The first related thing that comes to mind is #Subject-16571, "Pluvia vs. Westergaard". While not actually a lawsuit (although it led to a few), it was an action that was clearly meant to intimidate an SI member from further posting damaging information about a company.
Westergaard Internet Broadcasting Network (WIBN) posts $5,000 reward for information on "Steve Pluvia", the Silicon Investor Registered Pen Name of a person, or persons, circulating disinformation designed to drive down the price of Premier Laser Systems (PLSIA) common shares. WIBN (www.wbn.com) will pay $5,000 to anyone who provides the most complete dossier on "Steve Pluvia". Information should include name, work and home addresses, co-consipirators, names of hedge funds or other parties on whose behalf "Pluvia" is acting, and any other information relevant to determining the activities and motives of the subject. Dossiers must be submitted to WIBN by noon Wednesday, August 27, via fax 212-947-6643, e-mail to john@westergaard.com, or registered mail to Westergaard Online Systems, Inc., 560 W 43rd Street, NY, NY 10036. Westergaard Online reserves the right to judge the best dossier, and to make no award if no satisfactory dossier is submitted.
This service is one arm of WIBN which has been designed to continually sweep the Internet to identify parties such as "Steve Pluvia" engaged in circulating rumors, fraudulent or intentionally misleading investment information or analysis for financial gain, competitive advantage or other purposes. WIBN will be formally launched September 4.
westergaard.com
PLSIA was eventually halted for four months starting in May '98, their auditors quit, and several class action lawsuits were filed against them. These actions, IMO, clearly vindicated Pluvia.
- Jeff |
