Hitsgalore.com Files $20 Million Lawsuit Against Internet Posters
Business Wire - June 14, 1999 13:39
RANCHO CUCAMONGA, Calif.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 14, 1999--
Hitsgalore.com, Inc. (OTC BB:HITT) today announced that it has filed
a Complaint against one identified and five anonymous Internet posters
for Libel, Tortious Interference With Business Relations and Civil
Conspiracy in the United States District Court for the Middle District of
Florida. The Complaint, entitled Hitsgalore.com, Inc. v. Janice Shell, et
al., Case No. 99-1387-CIV-T-26C, seeks damages in excess of
Twenty Million Dollars ($20,000,000.00).
The Complaint names Janice Shell, John Doe No. 1 a/k/a "Paul
Kersey," John Doe No. 2 a/k/a "Mayor," John Doe No. 3 a/k/a "Mr.
Pink," John Doe No. 4 a/k/a "mshater," and John Doe Nos. 5-100 as
Defendants (collectively the "Defendants"). The Complaint alleges that,
beginning at least as early as May 1999 and continuing through to the
present, the Defendants intentionally and maliciously published and
republished a variety of false and defamatory statements about
Hitsgalore.com in a nationwide "cybersmear" campaign on electronic
bulletin boards on the Internet maintained by Raging Bull, Inc. ("Raging
Bull") and Silicon Investor, Inc. ("Silicon Investor"). These statements
either explicitly state or imply that Hitsgalore has engaged in
illegitimate, illegal, dishonest, fraudulent, and criminal business
operations, when, in truth and fact, the Defendants knew or should
have known that such statements were false and libelous per se.
Steve Bradford, the CEO of Hitsgalore.com, believes that it is
absolutely essential that all responsible parties be held fully
accountable for their activities, and this action is the first formal step
for Hitsgalore.com in taking the offensive against those seeking to
destroy the reputation, damage the market value of the Company's
common stock and undermine the business affairs of the Company
through anonymous posting activity. Steve Bradford stated that: "the
Company intends to issue subpoenas to Raging Bull and Silicon
Investor to ascertain the identities of the John Doe Defendants, and to
aggressively undertake discovery in this case." The Company's
attorneys are also investigating possible defamation charges against
David Evans, a Bloomberg reporter, for certain negative news articles
which the Company believes are misleading in nature.
Jeanette Wilcher, the Trustee of The Life Foundation Trust with whom
the Company has various business relations, stated that: "I applaud,
commend, and fully support the efforts of Hitsgalore.com in bringing
the anonymous Internet posters to justice."
The Company would also like to gratefully acknowledge the substantial
assistance it has received from various persons throughout the country
in investigating the Internet activity by the Defendants and others, and
welcomes further contact from individuals with knowledge of this
cybersmear campaign.
If you have any information which you believe would be helpful to the
Company in prosecuting this matter, please contact Carl F. Schoeppl,
Esq., or Daniel J. Becka, Esq., at Schoeppl & Burke, P.A., the
Company's litigation counsel, 4800 North Federal Highway, Suite
210-A, Boca Raton, Florida 33431-5176, Telephone: (561) 394-8301,
Facsimile: (561) 393-6541, and E-Mail: Schoeppl@aol.com.
CONTACT: Hitsgalore.com, Inc., Rancho Cucamonga
Danny Gavin, Investor Relations
800/300-5388
Investor@Hitsgalore.com |
