RE:RE:Cue the "Bad Boys" theme songTheralase easily won a similar lawsuit in 2020.
Theralase Wins Precedent-Setting Lawsuit Against Anonymous Individuals for Posting Defamatory Comments Online – Theralase Technologies The decision of the Ontario Superior Court of Justice sets the precedent that there can be legal repercussions against anonymous internet posters for posting false and disparaging content. In his ruling, the honorable Justice F.L. Myers wrote, “If people want to make hurtful statements about others and then try to hide from the responsibility to prove the truth or other justification for doing so, then as discussed by Goldstein J., their cowardice is reprehensible and, in my view, they should bear costs on a substantial indemnity basis.” Judgement that then made the news in the canadian civil lawsuit journals:
How lawyers brought down internet trolls — without ever uncovering their identities | Law Times (lawtimesnews.com) In the Jan. 13 decision,
Theralase Technologies Inc. v. Lanter, Justice Frederick Myers found that “judgment can issue against the defendant despite the fact that the plaintiffs and the court do not know the defendant’s name.” “It's a circumstance in which the courts and the law of defamation is keeping pace with the times and technology,” says Erskine. “Because today, there are so many ways in which individuals can hide behind a pseudonym, and make an anonymous posting and make it very, very difficult for individuals to pursue them for the things that they are posting. So Justice Myers’ decision now demonstrates there can be consequences for anonymous posters. In the past, that wasn't the case.”
The case revolved around Stockhouse.com, a website with public and private messaging forums for traders and investors. The people accused of defaming Theralase did not use their real names to post on the forum; Rather, they sent messages using names such as PennyOilKing, BlueBomber6, BionicJoe, MacMan1519, NastyNasta, Need2Know68, TrueNorthStrong, TuesdayNightRid and CrazyTrader12.
The anonymous internet users accused the pharmaceutical company of operating “unlawfully and improperly,” and said the mangers were “untruthful and unprofessional,” and “incompetent managers who have committed criminal acts,” at one point using misogynistic slurs that were “particularly disgusting,” wrote Myers.
Myers ordered the defendants to pay substantial indemnity costs of $55,000 all-inclusive and assigned each troll individual damages awards of $10,000 and up, based on the severity of the defamation. Judgment shows you can’t hide behind Internet and get away with defamation, lawyers say - The Lawyer's Daily (thelawyersdaily.ca)