> There was until recently a night spot in Charlotte called "The Polo Lounge" > Ralph Lauren and Co. sued saying the name "polo" was their property. Sure > fooled me. I always thought polo was a game similar to croquet played by > rich Englishmen on ponies.
And let me guess, it changed its name without contending the case in court. That sort of thing is related to something called a SLAPP--"Strategic Lawsuit Against Public Participation." What big companies do when they're being opposed is to bring suits against the organizations opposing them, knowing full well that they would lose the lawsuits in court but also knowing full well that the smaller, weaker adversary can't pay the legal costs to defend themselves. Ralph Lauren doesn't run nightclubs, so chances are there was no way it could have won a suit against your local Polo Lounge. But chances are also good that the Polo Lounge didn't want to spend the umpteen thousand dollars it would have cost to defend its rights. It's easier just to give up and change its name. In most other civilized countries, the loser of such unsupportable suits pays the legal costs of the winner. No such deal here. That's why just the THREAT of a lawsuit can be wielded as a weapon--even when the aggressor party is in the wrong. Another word for it is "bullying." Life in these United States. --Mike "Photography is simple. The only complicated thing is keeping it simple." (Ken Archer) * * * Find out about Mike Johnston's unique photography newsletter, "The 37th Frame," at http://www.37thframe.com. - This message is from the Pentax-Discuss Mail List. To unsubscribe, go to http://www.pdml.net and follow the directions. Don't forget to visit the Pentax Users' Gallery at http://pug.komkon.org .
