An Environmental Advocate’s Guide to Avoiding Defamation and Other Publication Lawsuits
May 31, 2005
The First Amendment Project wrote this guide to help protect environmental advocates from defamation lawsuits. However, this resource provides guidance on avoiding defamation that is not only useful for environmental organizations, but a broader range of civil society groups.
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Billionaires Bully the Media
August 28, 2018
The Harvey Weinstein scandal raised awareness of the tactics used by billionaires in the United States to keep the media from publishing critical stories. Weinstein used several tactics to prevent the sexual assault story from being published, including threatening to sue the New York Times for $50 million.
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Chevron: Protect the Protest’s Corporate Bully of the Year
May 29, 2019
Today, activists gathered outside Chevron’s annual meeting to tell CEO Michael Wirth that the company must stop being a corporate bully. Speakers at the event said that the company has spent over $2 billion and engaged over 2,000 lawyers to avoid accountability for its environmental violations in Ecuador. Share this… Read More
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Coal Baron Files SLAPPs Against Those Who Criticize His Labor Practices
August 28, 2018
Robert Murray is a notorious coal baron who leads the country’s largest privately owned coal company, the Murray Energy Corporation. The company has been repeatedly sanctioned for failing to meet miner safety standards. Mr. Murray has close ties to President Trump. In June 2017, Murray sued comedian John…
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Companies Strike Back Against Negative Customer Reviews Online
August 28, 2018
Several companies have sued consumers who post negative reviews online. In December 2012, the Virginia Supreme Court reversed a controversial lower court decision that forced a customer, Jane Perez, to remove a negative review of a contractor on Yelp. The contractor, Christopher Dietz, had sued Ms. Perez for $750,000…
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Defamation, Libel, Slander…and Other Common SLAPP disguises
August 10, 2018
The California Anti-SLAPP Project created this factsheet to explain the types of legal claims (such as defamation, invasion of privacy, and conspiracy) that are often used to disguise a SLAPP. The definitions on this sheet apply specifically to California law, but provide a general overview that can…
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Encyclopedia of Types of SLAPPs
August 28, 2018
Legal bullies never admit that they are filing a “strategic lawsuit against public participation” (SLAPP); SLAPPs come disguised as legitimate legal claims. Here are some of the most common types of legal theories used in SLAPPs. Note: these legal theories all appear in legitimate lawsuits, as well; in each case,…
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Energy Transfer Partners and Kasowitz Law Firm SLAPP Against Environmental Organizations
August 10, 2018
In August, 2017 Energy Transfer Partners (ETP) – which is building the Dakota Access Pipeline – filed a USD$900 million lawsuit in the United States District Court for the District of North Dakota alleging violations of Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and other claims against Greenpeace International, Greenpeace,…
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ExxonMobil SLAPP Against Climate Change Activists
August 28, 2018
In November 2016, ExxonMobil subpoenaed over ten environmental organizations and individuals, as part of an effort to intimidate and chill the First Amendments rights of climate change activists. EarthRights International represents one of these activists, Carroll Muffett, the president of the Center for International Environmental Law.
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Green Group Holdings SLAPP Against Community Activists
August 10, 2018
The ACLU represented community activists in Uniontown, Alabama who were sued for defamation when they expressed opposition to the dumping of hazardous coal ash in a landfill in their town. The landfill operator, Green Group Holdings, sued the residents for $30 million. In February 2017, the parties reached a settlement in…
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Green Groups: Suits to Silence Them on the Rise
April 14, 2017
In this article for Bloomberg Law, Peter Hayes describes a SLAPP filed against residents of Uniontown, Alabama who opposed the dumping of toxic material in a landfill in their community. While it’s difficult to estimate the number of SLAPPs, it’s clear…
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How Litigation Throttles Civic Advocacy
May 22, 2017
Bunny Mcdiarmid, Executive Director of Greenpeace International discusses how corporations are using SLAPPs to target advocacy groups. This article explains why corporations would pursue a lawsuit that they expect to lose: “In many ways, hiring goons is a lot easier and…
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How the Wealthy Use Frivolous Lawsuits to Silence Activists, Journalists, and Even Victims of Sexual Violence
September 12, 2018
In this article for Salon, Amanda Marcotte reports on the launch of the Protect the Protest task force, as well as the wide range of public interest organizations affected by SLAPPs. This includes, for example, media organizations, environmental activists, and sexual…
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Landfill Operator Tries to Silence Community Activists in Alabama
August 28, 2018
Uniontown, Alabama is one of the poorest communities in the United States. Its population is 91% African American, and half of its residents live below the poverty line. Georgia-based Green Group Holdings operates a landfill in the town. When the company dumped millions of tons of toxic coal ash…
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Law Firm Uses Anti-Mafia Law to Harass Environmentalists
August 28, 2018
New York City-based law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres LLP is attempting to use an anti-mafia law to stifle the free speech of civil society organizations. In July 2018, a federal judge dismissed a lawsuit filed by Canadian logging giant, Resolute Forest Products, against environmental organizations Greenpeace and Stand.earth. Resolute and…
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New Case Alert: North Carolina Parent Sued by Curriculum Company
September 25, 2019
PRESS RELEASE Blain Dillard is a parent of three sons living in Cary, NC, which is served by the Wake County Public School System. On Saturday, July 27th, 2019, he was served a summons documenting a lawsuit filed on behalf of Mathematics Vision Project, LLC (MVP), a curriculum vendor in… Read More
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New York Times Feature: Maggy Hurchalla, Florida Environmental Activist, Continues SLAPP Fight Despite Recent Loss
September 18, 2019
In a recent New York Times article, Florida environmental activist Maggy Hurchalla discussed the ongoing SLAPP suit that was brought against her by Florida mining Company, Lake Point Restoration. Read More
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Oil Giant Uses Court Procedures to Harass Climate Change Advocates and Scientists
August 28, 2018
During the past five years, climate change activists, scientists, and investigators have uncovered evidence that oil giant ExxonMobil first learned about the dangers of climate change decades ago, yet chose to conceal this information from its customers and the public. This information now forms the basis of several multi-million…
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Resolute Forest Products and Kasowitz Law Firm SLAPP Against Environmental Organizations
August 28, 2018
On May 31, 2016 Resolute Forest Products filed a $300 million (CAD – Canadian dollars) lawsuit in the United States District Court for the Southern District of Georgia alleging violations of the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) and other claims against Greenpeace International, Greenpeace, Inc., Greenpeace Fund, Inc.,…
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South African Advocacy Organizations Launch Anti-SLAPP Campaign: Asina Loyiko
June 28, 2019
Last month, a network of South African civil society organizations launched the joint advocacy campaign Asina Loyiko: United Against Corporate Bullying. Read More
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The Dakota Access Pipeline Company Is Abusing the Judicial System to Silence Dissent
March 04, 2019
The ACLU discusses how pipeline company Energy Transfer is abusing the judicial system in order to suppress the rights of activists. The article is available on the ACLU’s website and is re-posted here with permission. In a win for free speech, a federal court in North Dakota recently… Read More
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U.N. must examine growing trend of U.S. corporations using courts to silence dissent, says free speech group
January 15, 2019
WASHINGTON, DC — Protect the Protest, an international task force of over 20 organizations working to protect free speech, is calling on the U.N. Human Rights Committee to address the growing trend of corporations and individuals in the United States using Strategic Lawsuits Against Public Participation (SLAPPs) to… Read More
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The Term “Eco-Terrorist” is Being Used to Harass Activists
January 03, 2019
In an article for Grist, Justine Calma and Paola Rosa-Aquino discuss a 1990s tactic that is growing in popularity once again: labeling activists as “eco-terrorists.” Across the world, we are witnessing growing efforts by governments and corporations to silence environmental activists. According to Calma and Rosa-Aquino, “The consequences of… Read More
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Pipeline Protester Fights Back Against Corporation’s Sprawling, Outlandish Lawsuit
December 21, 2018
BISMARCK, ND — Krystal Two Bulls, an Oglala Lakota and Northern Cheyenne U.S. army veteran and environmental and Indigenous rights activist, today urged a federal court to dismiss a racketeering lawsuit filed against her for her role in standing for land, water, and her People against the Dakota Access Pipeline. Read More
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BuzzFeed Defeats SLAPP Arising Out of Trump-Russia Scandal
December 20, 2018
MIAMI, FLORIDA – Yesterday, a federal court dismissed a defamation lawsuit brought by a Russian technology entrepreneur against BuzzFeed News. In January 2017, BuzzFeed published the now-famous dossier produced by Christopher Steele, which includes allegations linking Donald Trump to Russia. Aleksej Gubarev, one… Read More
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The ‘Weed 9’ Rallies Against Corporate Water Grab and Legal Bullying
December 18, 2018
SPRINGFIELD, OREGON – Residents of Weed, California are rallying today outside the headquarters of Roseburg Forest Products to demand that the Springfield-based company cease its aggressive campaign to deprive them of their clean drinking water. Over 20 residents of Weed made the five hour journey to… Read More
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Activists Defeat SLAPP Brought By Company With White Supremacist Ties
December 04, 2018
On November 30, 2018, San Francisco’s Superior Court issued an order granting anonymous antifascists’ motion to quash a subpoena that sought to uncover the identities of the antifascists. Civil Liberties Defense Center attorney Cooper Brinson urged the court to uphold the First Amendment rights of the antifascists to engage in anonymous… Read More
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Energy Transfer Continues Aggressive Attempts to Silence Opposition: Greenpeace Report
October 18, 2018
WASHINGTON, DC, October 18, 2018 — A new Greenpeace USA report “Still Too Far: Energy Transfer Continues to Display Concerning Corporate Behavior” compiles recent evidence that the pipeline company is still aggressively trying to silence opposition to its pipelines across the United States, despite calls from communities, financial institutions,… Read More
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Court Shuts Down Monsanto’s SLAPP Against Avaaz
September 06, 2018
A Manhattan judge has denied an effort by agribusiness giant Monsanto to subpoena communications and privacy data from the campaigning group Avaaz. In issuing his decision, Judge Slomo Hagler said, “The subpoena itself would send a tremendous chilling effect through not… Read More
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Hollywood’s Notorious Men Retaliate Against #MeToo Movement
August 20, 2018
Valentina Stackl of EarthRights International discusses the pervasive use of SLAPPs against #MeToo survivors. Stackl writes, “As #MeToo survivors bravely share their experiences of sexual assault and intimate partner violence, they endure criticism, threats, and renewed emotional trauma. They also face retaliatory lawsuits.”… Read More
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Lawsuit Against Greenpeace Raises Freedom of Speech Concerns
August 10, 2018
Human Rights Watch discusses a SLAPP filed by Resolute Forest Products against Greenpeace and Stand.earth, which uses the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Human Rights Watch notes that SLAPPs pose a significant threat to the freedoms of expression, assembly, and association. Read More
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The New Corporate Playbook, Or What To Do When Environmentalists Stand In Your Way
August 10, 2018
In the Huffington Post, Katie Redford of EarthRights International discusses the growing trend in which American corporations use the court system to silence their critics. Common tactics in the “corporate playbook” include retaliatory litigation; attacks on funding sources, partners, and clients; corporate espionage and surveillance; and using Congress… Read More
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Defending Dissent: SLAPP Lawsuits and the Fight For Free Speech
August 10, 2018
The International Corporate Accountability Roundtable (ICAR) discusses a SLAPP filed by Resolute Forest Products against Greenpeace and Stand.earth, which uses the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. ICAR discusses the threat that this SLAPP poses to free speech in the United States. Read More
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“I Say Corporations are Destroying the Planet. So Sue Me?”
August 10, 2018
The Center for Constitutional Rights (CCR) discusses two SLAPPs brought by the law firm Kasowitz Benson Torres against Greenpeace and other environmental organizations. One is a SLAPP on behalf of Resolute Forest Products against Greenpeace and Stand.earth, using the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Read More
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7 Things You Need to Know About ETP’s Lawsuit Against Greenpeace
August 10, 2018
Greenpeace provides background on a SLAPP brought by Energy Transfer Pipelines, the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline, against Greenpeace, Earth First!, and BankTrack. The SLAPP uses the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. Read More
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The Day I Was Treated Like a Mobster and Served a $300 Million Lawsuit for Defending Forests
August 10, 2018
Greenpeace’s senior forest campaigner Daniel Brindis describes his experience being sued as a Greenpeace employee by Resolute Forest Products for his public interest work. Read More
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Logging Giant Uses Bogus Lawsuits to Intimidate Environmental Activists
August 10, 2018
EarthRights International discusses a SLAPP filed by Resolute Forest Products against Greenpeace and Stand.earth, which uses the U.S. Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) Act. EarthRights International analyzes how the case poses a broad threat to civil society movements in the United States. Read More
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Judge Slams Pipeline Corporation for Frivolous Legal Claims Against Activists
August 03, 2018
On August 3, 2018, a federal court blocked Energy Transfer Partners, developer of the Dakota Access Pipeline, from continuing a SLAPP against the Earth First! Movement. The court rejected the company’s allegations as factually unsupported. Read More
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Court Dismisses Frivolous and “Dangerously Broad” Lawsuit Against NGO BankTrack for Opposing Dakota Access Pipeline
July 25, 2018
On July 25, 2018, a federal court dismissed a SLAPP lawsuit by developers of the Dakota Access Pipeline against BankTrack, a human rights and environmental NGO dedicated to ensuring that private banks engage in sustainable financing. Read More
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Dangerous Lawsuit against Greenpeace Threatens News Organizations and First Amendment
February 19, 2018
This article by Camille Fassett of the Freedom of the Press Foundation describes a SLAPP brought by Energy Transfer Partners — the company behind the Dakota Access Pipeline — against Greenpeace and other environmental organizations. Although this SLAPP targets environmental organizations, Freedom of the Press Foundation discusses… Read More
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