule in question is LRCiv 7.1(d)(1) which basically asks that you not include the same attachments in multiple filings. Once an attachment is on a court record you as supposed to just cite the attachment on record instead of reattaching it to subsequent filings.
Also, while courts have rules that you have to follow for formalities such as paper size and formatting. They do not exist to automatically disqualify cases before they are heard on their merits.
The rules exist to encourage ease of case management by the courts. Just imagine trying to file paperwork that didn't follow some sort of standards. Regarding paper size most courts have moved on from the old 8.5 x 14 to just using regular 8.5x11.
Note: While I indicated a court would likely not dismiss an improperly formatted document, the clerk could refuse to accept (though with the stamp in question I assume thats not this courts policy), or they could reject the document (which is what the stamp says here).
Indeed and I think you are seeing it by not rejecting the documents that do not conform to the rules.
There are actual trial practicing attorneys on this thread who can speak to this better, but generally you will get some amount of leeway as a pro se litigant. However, the amount and how harshly that leeway breaks is very judge dependent.
I do love that real estate documents seem to hang onto that 8.5x14 style.
An oddity for anyone still reading. The US Supreme Court has very specific rules regarding formatting requiring most documents to be submitted in bound booklets.
ImaLemming
Member
Triggerhappytel
Member
That's the really troubling thing about all this - do they really think they're going to win? Like, surely any judge worth a fuck is going to very quickly rule in favour of Sterling and say "tough shit; I'm not going to punish a critic because you feel he was a meanie", and then the Romines will be liable for court costs, right? They've sunk their business because of this batshit vendetta, and there's no payday or pot of gold at the end of it.
This is 1000% true. Their priorities are so fucking baffling.