Zeran v. America Online, Inc.

MEMORANDUM OPINION

ELLIS, District Judge.

Plaintiff Kennéth M. Zeran (“Zeran”) was the victim of a malicious hoax perpetrated via the Internet 1 services of defendant America Online, Inc. (“AOL”). An unknown person or persons, acting without Zeran’s knowledge or authority, affixed Zeran’s name and telephone number to a series of notices on AOL’s electronic “bulletin board” advertising t-shirts and other items with slogans glorifying the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma in which 168 people were killed. Predictably, Zeran received numerous disturbing and…