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Feb 21, 2013 
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Yesterday I discussed the strange case of "On Press, Inc.", a name used to make feckless and frequently incoherent threats against people who quoted "poet" "Shaun Shane."
Investigation results to date suggest that the "On Press, Inc." staffed by illiterates and making stupid threats is not — repeat not — the California corporation of that name. Moreover, though evidence suggests that the people using that name are in Texas, there is no record of such a corporation in Texas. Doing business under a false representation of corporate status is illegal in almost every jurisdiction.
On Twitter, I have repeatedly asked the threat accounts of "On Press, Inc." to identify the state in which they are incorporated, or identify the attorney representing them. I've received only misspelled abuse in response.
Yesterday I wrote an email address an apparent representative of "On Press, Inc." had used to leave a comment elsewhere. I've received no response. Here's the email:
Dear "On Press, Inc.":
I am a former federal prosecutor, a member of the First Amendment Lawyers Association, and a blogger at www.Popehat.com on issues including free speech, bogus legal threats, and online fraud.
I have been following your legal threats and insults regarding poems by "Shaun Shane." I have written about your threats already, and will be writing more. I have some questions.
1. Is "On Press, Inc." actually a corporation? If so in what state is it incorporated?
2. Is "On Press, Inc." represented by an attorney in connection with your threats, or in connection with your claims to the copyright in the work of "Shaun Shane"? If so, who is that lawyer?
3. Will you share any documentation showing that "On Press, Inc." is the holder of the "Shaun Shane" copyright?
4. Who — that is, what human being — is operating the various "On Press, Inc." twitter accounts and making these threats?
5. Did "On Press, Inc." leave the comments by "Tammy" and "Michael Bradshaw" described in this post? http://www.techdirt.com/articles/20130217/18381022008/attribution-troll-press-inc-now-50-less-troll-like-also-not-yelling-people-sells-more-books.shtml
6. Did anyone from "On Press, Inc." call TechDirt pretending to be an attorney?
7. [Question redacted for strategic reasons]
8. Are you willing to discuss these issues?
Thanks,
Ken White
www.popehat.com
Meanwhile, unless trolls are impersonating them, "On Press, Inc." continues to use Twitter to threaten and insult. It appears that someone at "On Press, Inc." is attempting — to the best of their just precious ability — to make it appear they have a robust team conversing amongst themselves. Tim Cushing has collected some of the tweets illuminating the bizarre result.
Meanwhile, check out the #ShaunShane hashtag to observe attempts to write non-copyright-violating poetry.
Edited to add: in the comments, Corporal Lint finds a way to make Shaun Shane's poetry more palatable:
Translated by computer into Italian, then into French, then back into English, then into Urdu, then back into English, then into Azerbaijani, and then back to English again, it becomes evocative almost haunting:
We are
more careful
when it comes
to our language
if it can
be made with glass,
we know that
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30 Comments 
asshats, Legal Threats
