There is a website that has copied the exact look of asburyparksun.com with fake stories. Some of the posts include fake profane quotes of public officials and others. One public official was recently contacted by a statewide news outlet about an outrageous quote that they thought was on the Asbury Park Sun, but was actually on the fake site.
We will now initiate legal proceedings to determine who is behind the fake website — information obtainable by a valid subpoena or court order in these circumstances — in order to seek damages and the payment of any legal fees we incur, as well as a restraining order forcing them to stop.
The fake site is intended as satire, and its posts are biting and profane. The local targets of the fake site may not appreciate what’s written about them, and some may consider it defamatory. Anyone looking at the fake site can think we are behind it — since it is an exact copy of our site under a similar domain name.
By causing people to think we have something to do with it, this fake site has damaged the Asbury Park Sun’s credibility as an objective news source, as well as our reputation, brand and trade name. Even creating a fake site that looks similar to ours is actionable in a lawsuit. This is an exact copy.
On another note, I find it incredibly disrespectful that someone would do this to Michelle Gladden, the editor of the Sun, who takes no sides but seeks to report the news so the community can be informed. She works tirelessly and with great commitment to Asbury Park. She takes her work on the website very seriously, and those behind this have impacted her credibility and reputation by leading people to think she would have something to do with the fake site.
Dan Jacobson
Publisher
asburyparksun.com
