Macon man says county violated a copyright on his name. He wants $2 million
Editor’s note: A previous version of this story erroneously identified the man who filed the lawsuit as Desmond Brown of the Macon Water Authority Board. The man who filed this lawsuit is not on the board. The Telegraph regrets this error.
A local man alleges Macon-Bibb County government is violating copyright law by using his name in documents and has sued the government for $2 million, according to his lawsuit filed Tuesday.
Desmond Brown argued in his lawsuit that Bibb County Superior Court unlawfully used his copyrighted name, Desmond Lee Brown, three times in a letter and once in an envelope he received last year. He alleges that each violation is worth $500,000 under copyright law.
The letters from superior court referred to a now-closed case in which he was deemed an “interested party” in a lawsuit from the Macon-Bibb County tax commissioner’s office. The lawsuit sought to take a blighted property on Rocky Creek Road because taxes hadn’t been paid on the property. The lot was given to the tax commissioner’s office, and the office sold it, according to court records.
Court documents indicate Brown had his name copyrighted in Florida. In the case from the tax commissioner’s office, Brown wrote that no federal, state or local codes, ordinances or regulations applied to him. Although his response was not found in online superior court records, he attached it to his lawsuit in federal court. In alleging that his copyright was violated, he cited a Uniform Commercial Code governing commercial transactions.
“There is no question the copyright of the trademark was violated so I would suggest reading through the default terms immediately to avoid more serious penalties,” wrote Brown in an invoice to the government and the superior court which was attached to the lawsuit. “I’m not trying to get any more money than what is rightfully and lawfully owed to me.
“I can come to the Bibb County Courthouse and pick up the payment in the form of a check.”
He also didn’t pay a filing fee for his lawsuit, and has asked the court to carry on without it, which is about $405. He said in his lawsuit he is unemployed, has not received income in the past year and isn’t expecting to receive any in the next month. He also says he doesn’t have any assets.
He only has $10 in his checking account, according to his request.
Although Brown declined to give details on the lawsuit as he wanted to “keep this a private matter,” he told The Telegraph that he trademarked his name to take control over his identity since he doesn’t trust the U.S. government.
Lawsuits only present one side of a legal argument, and Macon hasn’t filed a legal reply to Brown’s assertions. Efforts from The Telegraph to reach out to the county attorney representing Macon government were unsuccessful.
This story was originally published May 30, 2024 at 12:12 PM.
