Blogger Vs. Blogger's Lawyers (UPDATED)

Vinnie, the owner of Vince Aut Morire (disclosure: I am a guest blogger at VAM) has been threatened with legal action for posting a picture of another blogger that is openly accessible via Google image search.

Blogger Debbie Schlussel (or someone claiming to be Schlussel) has sent Vinnie a "cease and desist" email, claiming copyright infringement for displaying this photo:



Which begs the question: Is it the use of the picture that Schlussel finds offensive, or the fact that the poster using it puts Schlussel in an unflattering light?

Schlussel has a history of threatening other bloggers with legal action.

Debbie, in case you haven't realized this by now, that's just not the way things are done. Either counter Vinnie on your own blog, or ignore him.

UPDATE: I received this email, and, not knowing which picture Miss Schlussel is upset about, have replaced both of them with inoffensive nature photos.

From: Debbie Schlussel
To: dreadpundit@hotmail.com
Subject: Cease & Desist--Unauthorized Use of Copyrighted Photo on Your Site
Date: Fri, 7 Apr 2006 14:32:08 -0700 (PDT)

To "Dreadpundit":
This is a cease and desist letter.

You have posted a photo on your site to which I own
the exclusive rights and hold the copyright. I have
not and would never grant you permission to use it.
Please remove it immediately. If you do not, I will
seek statutory (which right now, under the law, are a
minimum of $25,000) and other damages against you.

Apparently, you would like to be a co-defendant with
your friend "Vinnie" and to increase the fees he will
be assessed (since you took the photo from his site).

Again, please remove the photo immediately, or face me
in court.
Debbie Schlussel