ATLANTA, Georgia - A federal judge has sided with a Georgia man whose satirical Web site likens Wal-Mart to the Holocaust.
U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr. in Atlanta rejected Wal-Mart's claims that Charles Smith's Web site and satirical products violated the company's trademark. In an 87-page order, Batten said Smith's products qualified as protected noncommercial speech because his goal was to criticize Wal-Mart, not to make a profit from his products.
The 50-year-old computer store owner from Conyers, Ga., said he was "elated" by the ruling in the two-year-old case.
"It's great," he said. "I'm relieved. Whenever you go into litigation against such a big company, you never know the outcome." More... Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Discount Cigarettes & Tobacco - Nutty News Marketplace - Hallmark
U.S. District Judge Timothy C. Batten Sr. in Atlanta rejected Wal-Mart's claims that Charles Smith's Web site and satirical products violated the company's trademark. In an 87-page order, Batten said Smith's products qualified as protected noncommercial speech because his goal was to criticize Wal-Mart, not to make a profit from his products.
The 50-year-old computer store owner from Conyers, Ga., said he was "elated" by the ruling in the two-year-old case.
"It's great," he said. "I'm relieved. Whenever you go into litigation against such a big company, you never know the outcome." More... Discount Magazine Subscriptions - Discount Cigarettes & Tobacco - Nutty News Marketplace - Hallmark
