With regard to the SFBG vs. SF Weekly (VVM) lawsuit -- you know, the one where the Guardian sued the Weekly and its parent company for predatory pricing practices? where the Guardian's Publisher, Bruce Brugmann, claimed that the competition was so unreasonable that it could force the Guardian out of business? -- our sources confirm that:
Word just came that Guardian won the lawsuit and were awarded 6.3 million [the Gate is claiming $15M] in damages.
Wow. We would be fibbing if we said we weren't surprised by the verdict.
Appeals? For sure. Will this nonsense drag on? You bet. Village Voice Media responds:
Response from Village Voice Media to Verdict in Bay Guardian LawsuitToday's verdict in Bruce Brugmann's suit was an expensive lesson in laws, lawyers, and lawsuits, and how one man's obsession manipulated the system.
Like Ralph Nader, Bruce Brugmann is out of touch with reality. Feigning obliviousness to the Internet, the dot-com bust, 9/11, the Bush economy - and the $330 million lost by the San Francisco Chronicle to these very factors - Brugmann insisted in court that only SF Weekly threatened his wallet.
Jurors agreed and hit Village Voice Media with more than $15 million in damages. Brugmann thus earned in court more than he ever earned in 40 years of publishing.
