Model sues Google over mean, nasty blog remarks

Wouldn't the Burn Book have been even worse if it had been a blog?

(Credit: Paramount Pictures)

You just can't make this stuff up.

Liskula Cohen, a Canadian model, has sued Google because of offensive remarks made about her on a blog hosted by its Blogger publishing service, according to the New York Daily News.

The 36-year-old Cohen, who appeared on the covers of W and Australian Vogue magazines in the early '90s, wants to know the identity of an anonymous blogger who called her "our #1 skanky superstar," among other lovely epithets.

The blog is called Skanks in NYC, and it is devoted more or less to ridiculing photographs of Cohen, all of which were posted on a single day: August 21, 2008. But Cohen has taken enough offense to pursue legal action against Google in a Manhattan court, demanding that the Internet giant expose the "Skanks" blogger's details.

"I'm tall, I'm blond, I've been modeling for many years, and people get jealous," she told the Daily News. "If I had to deal with everyone who is jealous, I wouldn't have time to do anything else." Her lawyer called the site "libelous" and "defamatory."

Meanwhile, the search terms "Liskula Cohen" and "Skanks in NYC" skyrocketed to the top of (ironically) Google Trends, earning "on fire" ratings. Hey, considering that I'd never heard of Liskula Cohen before, and I'm sure that I'm not the only one, this might've been the best thing that ever happened to her.

But is her claim against Google viable? Um, probably not.

[skillingssucks]

What moron. She also needs to learn the difference between the words "jealous" and "envy".

[jpmays]

You're the moron, pal! The words "jealous" and "envy" mean the exact same thing! Here are the definitions, courtesy of dictionary.com:

jealous
?adjective
1. feeling resentment against someone because of that person's rivalry, success, or advantages (often fol. by of): He was jealous of his rich brother.
2. feeling resentment because of another's success, advantage, etc. (often fol. by of): He was jealous of his brother's wealth.
3. characterized by or proceeding from suspicious fears or envious resentment: a jealous rage; jealous intrigues.
4. inclined to or troubled by suspicions or fears of rivalry, unfaithfulness, etc., as in love or aims: a jealous husband.
5. solicitous or vigilant in maintaining or guarding something: The American people are jealous of their freedom.
6. Bible. intolerant of unfaithfulness or rivalry: The Lord is a jealous God.

envy
?noun
1. a feeling of discontent or covetousness with regard to another's advantages, success, possessions, etc.
2. an object of envious feeling: Her intelligence made her the envy of her classmates.
3. Obsolete. ill will.
?verb (used with object)
4. to regard with envy; be envious of: He envies her the position she has achieved in her profession.
?verb (used without object)
5. Obsolete. to be affected with envy.

/jp/

[skillingssucks]

They're rooted in different emotions. Jealousy is the fear that you will lose something that you possess (or think you possess) and envy is a desire to have something that someone else has. One is based in fear, the other desire. It's because of ghetto, clueless wonders such as yourself that dictionaries have recently began to label them as "synonyms".
[CNET editor's note: Personal attack deleted.]

[Brandonius Maximus]

Viable in Canuckistan and viable in the US are two different things. They may have a lower threshold for libel there.

[Penguinisto]

Libel laws do differ, but mostly because of the US Constitution and specifically the First Amendment.

Here, I can call that chick a skank all day long, with no repercussions save for whatever action/reaction she desires to take. The term is an expression of opinion (yes an epithet, but still one obviously based on opinion).

As long as the blog (don't particularly feel like giving it hits) took the time to state or shape the contents as opinion, the skank and her lawyer have nothing to sue over. *shrug*

All that said, in the UK the libel laws are the absolute worst for free expression. If you get sued there (you have to be a UK subject first, I believe), the truth may not quite be an absolute defense.

Funnier still, the guy that's about to get sued can go nuts, demanding (no, subpoenaing) salacious details of the model's sex life, and even call her current and ex-boyfriends to the stand. Proof? Let's look at the dictionary:

skank (sk?ngk) n.

1. A rhythmic dance performed to reggae or ska music, characterized by bending forward, raising the knees, and extending the hands.
2. Disgusting or vulgar matter; filth.
3. One who is disgustingly foul or filthy and often considered sexually promiscuous. Used especially of a woman or girl.


...so basically her sex life, her dancing styles, and her hygiene/gynecological condition will become a matter of public record.

Gee, that was smart of her to sue over a term like that, wasn't it?

[Dalkorian]

by Penguinisto January 6, 2009 2:29 PM PST
Gee, that was smart of her to sue over a term like that, wasn't it?

=============================================================

Considering that neither Caroline nor myself ever heard of this model before (have you?), I'd say yes it was smart. Free publicity is virtually never a bad thing and when the heat gets to much for her she can simply drop the case.

[Penguinisto]

Problem is, if the case starts up, and she drops it, she's wide open to being counter-sued, IIRC. That may get a bit more expensive than any sort of ad agency...

[bulvai]

I think I'm afraid to voice my opinion here, for fear of being sued.

[Dalkorian]

I'm not. She is a skank and you are a retard. Sue me. Go ahead, I dare you. SUE ME!

[douggro]

And what of the distinct possibility that this is a case of free publicity garnered by intentionally having someone post the "defamatory" blog entries? If that's the case, it certainly has worked, hasn't it?
People seeking attention will do some strange things...

[TheBurento]

So what would have been seen by a small handful of people will now be seen by everyone.. Good thinking..

[Dalkorian]

Free advertising is good thinking.

[SJ2571]

You can't sue over opinion. Dumb skanky blonde.

[4wight]

My guess is that you nothing about the law. Why don't you read what constitutes libel, slander and defamation before you make your factually innaccurate comments? If someone can prove that a false defamatory published statement lowered them in the eyes of the public then the person repsonsible for publishing that statement can be sued. Read some law.

[JoeF2]

4wright:
It seems you didn't get what SJ2571 was saying.
Sure, factually inaccurate statements could be libelous. But, opinions are not factual statements, by definition.
Therefore, if you make clear that "it is your opinion that person x is y", it isn't libelous. Only saying "person x is y" could be libelous if factually wrong.

[Pete Bardo]

Great publicity stunt! I might try this myself.

[techman21]

The author is responsible for the comments, not the hosting service! Sheeesh!

[humanssssss]

The hosting service is making money off the information. It's like someone giving someone's else drugs to sell while not profiting from the sales. The person selling the drugs should get in trouble not the person giving the drugs away to the seller.

Much like how the hosting service is responsible financially if they make money (Google ad words) off the information given free by blogger. This is ill-gotten gain.

[gggg sssss]

humansssss the cable company you surf over is also making maony - should she sue them as well? The windows computer you are reading this on - can she sue MS.

Lawers are all skanks, taking advantage of thsi poor girl.

[Jack K1]

She's suing Google to uncover the identity of the blogger. She's not suing Google for liable. Google can't just turn over the name without a court order, and this is how one goes about getting a court order. She'll win. And you should consult a lawyer before you offer a legal opinion.

[SeizeCTRL]

This is the same model who says her career was ruined when a bouncer hit her in the head with a bottle cause she threw her drink on him.

So now that she has a ruined career, she's looking for cash every possible way she can. If I remember correctly she said she's been a model her whole life and she has no other skills and doesn't know how to do anything other than be a model... so I guess she's too good to work the drive-thru at Wendy's and is now suing people on the interweb.

[Dalkorian]

You guess wrong. She isn't CAPABLE of working the drive-thru at Wendy's by her own admission. Working the drive-thru at Wendy's is not being a model, ergo she doesn't know how to perform that function. Notice that she also is incapable of learning that (or any other) function, since learning also is not being a model.

Comprehension fail. ;-)

[gggg sssss]

there is always the street with the rest of the quotes models quotes I hear the pay is good, but the agents take a large cut.

[Regac]

LOL at the arguments above
She will not get far at all with this claim
It would mean that high-school kids could sue Google as well because their friends posted mean stuff about them?
LOL
She should probably pay the blog to write more about her so that she gets more attention, I think that would be smarter

[labritedog]

awww she is looking for attention now, what kind of model is that anyway, skank model thats all, they are all in it for themselves, thinks they all that and more, get a life and stop being trampy, sure what google done , it was alright to do, get a life misses and do something worth while with ur life, no one respects a skank

[chickyisbored]

I feel bad for all of you people who actually care to waste your time with this negative bs.. It's time to grow up, all of you? Or are you really just a bunch of high school kids. That is truly what you sound like. And check your spelling, this is embarrassing how many ignorant Americans we have here that cannot spell simple english words, yes that means you ggggsssss... As for her modeling career, she is doing just fine so don't anyone worry. This will all come to pass, and she will still be doing her modeling thing and you all will still be working in Wendy's. Right ggggssss.... And stop asking her to sue you, it's sad, get off her coat tails, and make a name for yourself.

[modelsdigest]

the content of the blog is an affront against the model
modelsdigst.blogspot.com