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Taser sues USA TODAY parent for libel over story
http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2005-07-01-taser-gci_x.htm
From staff and wire reports
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Stun gun maker Taser International (TASR) said Friday it filed a libel lawsuit against USA TODAY publisher Gannett (GCI) for publishing an article that Taser said misled readers about the safety of its products.
Taser, which has been under scrutiny over the safety of its stun guns, said it filed suit in Arizona Superior Court accusing Gannett of libel, false light invasion of privacy, injurious falsehood and tortious interference with business relations.
Taser also accused Gannett of publishing a series of misleading articles about its products.
Tara Connell, a spokeswoman for Gannett, also the parent company of the Arizona Republic newspaper, said the company had not yet seen the complaint and did not have a comment on it.
"Over the course of this biased campaign, more than $1 billion dollars of shareholder value has been erased," Taser Chief Executive Rick Smith said in a statement.
Taser stock is down about 68% so far this year.
The lawsuit centers on a USA TODAY article from June 3, which Taser says vastly overstated the level of electrical output of one of Taser's stun guns. Moreover, the newspaper "further sensationalized" the story with photographic comparisons of the power of the Taser gun with the electrical output of an electric chair, a lightning storm and an electric train track, Taser says.
The article reported the electrical output of the gun was more than 100 times that of the electric chair, when in fact the average electrical current of Taser guns is 1,000 times less than that of an electric chair, the suit says.
USA TODAY published a correction to the story June 6, saying "Due to a mathematical error, a graphic Friday significantly overstated the amount of electricity delivered by a Taser. The correct numbers are .0021 to .0036 amperes — a minuscule fraction of the electricity used by subway trains and the electric chair. The electricity produced by a Taser is less than that delivered by electroshock therapy used to treat pain and depression."
Gannett is also the parent of USATODAY.com.
http://www.usatoday.com/money/media/2005-07-01-taser-gci_x.htm
From staff and wire reports
SCOTTSDALE, Ariz. — Stun gun maker Taser International (TASR) said Friday it filed a libel lawsuit against USA TODAY publisher Gannett (GCI) for publishing an article that Taser said misled readers about the safety of its products.
Taser, which has been under scrutiny over the safety of its stun guns, said it filed suit in Arizona Superior Court accusing Gannett of libel, false light invasion of privacy, injurious falsehood and tortious interference with business relations.
Taser also accused Gannett of publishing a series of misleading articles about its products.
Tara Connell, a spokeswoman for Gannett, also the parent company of the Arizona Republic newspaper, said the company had not yet seen the complaint and did not have a comment on it.
"Over the course of this biased campaign, more than $1 billion dollars of shareholder value has been erased," Taser Chief Executive Rick Smith said in a statement.
Taser stock is down about 68% so far this year.
The lawsuit centers on a USA TODAY article from June 3, which Taser says vastly overstated the level of electrical output of one of Taser's stun guns. Moreover, the newspaper "further sensationalized" the story with photographic comparisons of the power of the Taser gun with the electrical output of an electric chair, a lightning storm and an electric train track, Taser says.
The article reported the electrical output of the gun was more than 100 times that of the electric chair, when in fact the average electrical current of Taser guns is 1,000 times less than that of an electric chair, the suit says.
USA TODAY published a correction to the story June 6, saying "Due to a mathematical error, a graphic Friday significantly overstated the amount of electricity delivered by a Taser. The correct numbers are .0021 to .0036 amperes — a minuscule fraction of the electricity used by subway trains and the electric chair. The electricity produced by a Taser is less than that delivered by electroshock therapy used to treat pain and depression."
Gannett is also the parent of USATODAY.com.