Park West Gallery is the company that runs auctions on cruise ships. The practice has created many unhappy customers but even more money for Park West and the Cruise lines. Now there’s a funny court case going on in Michigan where the Fine Art Registry is defending itself against claims they injured Park West by campaigning to help dis-satisfied customers. Fine Art Registry’s defense is that they could not damage a reputation that was already so low:

Fine Art Registry begins presentation of its case against Park West Gallery after the Michigan art gallery has spent three weeks presenting its case, claiming defamation, etc. The case is clearly a classic SLAPP (Strategic Litigation Against Public Participation) lawsuit by the world’s self-proclaimed “largest art gallery” against web-based company, Fine Art Registry, which has been outspoken in its criticism of the Michigan gallery’s sale of inauthentic and vastly overpriced art at “auctions” primarily aboard cruise ships, and has provided advocacy and other assistance to victims of Park West Gallery’s broadly questioned art and sales practices.

Park West Gallery claims that Fine Art Registry has harmed its sales and reputation by publishing reports about its art and its sales methods and by assisting individuals who were unable to obtain assistance from Park West’s customer services department. Fine Art Registry claims that Park West Gallery’s reputation was already so low before Fine Art Registry ever began any reports of its activities that its reputation could not be further damaged; that the reports have all been factual and truthful; that a Park West Gallery principal specifically gave permission for Fine Art Registry to continue to publish similar reports and help dissatisfied Park West customers; and that all reports and assistance have been provided only in the public interest.

Fine Art Registry vs. Park West Gallery Lawsuit Begins its Fourth Week (The Open Press)