Law.com Subscribers SAVE 30%

Call 855-808-4530 or email [email protected] to receive your discount on a new subscription.

The Intellectual Property StrategistKickerSectionsNewsLJN Newsletters

Gripe Sites: Sue or Stew

By William G. Pecau
January 30, 2009

Gripe sites are Web sites whose purpose is to complain, criticize, and revile businesses or other institutions. These sites, also know as “hate sites” and “suck sites,” are generally established by dissatisfied customers or unhappy ex-employees. And, they are proliferating. They have become so common there even are sites for gripe sites like WebGripeSites.com and Cybergriping.com. Forbes has even published lists of the top Corporate Hate Web Sites judged on criteria such as hostility level, number of posts, ease of use, and entertainment value. Charles Wolrich, “Top Corporate Hate Web Sites,” Forbes.com, March 8, 2005.

Of course, gripe sites hold little entertainment value for those that are the subject of their venom. Everyone, almost everyone, likes to be liked. Businesses depend on it. Their advertising, customer relations, employee training, product development, and sales departments are, almost always, fixated on creating satisfied customers and goodwill. Goodwill is the cornerstone of repeat business and without repeat business, and attendant goodwill, there is, for most, no business.

This premium content is locked for Entertainment Law & Finance subscribers only

  • Stay current on the latest information, rulings, regulations, and trends
  • Includes practical, must-have information on copyrights, royalties, AI, and more
  • Tap into expert guidance from top entertainment lawyers and experts

For enterprise-wide or corporate acess, please contact Customer Service at [email protected] or 877-256-2473

Read These Next
The DOJ's Corporate Enforcement Policy: One Year Later Image

The DOJ's Criminal Division issued three declinations since the issuance of the revised CEP a year ago. Review of these cases gives insight into DOJ's implementation of the new policy in practice.

The Bankruptcy Hotline Image

Recent cases of importance to your practice.

Use of Deferred Prosecution Agreements In White Collar Investigations Image

This article discusses the practical and policy reasons for the use of DPAs and NPAs in white-collar criminal investigations, and considers the NDAA's new reporting provision and its relationship with other efforts to enhance transparency in DOJ decision-making.

How AI Has Affected PR Image

When we consider how the use of AI affects legal PR and communications, we have to look at it as an industrywide global phenomenon. A recent online conference provided an overview of the latest AI trends in public relations, and specifically, the impact of AI on communications. Here are some of the key points and takeaways from several of the speakers, who provided current best practices, tips, concerns and case studies.

The DOJ's New Parameters for Evaluating Corporate Compliance Programs Image

The parameters set forth in the DOJ's memorandum have implications not only for the government's evaluation of compliance programs in the context of criminal charging decisions, but also for how defense counsel structure their conference-room advocacy seeking declinations or lesser sanctions in both criminal and civil investigations.