Linda Ellis, Author of The Dash Gets Permanent Protective Order Levied Against Founder of Anti-Troll Website

March 20,2013

Most of Ellis' settlement demands are directed at non- profits, charities, funeral homes, religious institutions, and bereaved families that use the poem...

Linda Ellis, Author of The Dash Gets Permanent Protective Order Levied Against Founder of Anti-Troll Website

PRESS RELEASE

March 19, 2013

For Immediate Release

Contact: Oscar Michelen

Email: omichelen@cuomollc.com Cell Phone: 516-776-0154

Permanent Protective Order Levied Against Founder of Anti-Troll Website

Three weeks ago, the anti-trolling community "ExtortionLetterInfo.com" (ELI) suffered a blow when copyright trolling dissident, Matthew Chan, lost a court challenge over a Permanent Protective Order (PPO). Matthew Chan of Columbus GA created the popular website ELI and has operated it for nearly five years, which boasts an active community of thousands of visitors that discuss issues related to copyright. The primary focus of the group is the phenomenon of "copyright trolling" in which copyright holders send large monetary demands to those that use copyrighted material without permission. The complaint was brought by Linda Ellis, author of the poem, "The Dash". Using Ellis' poem online without authorization can be a costly mistake, as she may demand a settlement as high as $100,000 per incident. Most of Ellis' settlement demands are directed at non- profits, charities, funeral homes, religious institutions, and bereaved families that use the poem without her prior consent as part of their memorial services, whether in print or spoken orally.

Mr. Chan spoke out vocally not only in defense of those that are the recipients of Ellis' legal demands, but also in response to her attempts to have the ELI forum relating to "The Dash" taken down. Ellis filed the complaint shortly thereafter.

Outspoken Founder Denies Allegations of Wrongdoing.

Chan, with the assistance of legal advisor Attorney Oscar Michelen, said he is already taking the necessary steps to appealing the court's decision. Although the ELI community is colorful, outspoken, and even rambunctious, Chan's court defense made it abundantly clear that prior to the hearing, he had never met, wrote, called, or even spoke to Ellis. While some information about Ellis was posted online, the content was easily available through Google and online public records. As a result of the court decision and subsequent PPO, Chan immediately removed the online forum and content related to Ellis and "The Dash" poem. For now, the victims of Ellis' legal demands are left without an information source or communication platform to discuss or share their stories of her activities in the copyright settlement world. However, ELI still maintains its popular Getty Images Letter Forum, among several others.

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"Copyright Trolling" a Growing Problem

Although this recent event is certainly a test of ELI's resolve, the group remains undeterred. ExtortionLetterInfo.com has exposed and reported on many verifiable settlement demand letter schemes over the years, which has caused some of the more vocal copyright trolls and even their lawyers to leave "the business". ELI Contributor Robert Krausankas explains, "Although some of our detractors may paint us as 'anti-copyright', nothing could be further from the truth. We respect copyrights, as the entire ELI community are themselves content creators of one kind or another. We agree that content creators should be paid for their work. It's the overbearing and over- reaching methods used to collect extreme amounts of money for which we disagree."

Well-respected New York attorney, Oscar Michelen, serves as ELI's legal advisor and regularly contributes to The ELI Forums to offer his expert advice, insights, and knowledge. Through ELI, Michelen offers a variety of highly-effective "defense letter programs" to help victims of copyright trolling fight back against the overbearing demands they receive. Of the ELI website, Michelen explains, "ELI provides a vital source of free information, content, and a communication outlet for victims of this growing problem. The ELI Forum is one of the few resources on the Internet that focuses on this issue and provides rational and reasonable methods of dealing with these outrageous claims. I am as shocked as everyone else by the decision, but I am sure that ELI will press on fighting for the victims of copyright trolling."

For further information, Contact Oscar Michelen. Office: 516-741-3222, 212-448-9933

Email: omichelen@cuomollc.com

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About ExtortionLetterInfo.com

For five years, ExtortionLetterInfo.com (ELI) has provided an open and safe communication platform for settlement demand letter victims to share, discuss, research, and find legal advice relating to copyright, demand letters, and copyright trolling. Visit ELI today to find solutions to copyright legal demands, share your story, and post your opinions.

Website: http://www.extortionletterinfo.com

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