Contacting Us     Meet Mr. Wolfstone     Home Page

" Read This ... Before you file suit for Slander " Sometimes ~ Discretion is the better part of valor !     In late December 1994, Carl Sagan lost his battle with Apple Computer. In connection with its new Power Macintosh 7100-66 computer, Apple's design team had chosen "Carl Sagan" as an in-house code name for the computer. Secrets have a way of leaking to the press, and Sagan learned of this unauthorized use of his name. He complained to Apple contending, inter alia, that the use of his name was an invasion of privacy. After receiving Sagan's complaint, Apple engineers changed the moniker to "BHA," short for "BUTT HEAD ASTRONOMER." Sagan then sued for copyright infringement, unfair competition, libel, invasion of privacy, and violation of his right of publicity. Upshot: The Court dismissed Sagan's lawsuit primarily because Apple's use of "BHA" had been restricted to in-house circulation. Discretion is, afterall, the better part of valor! One can well imagine that Carl Sagan would have had a really huge, very large, immensely vast headache, which billions and billions and billions of aspirin would not have cured. Gary L. Wolfstone Seattle Trial Lawyer (206) 682-7693