Lawsuit Threatens Bob Enyart's Ministry

[Granite]

Update: This week the attorney for RSF filed papers in a Manhattan court and successfully moved the case out of state court and into federal court, which is a more natural venue for our free speech defense.

Are you participating in the case?

 

[lucaspa]

Where does bearing false witness come into play?

Claiming that NPR's Science Friday is a parody of Real Science Friday. You do know what parody is, right? You parody something that already exists. NPR Science Friday can't be a parody of something that came years after NPR's Science Friday started.

 

[lucaspa]

Is that worth hundreds of thousands of dollars in legal fees, costs to taxpayers, and potentially millions in penalties? I think not.

1. The cost is not to taxpayers. By far the largest amount of money in NPR's budget comes from listeners, not the government.
2. And yes, to NPR it is probably worth it.
3. The millions in penalties to Bob would not, of course, come from taxpayers. That's not NPR's worry. You worry about it because you support Enyart. Enyart can avoid this by settling and changing the name of the show.

It seems to me that Bob is obviously implying that his show title is a parody of Real Science on NPR, but "real science" is also a phrase in common use meaning excellent science to some. It's likely that if Bob makes a parody defense he will have several affidavits from witnesses that his intent with the show title was parody.

Read it again. He is saying that the NPR Science Friday is a parody of HIS show. Remember, the NPR show is called "Science Friday". BOB is adding "REAL" to it. So Bob is the one claiming to have "excellent science".

It appears that you have the titles mixed up. NPR's show is called "Science Friday". Bob's show is called "Real Science Friday".

How was Science Friday actually damaged?

I quoted from the website where Science Friday was defamed. Science Friday is harmed by having listeners think that Bob's show is comparable to theirs, when the quality is demonstrably less.

What about turn the cheek? Shouldn't Ira Flatow just let this go and forgive Bob?

Doesn't forgiveness require repentence? Don't you say a Prayer of Repentence and Pardon every Sunday. You confess to what you have done wrong and then ask forgiveness. Enyart never asked forgiveness or admitted to doing anything wrong, did he? Since Enyart is not going to confess his sins, this is one way to bring them to his attention.

 

[lucaspa]

A harmless parody appealing to his audience's sense of humor is not trolling, in my opinion. From my perspective, there doesn't appear to be any actual damage done to Science Friday, Inc.

This is not an appeal to a sense of humor. It is saying that what is on Science Friday is untrue. Notice the other threads about Enyart's show in this forum; Enyart consistenly says he has the real (i.e "true") science and what is on Science Friday is false. That's libel.

Basically, Science Friday is NOT saying Bob should be off the air. This isn't a "freedom of speech" thing at all. Enyart can call his show something else, perhaps "Fundamentalist Science on Friday" or "Creationism Science".

If you speak against the character of someone on TOL, whether they are deserving or not in your opinion, would you think a defamation of character lawsuit was warranted, and think that you had been trolling for your real life consequences?

As a Christian, Doormat, don't you believe there are "real life consequences" for defaming a person? BTW, "defamation" by definition is a lie:
"In law, issuance of false statements about a person that injure his reputation or that deter others from associating with him. Libel and slander are the legal subcategories of defamation. Libel is defamation in print, pictures, or any other visual symbols." http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/defamation

Lying is a sin. Don't you beleive that that there are "real life consequences" of sin? Sinning cuts you off from God. If you don't repent, do your beliefs say that a "real life consequence" is going to Hell?

So, the issue is: why don't you want Bob to have real life consequences for his sin?

Looked at from the pov of being Christian, Ira Flato and crew are actually doing Enyart a favor. Bob either hasn't realized his sin or he is unregenerate. NPR tried the gentle approach and asked nicely. Enyart, as we have heard, blew them off. That argues that Enyart is unrepenetant. Being unrepenetant will earn Enyart a trip to Hell, won't it? By forcing Enyart to confront what he is done, NPR is giving Enyart a chance to repent, ask forgiveness of both NPR and God, make amends, and set himself right with God. Why wouldn't you want that to happen?

 

[Doormat]

1. The cost is not to taxpayers. By far the largest amount of money in NPR's budget comes from listeners, not the government.

I didn't know the courts operated without taxpayer funding, and didn't know that NPR listeners were giving money to Science Friday, Inc. to build it's trademark and profit potential.

2. And yes, to NPR it is probably worth it.

Science Friday, Inc. is not NPR. Do you understand who is suing who?

3. The millions in penalties to Bob would not, of course, come from taxpayers.

It's not worth a penalty of millions. That's my point. Compared to an eye for an eye, it's like destroying someone's life for an eye.

I quoted from the website where Science Friday was defamed.

They are not claiming defamation, so they might disagree with you.

Science Friday is harmed by having listeners think that Bob's show is comparable to theirs, when the quality is demonstrably less.

And do you think any of Science Friday's listeners are actually convinced that Bob's show is comparable?

Doesn't forgiveness require repentence?

Not when you are forgiving someone for doing something you thought was an offense but turned out not to be. Then you are forgiving them because you were mistaken.

Enyart never asked forgiveness or admitted to doing anything wrong, did he?

He has not been proven guilty of doing anything wrong. Hello?

Since Enyart is not going to confess his sins, this is one way to bring them to his attention.

Confess his sins? :AMR:

 

[Town Heretic]

...Bob Enyart is the man's real name. If you commit an act of libel against him on this forum, he can sue you if it damages him.

It would be a hard, uphill battle for him, given he's a public figure. That raises the standard.

...I'm not an attorney and don't know if the terrible things said on TOL are actionable.

Not among members, since the anonymity attaching bars a claim for impugning an actual reputation.

True enough. The decision to defend rests with the holder of the mark, nevertheless.

:thumb: And also to your other post on diluting and diligent defense. It's parallel would be the granting of an easement across your property by virtue of historical use and your knowledge of it (or that you reasonably should have had such knowledge). It can weaken and even bar your right to interfere.

 

[Lighthouse]

Claiming that NPR's Science Friday is a parody of Real Science Friday. You do know what parody is, right? You parody something that already exists. NPR Science Friday can't be a parody of something that came years after NPR's Science Friday started.

And do you know what a joke is?

 

[Granite]

And do you know what a joke is?

Something you laugh at, and no one's laughing about this. Begging "humor" or "parody" in Enyart's case is beyond disingenuous.

 

[Stripe]

Something you laugh at, and no one's laughing about this. Begging "humor" or "parody" in Enyart's case is beyond disingenuous.

:allsmile:

 

[sky.]

So what's the verdict. Was Bob just kidding? :chuckle:

 

[Doormat]

I notice the name of the show has been changed to Real Science Radio.

 

[resurrected]

On Friday! :banana:

....