LOS ANGELES – A West Hills man alleges he has been harmed by statements published on WordPress.com.
Mark Tzalka filed a complaint on March 27 in the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California against Automattic Inc., doing business as WordPress.com; John Doe; Jane Doe; et al. alleging defamation of character.
According to the complaint, the plaintiff alleges that a user known as thegatekeeper33 published false and defamatory statements "with the intent to harm" in April 2014 on WordPress.com. The plaintiff alleges his reputation has been harmed because of the statements.
The plaintiff holds Automattic Inc., John Doe, Jane Doe et. al. responsible because the defendants allegedly harmed him by the publication of nonfactual statements on a blog.
The plaintiff requests a trial by jury and seeks judgment against the defendants; award damages in the amount of $150,000 for actual, punitive and emotional distress damages; legal fees; expenses; and other such relief' as the court deems available. He is representing himself.
U.S. District Court for the Central District of California case number 2:18-cv-02480