Righthaven CEO, Plus Two Former Righthaven Lawyers, Being Investigated By Nevada State Bar

from the hits-just-keep-on-coming dept

Fri, Jan 13th 2012 2:30pm — Mike Masnick

It appears that the Nevada State Bar has decided that some of the complaints against Righthaven that were filed over the past couple of years are worthy of a more detailed investigation. The bar has initiated an inquiry against Righthaven CEO Steve Gibson, as well as two of Righthaven's former lawyers, specifically regarding Righthaven. According to Vegas Inc.:

Phil Pattee, assistant Bar counsel, said the agency couldn’t disclose the nature of the grievances against the attorneys or whether they relate to complaints from outside parties or the Bar’s own review of the Righthaven cases or both. But he confirmed the grievances relate to the attorneys’ work for Righthaven.

“We’ll be asking them about Righthaven,” he said.

One other interesting tidbit in the article: apparently Gibson has a new job -- back to working as a lawyer, now in the Las Vegas office of Detroit-based law firm, Dickinson Wright.

Gibson, not surprisingly, is outwardly confident that this inquiry is not a big deal:

“I will be responding to the informational requests of the Bar and believe that after such responses and clarifications, the matter will be properly addressed. Miss Lowry indicates her concurrence,” Gibson said Thursday.

Of course, this is the same Steve Gibson who insisted that the courts believed in Righthaven and believed the company was "genuine," but were just pushing back to "give some guidance" for Righthaven competitors. Of course, in both cases he may turn out to be right. It's just that the "matter may be properly addressed" in a manner that Gibson does not like. And, as for "guidance," it appears that the guidance the courts were giving Righthaven competitors could be summed up as "don't do anything that Righthaven has been doing."

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Filed Under: investigation, nevada, state bar, steve gibson
Companies: righthaven

24 Comments

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6, 13 Jan 2012 @ 2:42pm

I request a halt in the incessant Righthaven posts. We get it. Righthaven blew it and they sux big balls. Ok already. Let them die a peaceful death and then drudge them up when you need an example in your "arguments" against extreme copyright.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 2:54pm

Re:
Dude, with a blog centering on IP Copyright and Tech, you run with the news that are out there.
If A happens you write about A, if B happens .... you get the idea.

That said tho, i really don't mind the Righthaven news, just as i really didn't mind the ACS Law news back when that whole mess broke.
CopyTrolls getting what they have coming is almost worthy of firing up a cigar.
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audiomagi (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 2:55pm

Re:
Nope. I don't think anyone should let them "Let them die a peaceful death..." They would never have done the same for one of their lawsuit targets, so why should anyone afford them such a luxury? Righthaven needs to held up as an example, broadcast far and wide, of the ugly side of copyright abuse. I am all for the "hard reset" regarding copyright discussed in another thread here today. I think that Righthaven needs to be used as much as possible as an illustration of the problems with "shoot first, ask questions later" strategies like the ones currently being proposed in SOPA and PIPA. Mike, please keep following and posting all articles regarding Righthaven, and thanks for the amazing efforts so far.
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:Lobo Santo (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 2:59pm

Re: Re: Human vs Alien
"They would never have done the same for one of their lawsuit targets, so why should anyone afford them such a luxury?"
What makes us better than them is what we will do for them that they wouldn't do for us.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 3:16pm

Re: Re: Re: Human vs Alien
My jaw is sore from turning my cheek so many times.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 3:19pm

Re:
Do your guests tell you what you can and can't do?
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The Mighty Buzzard (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 3:28pm

Re: Re: Re: Human vs Alien
Nah, I think I'll go with vindictive and petty just like they would.
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Anonymous Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 3:29pm

Re: Re:
Well, maybe the in-laws.
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Anonymous Coward, 13 Jan 2012 @ 3:29pm

Woah, the guy's still in the US? I figured he'd dumped all the money he could lay his hands on into a Swiss bank account and fled the country ages ago.
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Phalamir (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 3:35pm

Re: Re: Re: Human vs Alien
Also known as unilateral disarmament. You want to sit quietly, worry only about the aggressor's fee-fees, and not their victims' wounds, you can do so in the Vichy Corner. The rest of us might actually try and make the world a better place.
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Scote, 13 Jan 2012 @ 4:27pm

Who on earth would hire Steve Gibson?
"apparently Gibson has a new job -- back to working as a lawyer, now in the Las Vegas office of Detroit-based law firm, Dickinson Wright. "

Who on earth would hire Steve Gibson after the entire Righthaven debacle, the frivolous emergency appeals, the apparent constant contempt of court, the missed deadlines, the abandonment of cases in process, and the sanctions against Righthaven?

It seems to me that just hiring Gibson to work for you is defacto malpractice. :-o Why anyone would do that is beyond me.
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Ben Acel (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 5:04pm

Righthaven needs to watch this new documentary :)
Righthaven is a big Media conglomerate of the Bilderberg establishment.

Watch this documentary to know the truth!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eNY2S0fgrfs
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Steve SmallDick Gibson, 13 Jan 2012 @ 5:08pm

http://www.dickinson-wright.com/ourpeople/pages/person.aspx?person=96835d9d-f7d2-430e-a836-92977532e c50
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Atkray (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 5:20pm

Re: Who on earth would hire Steve Gibson?
Sloppy background check combined with an imaginative resume?
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MahaliaShere (profile), 13 Jan 2012 @ 6:40pm

Response to: 6 on Jan 13th, 2012 @ 2:42pm
Nah, these are my favorite!
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abc gum, 13 Jan 2012 @ 6:52pm

Re:
Request Denied

Righthaven will be held up as an example for all to see - why would you desire anything less?

Seriously, why do you request such leniency? Certainly Righthaven would have shown no mercy had they prevailed in their power lust adventure and in fact they were quite happy collecting the ill-gotten gains from their extortion racket.

No! - they should be hoisted upon their own petard
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Scote, 13 Jan 2012 @ 10:25pm

How strange...no mention of Righthaven in his CV...
My, my. How odd. The CV page for Gibson at Dickinson/Wright lists his experience thusly:

"Experience

* Mr. Gibson has nearly twenty years of experience which includes practicing in Japan and at an International Chicago-based law firm. "

What? No mention of his groundbreaking stint as CEO of "America's premier Copyright enforcer" (or how ever they said that...) And no mention of Righthaven being sanctioned for misrepresentation to the courts? Nor of the 275 cases filed by Righthaven that seem as though every single one that will be decided by a court will be lost?

And, the CV brags about Gibson's contract writing experience, but makes no mention of the contract he was involved with at Righthaven where the true nature was concealed from the courts by splitting the copyright assignments secretly in an overriding agreement with Stephens Media that took back the bald copyright assignments shown to the courts and recast them as apparent sham copyright assignments, which when finally examined in total were found to be that Righthaven lacked even standing to sue in multiple venues? Really? No mention of that?

I'm really wondering what info Gibson has in his safe to get someone to hire him to work as a lawyer...I'm definately not saying he's blackmailing anyone, but who would hire him on his merits after his inexcusable conduct in the Righthaven debacle? I hope Mike will ask the law firm for comment.
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Loki, 14 Jan 2012 @ 3:51am

What I want to know is why a lawyer with (supposedly) 20 years experience requires so much "response and clarification" and being "provided guidance" over and over? Isn't that what people serve internships for?

Also I was rather sad when I heard about his new job. With the RIAA talking about backing him, I was rather hoping they would eventually hire him as their chief counsel.
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The eejit (profile), 14 Jan 2012 @ 6:58am

Re:
Struck by an attack of The Stupids, I guess.
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Violated (profile), 14 Jan 2012 @ 7:09am

This is nice to see when I was beginning to wonder if the legal profession actually had system to punish rampant lawyers who disgrace the profession.

Let justice be served.
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abc gum, 14 Jan 2012 @ 8:03am

Re: How strange...no mention of Righthaven in his CV...
High Job Market - Low Job Market

Lying on your resume/application is grounds for termination in the Low Job Market.

Lying is a prerequisite in the High Job Market.
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hmm (profile), 14 Jan 2012 @ 5:49pm

Dickinson Wright just wants cheap publicity and thinks THIS is the way to get it perhaps?

Obviously the rest of their employees must be piss-poor at their jobs if THIS is what they have to do to drum up trade.....

Either that or they plan to "fire" Gibson to try and make themselves look good (obviously planned ahead of time with a nice payoff to Gibson to go along with it).

Either that or Gibson will truly turn out to be a messiah in disguise as he takes down ANOTHER big law firm/IP conglomerate.

After all, he's killed Stephens Media (check the hilarious state of their finances/shares and secret cashflow issues these days!) and a few others, one more wouldn't go amiss......
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Cookoo, 16 Jan 2012 @ 2:18am

So the Righthaven CEO and two Righthaven Lawyers walk into a bar...
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John M., 26 Mar 2012 @ 1:18pm

Re:
Naaa, keep it going and make an example out of Righthaven. Let the world know that this kind of crap is not to be tolorated. Also let those idiot lawyers thinking or trying to pitch the idea be aware that this could happen to them.
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