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
Why So Many Great Lawyers Stink at Business Development and What Law Firms Are Doing About It Image

Why is it that those who are best skilled at advocating for others are ill-equipped at advocating for their own skills and what to do about it?

Bankruptcy Sales: Finding a Diamond In the Rough Image

There is no efficient market for the sale of bankruptcy assets. Inefficient markets yield a transactional drag, potentially dampening the ability of debtors and trustees to maximize value for creditors. This article identifies ways in which investors may more easily discover bankruptcy asset sales.

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.

A Lawyer's System for Active Reading Image

Active reading comprises many daily tasks lawyers engage in, including highlighting, annotating, note taking, comparing and searching texts. It demands more than flipping or turning pages.

Blockchain Domains: New Developments for Brand Owners Image

Blockchain domain names offer decentralized alternatives to traditional DNS-based domain names, promising enhanced security, privacy and censorship resistance. However, these benefits come with significant challenges, particularly for brand owners seeking to protect their trademarks in these new digital spaces.