R-J cowers before kittens

Yes, a Web site that posts non-commercial items about cats and birds has become the latest target for The Newpaper That Must Not Be Cited and its errant anti-Internet jihad. Since the R-J‘s enforcer Righthaven LLC doesn’t send cease-and-desist letters but jumps straight into lawsuit mode, this looks more and more like a money-grubbing tactic. Ironically, one of the targets is local PR man Steve Stern, who’s been one of R-J reporter John G. Edwards‘ go-to sources for years.

Among Stern’s crimes, according to the legal filing, was to “exploit” an R-J story by various means, including a — horrors! — link. (On their own blogs, R-J Publisher Sherman Frederick and Editor Thomas Mitchell (left) constantly link to other peoples’ sites and quote material found there in extenso, paragraph upon paragraph, so they’re clearly unencumbered by intellectual consistency on this score.)

The R-J‘s illogical fear of kitty blogs aside, this is becoming a serious matter here at LVA. We’ve actually got people afraid to link to our site because we sometimes link to Frederick’s paper and, with Righthaven rampaging haphazardly through the Internet, some innocent third party could be on the receiving end of an ambush lawsuit. It doesn’t help that the paper refuses to define its definition of “fair use” and that it has implied that links and brief citations are OK but coyly avoids specifically saying so … how better to keep people guessing? The only safe-and-sane option is simply to treat the R-J as though it doesn’t exist — at least until Mad Cow Disease or whatever is afflicting the executive suite subsides. Some good stories aren’t going to get the props they deserve but them’s the breaks, I’m afraid.

Perhaps one’s time would be better used visiting AllegraWong.com, ASternGlance.com, LocalsLoveVegas.com (even if owner Ron Futtrell is kind of a jerk) and NORML.org. About the nicest thing that’s been said — or could be said — about the conduct of The Newspaper That Must Not Be Cited is Steve Friess‘ “not completely loony.” As for the exact ratio of logic to looniness, I’ll let everyone decide for themselves.

I was not being entirely sarcastic when I said that Treasure Island‘s policy of including a $1/day charge (in its $20 “resort fee”) for the privilege of receiving The Newspaper That Must Not Be Cited was excessive. Weekday and Saturday copies of TNTMNBC retail for 75 cents. So unless you’re staying over a Sunday, Phil Ruffin & Co.’s purported “$1 value” includes a 25-cent gratuity to themselves. I guess “75 cent value” just didn’t have the same ring, eh?