Hi Canie,

I believe I would have to call his bluff. Ask him to consult with an attorney and have the attorney contact you and explain to you which part of the civil statute you may be in violation of, if any. He may be able to consult with an attorney for free, as there are some who will do so and if not, he'll pay for the advice. More than likely, he'll receive a courteous smile with the attorney asking him "are you for real?"

What it boils down to is that a person who is party to a lawsuit must in some way be harmed, either financially, defamed, slandered or saw a copyright violation. In this case, the person willing posted messages to an open forum. Unless his material was used elsewhere without his express consent there is no case.

Therefore, call his bluff and tell him to present his case or give it up. Your time is valuable and if there is no case, then he has to be willing to pay you for your time.

Petra