Rush Limbaugh Sues Hannity For Plagiarism
Conservative firebrand Rush Limbaugh has filed a multi-million dollar lawsuit against publisher HarperCollins and fellow right-wing host Sean Hannity for plagiarism and intellectual copyright infringement. The outspoken talk radio host is seeking $3.5 million from both Hannity and HarperCollins,Â whose former division ReganBooks published Hannityâs books. The lawsuit singles Hannity out for ripping Limbaugh off and âliberally plagiarizing large sections of Limbaughâs best-selling books for his own books and gaining profit and professional advancement as a result,â according to court documents filed todayÂ in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York. The lawsuit claims large sections of Hannityâs books, âLet Freedom Ring: Winning the War of Liberty over Liberalismâ and âDeliver Us From Evil: Defeating Terrorism, Despotism, and Liberalismâ â published respectively in 2002 and 2004 â ripped off large sections of Limbaughâs bestselling books, âThe Way Things Out to Beâ and âSee, I Told You So,â which were published a decade earlier. "If you read Mr. Hannity's books, it feels like you're reading Mr. Limbaugh's books word for word," the lawsuit states. The lawsuit also accuses HarperCollins of âenabling other conservative authors under its contract to infringe and steal from Limbaughâs own work without credit, attribution and/or payment.â Limbaugh and his attorney, Kevin Lomax, both declined to comment on the lawsuit, claiming there is âa deep liberal media bias against (Limbaugh).â When reached by phone, Hannity also declined to comment on the lawsuit, claiming there was a âdeep liberal media biasâ against him. However, Hannityâs attorney Maurice Levy said Hannity and other conservative authors typically cover the exact same themes as Limbaugh in all of their books. âThe only thing Hannity copied from Limbaugh was to use the same method for writing his books, which is to talk into a tape recorder and then have them transcribed by someone else,â he said. Jackie Chiles, an attorney representing HarperCollins, dismissed the lawsuit as âhypocritical, lewd, lascivious, salacious, outrageous!â âThis is a public humiliation. Everyone knows that Rush Limbaugh was a morning zoo DJ before he became this darling of the right,â Chiles said. âIf anybody should be filing a lawsuit, itâs (radio host) Bob Grant against Limbaugh.â Jack McCoy, a professor of law at Columbia University, said if Limbaugh prevails in his lawsuit, it could send a warning to other political pundits and hosts who have imitated Limbaugh's bombastic style for ratings. âIâm surprised this is the first lawsuit thatâs been filed,â he said. âThese books all seem the same to me. I just assumed they were the same book, just given a different title and author.â The Way Things Could Be Limbaugh declined to discuss the details of his lawsuit on his afternoon radio show when a caller brought it up, according to a transcript posted on his website. However, the call prompted Limbaugh to launch a 15-minute tirade against âparasites.â He admitted that depending on the success of this lawsuit, more lawsuits may be on the way. âThis is just the beginning,â he said. âFor too long, my fellow so-called âconservativesâ have been riding my coattails, copying me, stealing my material and getting rich off of my ideas. âI feel like David Letterman in a tiny room surrounded by Jay Lenos. I was bashing the goddamn Clintons long before any of these parasites crawled out of the woodwork. Obama is scared of me and only me! âEnough is enough. All these Hannitys, Larsons, Coulters, Becks, OâReillys, Levins, Boortzes, Savages and Ingrahams are gonna pay.â Limbaugh has built his radio career on being confrontational and making controversial statements â as have many of his fellow television and radio hosts. Limbaugh attracted controversy earlier this year after he refused to leave a Mexican restaurant in Palm Beach Gardens, Fla., after a confrontation with the owner.