ELECTION 2010: Sharron Angle faces copyright lawsuit

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LAS VEGAS (AP) - A company has sued Republican U.S. Senate candidate Sharron Angle, claiming she reprinted two Las Vegas Review-Journal articles on her campaign website without permission.

Las Vegas-based Righthaven is seeking unspecified damages in its complaint filed Friday in U.S. District Court in Las Vegas.

The suit alleges Angle neither sought nor received permission to display a Review-Journal article and editorial on her website this summer.

"Righthaven LLC vigorously enforces the copyrighted work of Review-Journal reporters, columnists and editors," said Mark Hinueber, the newspaper's vice president and general counsel. "We expect everyone to comply with the copyright laws of the United States."

Angle spokesman Jerrod Agen said he would not comment until the campaign's lawyers have reviewed the suit.

Righthaven tracks Internet traffic for copyright infringements of Review-Journal stories. It then buys the copyright for a story from the newspaper's owner, Stephens Media LLC, and sues the alleged infringer.

The company has filed dozens of similar suits since March, including ones against the Nevada Democratic Party and the Progressive Leaders-hip Alliance of Nevada.

"Most of this is common sense," said Steve Gibson, Righthaven's chief executive officer. "If you didn't write it, if it wasn't your work ... and you just take someone else's work and re-post it, you should understand that's just not right."

He said his company is entitled to as much as $150,000 in statutory damages in the Angle case.

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