Oddest Copyright Lawsuit Ever: Oprah Sued For... Um... You Have To Read It Yourself
from the pro-se-copyright-suits dept
Every so often it's fun to highlight some of the nuttier pro se lawsuits out there, but this one may take the cake. Eriq Gardner, over at THResq, who pointed this one out, claims it's the oddest Oprah Winfrey case ever, but I'd take that even further, and say it may be the oddest copyright lawsuit ever filed. And it is, technically, a copyright lawsuit, though it'll get thrown out for failure to state a claim pretty quickly I'm sure. As for why this woman, Tiffany Gouch, is suing Winfrey, well, I really have no idea. Winfrey is mentioned as someone that Gouch admires... and that's about the most coherent thing in the filing. There are claims that Gouch wrote some of the biggest hit songs of the past decade -- from artists like Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Lil Wayne, Katy Perry, Chris Brown, Jamie Foxx, Mariah Carey and Britney Spears -- but that the notebooks she wrote them in disappeared, and then suddenly "her" songs started appearing on the radio. The lawsuit helpfully (well, not really) also supplies the lyrics of "her" songs and the lyrics of the songs from others she now claims to have co-written. There's also the point where she claims "in settling this case" (?) she's just looking to find out who some "phone friend" was. Anyway, here's a snippet, but, you really should read the whole thing, embedded below:Members of the Jackson family, particularly Katherine Jackson, Michael Jackson's mother will help bring this case to a resolution. No person, except someone in high rank, with enough clout and position could have possibly convinced all of these great artists to use my lyrics to help make me a star. I want to meet every one of them. Some of them I have already had the opportunity to meet.And I still have no idea what any of this has to do with Oprah. Or Michael Jackson's death, but that's in there too...
But in the end the business and the law are clear: as co-author of these songs I am entitled to reap the benefits of my work (copyright statute 17). And in fact I have the right of first use on my side. These being huge hits that they have become I am grateful and look forward to negotiating fair and equitable settlement for my work. The lyrics used in these hit songs were direct copies from my journal that was found in Sandra's home. (See the attached lyrics and proof of similarity in submission B pgs 1-25).
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Filed Under: copyright, oprah winfrey
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WTF?
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Re: WTF?
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Re: WTF?
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"That's totally inappropriate. It's lewd, vesivius, salacious, outrageous!"
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Re: your dumb comment
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Sounds like she could be mentally ill
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Wanna bet she wrote those lyrics too?
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Why highlight obviously mentally ill people?
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Uh...
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Re: Uh...
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I think.
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Great Writer
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Re: Great Writer
People who have no talent or direction usually spend time hating on others who might have something they really want.
I'm glad I saw your comment. Which makes a lot more sense than the others...
Feel free to connect.
I'm online... you can google me. lol
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I dunno about that, there are some strange copyright lawsuits out there.
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crazy people
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That doesn't even resemble a lawsuit, and...she's suing Oprah because Oprah knew Michael Jackson?
That's about the only thing I infer out of it...and even that makes no sense.
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No Privacy Issues
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Re: No Privacy Issues
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you have them.
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So that she can scream rape the minute you even before you get out of your truck?
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Really?
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Techdirt's in trouble!
Speaking of tossed, the lawyer who drafted this suit needs to have their bar license tossed as well.
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Re: Techdirt's in trouble!
pro se means she drafted and filed it. You can see her signature on the filing attorney line. She mentions in the filing that no lawyer wants to touch this case.
If she wasn't batshit crazy and has evidence of these lyrics, the ones where she "wrote" the majority of the song not one similar line, she might have a case against whoever she was talking to on the phone possibly Jill Scott. Unfortunately she IS batshit crazy and thinks she was tallking to Micheal who was murdered in a conspiracy to keep her from becoming famous but thankfully his mother and Oprah are feeding her lyrics to industry insiders. I doubt there is any evidence. And why the fuck is she suing Oprah
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Not for every song posted, but there is def something to her complaint. (Once you peel thru the fluff and emotional stuff).
My daughter is functional MR. She isn't quite batshit crazy, but being in the MR community, there are some out there that are. Some that even medication aren't doing too well with assisting with.
Her sister is now a staff member for one of the other ladies in the MR community. This lady has gone thru multiple staff members, because she is difficult to handle. She jumps out of car doors, breaks the keys off in the doors...etc...
However, someone broke into her house and stole all of her stuff, tv, playstation, computer....
The fact that someone is batshit crazy doesn't make it OK to steal from them.
(I am a copyleft person, btw, I'm just pointing out, as someone that is in the MR community, being batshit crazy ranting doesn't always mean there isn't something wrong being done to the person. It just means they don't know how to express it in the right way. I swear autism is just the next step in evolution....but I digress...)
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Re: Techdirt's in trouble!
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1) Why would she have waited so long to make claims to multiple songs. If I was an uncredited co-author, I certainly would have spoken up as soon as I heard the first 'stolen' lyrics.
2) Wouldn't it be more appropriate to simply sue the credited lyricists?
3) What do her lineage and relationships have to with the case? What does her resume have to do with the case, except perhaps, if she has been called out for lying on her resume and now wants to sue so she can prove that she told the truth?
4) Are we sure that this isn't some sort of publicity stunt?
5) Is she doing this to discredit the RIAA, perhaps? If so, this is certainly not the best way to do that. They really do a bang up job themselves, don't they?
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She is batshit crazy
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Laughing at The Mentally Ill
But really, is this the right forum for bullying denigration..? There are a bunch of "sane" plaintiffs more worthy of TD's contempt.
Throw pies at those who have at least some neurological control over the batshit coming out of their crazy pie holes please.
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Re: Laughing at The Mentally Ill
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On the one hand even crazy people should be allowed their day in court, but on the other hand it sure wastes a lot of time and money.
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Jim_G
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http://www.rfcexpress.com/lawsuits/copyright-lawsuits/massachusetts-district-court/52957/tif fany-gouch-v-the-recording-industry-association-of-america/summary/
So she sued the RIAA (from Massachusetts), again Pro Se like this case.
She states in this filing she moved to California in 2007. She doesn't mention going back to MA that I remember.
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This is more sad than funny really...
The really sad part is that when the lawsuit is dismissed, the plaintiff will be incapable of accepting that reality either.
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The only time she mentions Oprah is when she mentions Michael Jackson.
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Wrong - she believes Michael Jackson was her online friend.
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Response to: Anonymous Coward on May 5th, 2011 @ 11:27am
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"I know that my friend was most likely Michael Jackson"
So why sue Oprah if she believes her online friend was Michael Jackson disguising his voice?
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Nothing to be proud of
Congratulations, you are a turdbag
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ET composes
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Lawsuit
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law suits and silliness
According to the National Center for Education Statistics, Musicians Institute's tuition and fees for 2009-2010 are $27,100.00, up 15.3% from 2008–2009, and books and supplies are up 4.6% at $2,184.00. A total of $29,284.00 a...
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well what's this then?
You're all about copyright reality but you can't seem to see the wood for the trees; anyway you obviously don't have the humility to feel the slightest shame about your awful tech-hubris but you could start here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_tqH4B4sdkE&feature=related
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Tiffany Gouche is not Tiffany Gouch/ Jane Hamilton-Post you are wrong
Tiffany Gouch goes by the stage name of Molasses Jones. These are links to her work:
http://www.youtube.com/molassesjones11
http://www.reverbnation.com/molassesjones
In fact, "TIffany Gouch" may be a made-up name for this woman. When filing a federal lawsuit, there is no requirement to prove identity. Her name may be something else. However, these Molasses Jones videos are the person who filed the lawsuit.
She does seem to be mentally ill and extremely delusional. Although she dabbles in music, she seems to be using canned beats and doing a bit of talky rap over them. She also fancies herself to have a TV series, which are small videos of her shot in a library where she talks to the camera. In her videos and songs, there is no apparent musical talent.
Yes she does appear to be homeless, though no longer at the shelter in Santa Barbara. In the first several paragraphs of this lawsuit (if it can even be considered that) she says that she was assaulted violently by her father. If this is true, this may explain why and how she split from reality. She seems very intelligent and very insane.
Oprah's people will never even have to respond to this as it appears it was never even served properly. Also, since a few months have gone by, it appears Ms Gouch's pauperis filing was denied. This is as it should be. There is no need to waste the court's time and money on this.
This woman appears to be deeply and firmly in her own world. Should she be treated and coaxed back to sanity, where she will be a homeless crazy person on welfare? Or should she remain as she now sees herself -- as the world's most successful songwriter ever, with her own TV series, and lots of famous connections?
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Re: Tiffany Gouche is not Tiffany Gouch/ Jane Hamilton-Post you are wrong
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Re: Tiffany Gouche is not Tiffany Gouch/ Jane Hamilton-Post you are wrong
While I would suggest that the filing of this case was improperly worded and does show signs of distress, I welcome you to have a treatment assessment with me in person.
Better yet wait for the resolution of this case.
IN response to the whole online babble, I can only say... stay tuned.
Thank you for your time.
TCG
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I AM MOLASSES JONES
I welcome that!
Otherwise... kiss my...A$$
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updates
Since I wrote these songs... it's been 10 years, I have continued to maintain my position. I am the original writer and am deserving of all of the benefits of my work.
Second I have incorporated my various companies, developed while homeless (4years) under one parent company.
I have gained thousands of followers, some of whom have have been deleted by Facebook, while on the same social media outlet, many have used my name to the point of registering my trademarks.
I have experienced over 20 years of invasions of my privacy, id theft, and copyright and trademark infringement. That in and of itself is extremely stressful. Talking of rape and psychosis is only causing more damage to me. But thanks for putting it online.
My followers will love it!
Check them out: http://www.twitter.com/molasses_jones
Until justice is served, I'll continue to rant.
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and oh... one last thing....
https://www.justice.gov/sites/default/files/atr/legacy/2014/08/29/307857.pdf
Not bad for a delusional, psychotic, liar, eh?
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