A New York ad agency has dropped its lawsuit against a midcoast man who had used an Internet blog to criticize Maine's internet tourism marketing campaign.
In a one-page document filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Bangor, Warren Kremer Paino Advertising LLC dismissed its lawsuit against Lance Dutson of Searsmont.
The agency sued Dutson last month for libel, defamation and copyright infringement over his blog, where he posted comments on the tourism office's web marketing strategies, developed by Warren Kremer Paino Advertising.
The lawsuit was dropped "without prejudice," meaning it can be filed again.
The suit had claimed that Dutson's blog contained defamatory statements that hurt the ad agency's reputation and its business. The agency also said it owned the copyright to certain images Dutson used in his blog and was asking for $150,000 in damages for each work the agency said Dutson infringed.
Attorneys for the ad agency could not be reached for comment.
Dutson, who runs a web page design company, said he was being targeted simply because he's been critical of the campaign.
On his website, Maine Web Report, Dutson on Friday wrote that "we'll keep pursuing the mismanagement of the (Office of Tourism) and keep fighting for accountability in this industry."
Robert Cox, president of the Media Bloggers Association, said the case serves as a lesson for companies intent on going after bloggers. Media Bloggers Association is a national organization that provided legal assistance to Dutson.
"Our message is simple: Don't mess with the bloggers," Cox said.
The dismissal of the suit came the same day that a Maine lawmaker asked the state to suspend its tourism advertising contract with Warren Kremer Paino pending the outcome of the lawsuit.
