The Seattle Weekly looks at the long running Harlan Ellison/Gary Groth fued in an article we couldn’t have titled any better ourselves: News: From Hell’s Heart, I Litigate at Thee!. The article looks at the strengths and weakness of both sides, and reveals what we all new: it’s an adolescent pissing contest on both sides that makes everyone lose.

By choosing to fight Ellison’s lawsuit, rather than settle or alter the content of a not-yet-published book that’s at the center of the case, Groth is embracing a huge risk, he acknowledges. Fantagraphics already lost the first legal round last month, when a federal court declined to toss out the complaint. Now Groth is seemingly committed to a courtroom marathon that could stretch on for years. Isn’t he taking a chance that might destroy his own company? “An adverse judgment could, sure,” he says. “But any publisher with any courage takes that chance every day. Whether it’s The New York Times or The Nation…any journalistic enterprises that seek to exercise their rights do take that chance, and I think they’re obligated to take that chance.”

All of which sounds perfectly noble and admirable—until you look further into the story, and realize that this suit is but phase three of a 27-year grudge match that seems to be at least as much petty and personal as it is principled.

This entry was posted on 03/30/07 at 12:43 pm and is filed under Legal Matters. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.