THE BALLOON MAN

Circus sues filmmaker for R1m

Michael Almendro, an animal rights activist and amateur documentary maker is being sued for R1m by Brian Boswell s Circus over a documentary posted on YouTube highlighting the plight of circus animals.
FROM:  iol.co.za
By LEE RONDGANGER
April 26 2013
Durban - A Durban animal rights activist has vowed to defend a R1 million defamation suit brought against him by Brian Boswell’s Circus over an 11-minute video feature - posted on YouTube - that alleges animal abuse at the circus.

Michael Almendro of Glenwood, an amateur documentary maker whose video clip also advocates for animals to roam the wild, said he was flabbergasted by the Boswell suit. He described it as a bullying tactic by the entertainment company aimed at silencing its critics.

“They initially sent me a letter asking me to take the documentary down but we felt that there was nothing offensive in the documentary,” he said. “A while later a lawyer sent me a summons. I was shocked to see it was for R1 million. My lawyers think it’s laughable that they are suing me for that amount of money.”

The suit, which is two years from going to court, was lodged in the Pietermaritzburg High Court in December and is a result of the 11-minute documentary titled, Tigers in Tutus.
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http://www.iol.co.za/news/crime-courts/circus-sues-filmmaker-for-r1m-1.1506953