Marin Lately, the new online fake news rip-off site of The Onion, based in Marin County, has filed a lawsuit against wine critic Jonathan Cristaldi and his media startup, Cristaldi & Co., alleging “egregious and shameless plagiarism.”
“This is not homage. This is theft,” said a Marin Lately spokesperson. “He copied our style, our sass, even our sidebar fonts. The man swapped out Sausalito for St. Helena and called it original.”
Reached for comment, Cristaldi threatened escalation. “If Marin Lately doesn’t leave me alone, I’m calling my friends at The Onion.” When pressed about his contacts at the comedic news juggernaut, Cristaldi demurred. Angry with the question from his own Cristaldi & Co., he threatened action against both Marin Lately and Cristaldi & Co.: “I’ll rally every Napa winemaker currently suing Napa County to drop their cases and sue you both instead. Just let me rip everyone off in peace!”
Marin County legal experts predict a drawn-out battle. “The precedent is troubling,” said one Tiburon attorney. “If critics can plagiarise fake news, wineries may soon plagiarise fake wines, hoping to fool the critics. Talk about a vicious cycle.”
