P
PaulN
Guest
What is the name of your state? New Jersey
I was lead to believe I was equal partner in a website. Because of this I dedicated 6 months of my time and over 300 dollars of my own money for expenses to visit a trade show, edit graphics, create photography, web designing and so on. Basically, I ran the site. After 6 months of difficult communication with my partner I ended my work. I took down my photographs and designs and uploaded the raw pictures I took with my partner's digital camera as a gesture of good faith. I also left up a bare bones version of the site with some news and such. I then posted a goodbye message to the forum stating that a breakdown in communication had lead me to leave and said goodbye..or something very close to that. Shortly after I was banned from the forum, my goodbye message erased and replaced with my partner's own version of the events which were much harsher than mine and completely inacurate. He also stated in an email that I was never a partner in the website.
During the time all of this was happening we had been exchanging emails. I had asked him to return some 675 dollars worth of my property to me. He had stated that he had my things and named them. After my leaving the site, my partner stated that he had already returned my things and demanded I return the pictures I had created. He also stated that he would "cooperate" if I did what he said. After I sent his new webmaster emails in which he stated he had my things, he admitted that he still did have my things but refused to return them unless I did what he told me.
When he refused to return my things and slandered me all over the internet and on his own message board I decided to not let him use the pictures I took any longer. I read on a law site that since I was the person who took the pictures, they belong to me. Since there was nothing written that says the pictures would belong to my partner, my claim is backed up. Since my telling them my wishes concerning my pictures, they have posted some of them on their website.
Here's where my questions come in. I am obviously forced to take him to small claims court to get my $675 in property returned to me. What do I prosecute for? I have some ideas but don't know what I can actually prove. I have a book sized stack of emails to help me prove my case. Here's what I was thinking...
Fraud- As my partner had me doing work on his website for 6 months and had no intention of me actually sharing in profits. During those 6 months I was to be only a PR rep and he was going to bring in advertisers. In that time, my role in the website got emencely bigger and he did nothing to bring in profits. I feel I was lied to.
Blackmail- My partner is still holding my property and said he would only return it if I did exactly what he wanted.
Larceny- My partner borrowed my property and is now refusing to give any of it back.
Copyright infringement- Can I block him from using any of my pictures on his website? I was the one that took them and can prove it in court. Pleanty of people saw me take them.
In a perfect world I could get him on all of this, but I would settle for getting my things back...and maybe stopping him from usuing my pictures, though I could live with both of us using them.
any answers you can give me would be so appreciated.
Thanks
-Paul
I was lead to believe I was equal partner in a website. Because of this I dedicated 6 months of my time and over 300 dollars of my own money for expenses to visit a trade show, edit graphics, create photography, web designing and so on. Basically, I ran the site. After 6 months of difficult communication with my partner I ended my work. I took down my photographs and designs and uploaded the raw pictures I took with my partner's digital camera as a gesture of good faith. I also left up a bare bones version of the site with some news and such. I then posted a goodbye message to the forum stating that a breakdown in communication had lead me to leave and said goodbye..or something very close to that. Shortly after I was banned from the forum, my goodbye message erased and replaced with my partner's own version of the events which were much harsher than mine and completely inacurate. He also stated in an email that I was never a partner in the website.
During the time all of this was happening we had been exchanging emails. I had asked him to return some 675 dollars worth of my property to me. He had stated that he had my things and named them. After my leaving the site, my partner stated that he had already returned my things and demanded I return the pictures I had created. He also stated that he would "cooperate" if I did what he said. After I sent his new webmaster emails in which he stated he had my things, he admitted that he still did have my things but refused to return them unless I did what he told me.
When he refused to return my things and slandered me all over the internet and on his own message board I decided to not let him use the pictures I took any longer. I read on a law site that since I was the person who took the pictures, they belong to me. Since there was nothing written that says the pictures would belong to my partner, my claim is backed up. Since my telling them my wishes concerning my pictures, they have posted some of them on their website.
Here's where my questions come in. I am obviously forced to take him to small claims court to get my $675 in property returned to me. What do I prosecute for? I have some ideas but don't know what I can actually prove. I have a book sized stack of emails to help me prove my case. Here's what I was thinking...
Fraud- As my partner had me doing work on his website for 6 months and had no intention of me actually sharing in profits. During those 6 months I was to be only a PR rep and he was going to bring in advertisers. In that time, my role in the website got emencely bigger and he did nothing to bring in profits. I feel I was lied to.
Blackmail- My partner is still holding my property and said he would only return it if I did exactly what he wanted.
Larceny- My partner borrowed my property and is now refusing to give any of it back.
Copyright infringement- Can I block him from using any of my pictures on his website? I was the one that took them and can prove it in court. Pleanty of people saw me take them.
In a perfect world I could get him on all of this, but I would settle for getting my things back...and maybe stopping him from usuing my pictures, though I could live with both of us using them.
any answers you can give me would be so appreciated.
Thanks
-Paul