Joke provokes Koch stroke

JANUARY 27, 2011
New York Times

Koch Industries Unamused by Climate Spoof

By TOM ZELLER JR.

Bloomberg — The conglomerate with interests in everything from oil refining to Dixie paper cups does not like having its trademark infringed by climate activists.

From the sometimes bizarre front lines of the climate-change culture wars: It seems the brothers Koch, proprietors of the giant, Kansas-based industrial conglomerate and well-heeled supporters of Tea Party causes, have now set their sights on a group of anonymous pranksters who spoofed a Koch Industries press release last month — one that suggested the brothers were having a change of heart on climate change.

The fake statement, which was posted online at a Web address similar to that of Koch Industries and circulated to members of the press, said the company was cutting off its support for a variety of groups openly skeptical of global warming science.

While it doesn’t appear that any media outlets were duped, Koch Industries — not widely known for indulging critics — quickly assembled its legal foot soldiers. The company filed a lawsuit in a federal district court in Utah late last month, charging a phalanx of anonymous “John Does” with “trademark infringement, cybersquatting, and unfair competition.”

From the complaint:

Koch brings this action to redress Defendants’ misappropriation of Koch’s intellectual property and impersonation of Koch for the purpose of deceiving the public and promoting Defendants’ agenda. Koch supports open and honest public discourse. Defendants’ impersonation of Koch and misappropriation of its intellectual property are antithetical to honest discourse because they deceive the public respecting Koch’s true position on Issues and respecting Defendant’s motives.

(More here. The fake press release is below:)
Koch Industries on Climate Science