Koch Industries sues parody website over hacking, trademark abuse

In December, a website purporting to belong to Koch Industries, known for their skepticism of global warming, wrote a fake news release announcing “new environmental commitments. Koch Industries is now suing those responsible for the site, members of a group called Youth for Climate Truth, for damages, alleging hacking, trademark abuse and cybersquatting. The lawyer representing the group claims that, as parody is protected by the First Amendment, the purpose of the suit must be to lift the anonymity of the group’s members. The case addresses the fact that while parody is easier to disseminate in the internet age, it is easier to trace back to its origins with the help of subpoenas of ISP providers’ information.