Crime & Federalism

Maurice Pilosof, Owen Cook, and Julien Blanc of Real Social Dynamics have real problems.

Maurice Pilosof is a lawyer representing Real Social Dynamics, which is owned by Owen Cook and employes Julien Blanc. RSD has been caught up in a sexaul assault scandal. In a video Julian Blanc filmed for RSD (and that Owen Cook approved), Blanc is seen committing sexual assault on a woman.

(Click play to learn sexual assault tips from Julien Blanc. Owen Cook approved of this video.)

The media has been spanking Owen Cook and Julian Blanc. Rather than respond to the media to share their story, Owen Cook has hidden in a bunker.

Owen is hiding out because he can't keep his story straight.

Owen Cook knew about Julien Blanc's sexual assault video.

Owen Cook wants to censor 8Chan because 8Chan contains screen captures that prove Owen Cook knew about Julien Cook's sexual assault video.

Before the drama went down Owen Cook posted on the Real Social Dynamics web forum:

It's like 100 or 200 people mad on the internet, similar to pick up hate.

The Japan video will have succeeded if it gets in the million view range. 

Julien's goal is something closer to what David Bond had, with proper news lol. 

(Click on the image for a full screen view.)

Afraid of taking on the media or going on his public relations campaign, Owen Cook has retained a lawyer who may just find himself nominated for censorious asshat of the year.

Maurice Pilosof is attempting to censor websites that are critical of RSD. Mr. Pilosof sent a letter out to the owner of 8chan.co, a message board where users create and share content.

The owner of 8Chan.co has posted the letter on his Twitter feed. The full letter is also reproduced below.

Mr. Pilosof's letter has all of the telltale signs of an attempt to censor. The letter, like all such empty threats from lawyers, throws out a bunch of legalese and mean-sounding threats. These letters are long on generalities and short on specifics.

RSD's letter has one intent only - to censor.

An attorney who understands free speech would laugh at this letter. Yet legal representation is expensive. Attorneys like Maurice Pilosof regularly send out threatening letters knowing that 99% of people will simply take a post down rather than assert their rights.

The owner of 8Chan.com is not like most people. He will defend his rights. 

The letter from Mr. Pilosof is a joke for two reasons.

1. Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act provides:

No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

The owner of 8Chan.co did not publish the allegedly defamatory material. Therefore the owner is under no obligation to do anything to "correct the record." Nor is the owner of 8Chan.co under an oligation to remove any allegedly defamatory posts.

2. The letter is a rambling mess of nonsense.

I'll explain in bracketed comments why letters like this should be ignored.

The letter from Maurice Pilosof reads:

The undersigned, the attorney of REAL SOCIAL DYNAMICS, INC., (“RSD”) hereby requests that the following posts be taken down:

https://8chan.co/takedownjulienblanc/index.html [Please learn about the Striessand Effect.]

The statements contained therein are untrue, private [so what?] and defamatory. [Attorney Pilosof does not identify what statements are defamatory.] Such information and statements were made to malicious [you mean maliciously?] injure RSD’s business. [Free speech is often hurtful. That doesn't matter. Julien Blanc is a public figure. This means you must show that any statements  were made with actual malice, that is, that the writer knew the statements were false at the time he made them.]

Further, they [define "they"] contain statements that are patently untrue. [Which statements are patently untrue? Identify each and every statement that you claim is patently untrue.]

The notion that some anonymous individual knows the equity structure of RSD a privately held company is ridiculous. [The anonymous individual might be a whistle blower. You don't know who is leaking information about the dangerous sexual predator Julien Blanc and his employer Owen Cook.] The attribution of ownership contained in the post is patently false. [Prove it.] This letter constitutes a demand for immediate takedown of such post. [Your takedown request is DENIED; see video below.]

All references to Japanese law in the post are without foundation and merit. [Identify each and every reference to Japanese law and show why those references are without foundation and merit.] The “anonymous” post is not from an official judicial body of the Japanese government. [Perhaps the statement is protected satire. Be more specific.] RSD can equivocally [do you mean unequivocally?] state that it nor any of its employees have been contacted by any judicial body in Japan. [Why should we trust the word of sexual predators?] In point of fact, neither RSD nor any of its employees are subject of any criminal proceeding. [Not yet, anyway.] The inaccurate and false statements contained are defamatory per se and need to be removed immediately. [I suggest you read this primer on defamation per se.]

I may be reached via email at [email protected] or via phone to +1 310 652 0137. I have a good faith belief that use of the material in the manner complained of is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or the law. [This is DMCA legalese. Weren't you just talking about defamation per se?] The information in the notification is accurate, and under penalty of perjury, that the complaining party is authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed. [This is also DMCA legalese. Get you theory of the case straight, sir. What exactly are you claiming?]

Sincerely,
Maurice Pilosof
Legal Counsel, Real Social Dynamics
[email protected]

(The owner of 8Chan.co responds to Owen Cook's legal threats.)