Public Citizen Opposes Lawsuit Targeting Fraud and Deceit
Who would have guessed that Public Citizen, champion of Regulation by Litigation lawsuits, would oppose someone using the courts to enforce federal laws against theft and fraud?

Koch Industries, a US company employing over fifty thousand Americans, filed suit in US District Court to assert their legal rights against "identity theft, theft of intellectual property, and impersonation...." As Bloomberg News reported, the dispute stems "from a bogus website and fake news release" issued by an anonymous group impersonating Koch. The lawsuit "accuses the unknown defendants of trademark infringement, violations of the Anticybersquatting Consumer Protection Act, unfair competition, computer fraud and abuse, among other allegations."

An article in Salt Lake Tribune explained that someone created "an exact replica of Koch's website at kochind.com, even linking from the fake website to the real one. They then issued the news release with links to the fake website."

There is nothing controversial about the Koch lawsuit, every individual and company has the right to protect their name from false and fraudulent use. Public Citizen would hardly be amused if someone created an exact replica of their website along with a news release stating that the NGO had decided to do something to improve society instead of suing businesses and governments.

Public Citizen, which claims on their website that they work "to preserve individuals' access to the courts and to court remedies," has gone to court to oppose Koch Industries' effort to protect their rights. PC forgot to mention how selective their support is for court remedies.

PC's website states "Read about the broad scope of our efforts to preserve access to courts and court remedies, categorized in six topics:" The very first topic is "Attorney fees." PC's belief in the access to the courts appears limited to actions aimed at furthering the financial well-being of trial lawyers.

Fortunately for everyone who respects property rights, access to justice for all, and other foundations of a free society, the "Utah firms that registered and hosted the fake website told the Associated Press earlier this month that they had already complied with the information sought in the subpoenas" requested by the company.