Oprah Sued for a Trillion

[thegoldenmackid]

Poet Lloyd Goffe has filed one of the most outrageous lawsuits I've seen in a while. He's suing Oprah Winfrey for $1 trillion. He says that Oprah plagarized portions of his book "A Tome of Poetry" and repackaged a poem called "Pieces of My Soul" and published it under her name. The lawsuit alleges that Oprah confessed to doing this in April 2008. Goffe says that since Oprah sold more than 650 million copies of her work online at a $20 each she therefore owes $1.2 trillion. The Cleveland Leader has the rather ridiculous documents.


Luxist (http://www.luxist.com/2009/08/06/oprah-winfrey-sued-for-over-a-trillion-dollars/)

[mkrishnan]

Oprah sold 650M copies of a book? Of poetry? :eek: Am I missing something here?

[jessica.]

I highly doubt 650m people bought her book. :rolleyes:

[Abstract]

They must have meant 65 million copies, which is only slightly less ridiculous.

[rdowns]

I do not see this published anywhere else. :rolleyes:

[spillproof]

A TRILLION DOLLARS! dang.

[thegoldenmackid]

I do not see this published anywhere else. :rolleyes:

meh (http://news.google.com/news/more?um=1&ned=us&cf=all&ncl=d1wzQLuos3kYzyMOvztfdKUr_GqZM)

Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/celebrities/6562882.html)

[Abstract]

A TRILLION DOLLARS! dang.

Consider her lucky. He contemplated suing her for a million-bajillion dollars, but at the end, he felt it was unreasonable.

[rdowns]

meh (http://news.google.com/news/more?um=1&ned=us&cf=all&ncl=d1wzQLuos3kYzyMOvztfdKUr_GqZM)

Houston Chronicle (http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ent/celebrities/6562882.html)


Shrug. Still ridiculous.

@Abstract- LOL

[eawmp1]

Sad part is, she may actually have a trillion dollars. :rolleyes:

[guydude193]

Lloyd: "I'm suing Oprah for a trillion dollars."
Reporter: "Uh... why?"
Lloyd: "Because she liked my book so much, she used it."
Not that I condone plagiarism, but aren't there bigger fish to catch in the world of crime? Like... Osama Bin Laden? Somebody along those lines.

On a completely unrelated note, I think we should have MacRumors Forums Comedy Contests. (MFCC). @Abstract gets my vote. :D

[CorvusCamenarum]

A TRILLION DOLLARS! dang.

http://20.media.tumblr.com/RaAhBBk4Tkr3pe2uIuBkcvojo1_500.png

[mickbab]

On a completely unrelated note, I think we should have MacRumors Forums Comedy Contests. (MFCC). @Abstract gets my vote. :D

I have to agree, that sounds like a good idea.

It would be just like the Weekly Photo Contest, and people nominate amusing posts from the week, then at the end of the week, last-weeks comedian gets to choose the winner. They recieve title of MacRumors Comedian of the Week and get to choose who to pass it on to next.

:D

[andrewsd]

Wonder what he would settle out of court for.

[yojitani]

A trillion is clearly absurd since the whole book was not his, just certain select parts, allegedly. In that case, the court will have to decide the extent to which Goffe's poetry shaped the book and reach a settlement based on the level and scale of the plagiarism. I doubt Oprah can plead fair use or appeal to the parody clause if there are parts lifted from his book.

I can't blame him for trying though. It's not like poets actually make money from writing or performing poetry (with a few exceptions). Oprah is much better situated to sell and market her books, so it's only natural to want a cut if some level of exploitation is involved.

[Counterfit]

http://20.media.tumblr.com/RaAhBBk4Tkr3pe2uIuBkcvojo1_500.png

Sorry, I only have change for a $1,000,000,000 bill.

[Furi Kuri]

A TRILLION DOLLARS! dang.

Yea, thats crazy.

[G.T.]

650 million * 20 = 13 Billion not 1.2 Trillion

[niuniu]

Oprah.. and poetry..


Goodtimes :D

[sushi]

650 million * 20 = 13 Billion not 1.2 Trillion
Yes, the math in the original article doesn't make sense.

Hard to believe this is for real.

Weird.

[Sijmen]

650 million * 20 = 13 Billion not 1.2 Trillion

Milliard to some ;)

[ucfgrad93]

This guy is an idiot.

[rdowns]

This guy is an idiot.


+ 1.2 trillion

[G.T.]

Milliard to some ;)

Yeah I'm british but I think the UK has given up on milliard (correct me if I'm wrong, do u live here?) I think it is accepted now the 1000 million is a billion like in america instead of a million million.

[Sijmen]

Yeah I'm british but I think the UK has given up on milliard (correct me if I'm wrong, do u live here?) I think it is accepted now the 1000 million is a billion like in america instead of a million million.

Yeah I just hoped to add to the confusion.

[Les Kern]

A trillion is clearly absurd since the whole book was not his, just certain select parts, allegedly. In that case, the court will have to decide the extent to which Goffe's poetry shaped the book and reach a settlement based on the level and scale of the plagiarism. I doubt Oprah can plead fair use or appeal to the parody clause if there are parts lifted from his book.

I can't blame him for trying though. It's not like poets actually make money from writing or performing poetry (with a few exceptions). Oprah is much better situated to sell and market her books, so it's only natural to want a cut if some level of exploitation is involved.

A class action suit would work.
I'm in.

[synth3tik]

Wonder what he would settle out of court for.

maybe $30.

[shivermetimbers]

Serioulsy, a trillion? I am sure she is loaded and can afford to buy herself a new head every christmas...but a trillion? Not very realistic.