Greenpeace Fells Logger’s Suit Over ‘Forest Destroyer’ Tag
Greenpeace International won the first round against a Canadian logging company that blamed name-calling by the environmental group for driving away its customers. Montreal-based Resolute Forest Products Inc.'s U.S. lawsuit was dismissed Monday by a San Francisco federal judge, who said the company can revise and refile its claims...
The company claimed it has lost $100 million in revenue because of Greenpeace’s threats of boycotts against its corporate customers if they don’t cut ties against Resolute Forest. Damages can be tripled under the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act...The judge concluded the those claims also lacked precision...
“We are pleased the court unequivocally threw out this attempt to abuse our legal system and silence legitimate criticism on matters of public concern,” Greenpeace USA General Counsel Tom Wetterer said Monday in an emailed statement. “Resolute’s claim that organizations and activists committed to the conservation of the forests were part of a criminal enterprise is absurd and a sad symptom of a wider assault on constitutional rights and democracy.”