Partner Offers $10K Bounty for Blogger’s Identity

A Chicago lawyer who is being criticized, along with his law firm, in an anonymous Internet blog supposedly authored by a fellow attorney has offered a $10,000 reward to anyone who can provide him with the identity of "Troll Tracker."

The anonymous blogger, who claims to be "just a lawyer; interested in patent cases but not interested in publicity," has criticized Raymond Niro and his 30-lawyer IP boutique, Niro Scavone Haller & Niro, for representing clients who own patents but don't necessarily make products. Instead, the firm earns licensing fees from users of the patented technology—and potentially sues users if they don't pay up, explains the Chicago Tribune.

Although Troll Tracker claims a First Amendment right to criticize the firm anonymously on the blog, Niro says the blogger should take responsibility for his or her views. Plus, he points out, knowing the identity and affiliations of the blogger likely would affect the way that readers perceive the Troll Tracker's critique.

Details here from the ABA Journal.

Comments

[gary]

Robert Ambrogi tells us that Raymond Niro plans to raise the stakes again:

The heat is on: If he has not unmasked the blogger by Feb. 1, Niro will increase the reward to $15,000, he told Bullseye.

(“ Offering Reward, Lawyer Aims to Unmask Blogger”, BullsEye Newsletter, IMS Expert Services, Jan 8, 2008)