Restaurant Review: Ravintola Lehtovaara sucks ...

... at knowing anything about digital publishing law. They actually threatened a blogger 80,000 Euros for posting an online letter complaining about the service.

Wouldn't it be great if we could shut down anyone who wrote a bad review about restaurants (or movies, for that matter)?

Seriously, though, I've never been to this restaurant, and can't say anything about either the food or the service there.

CopyFraud: Lehtovaara. Back on my radar

I received a threat letter from a law firm. They are demanding me to take down my letter that is criticizing Ravintola Lehtovaara. I guess the fact that my letter is second in a Google search right after restaurants own page could make a difference.

I sent them the letter after we received really bad service. My letter is really objective and it is just pointing the difficulties the waiters had during our dinner. Seemed that Lehtovaara that is normally considered to be a good restaurant had a really bad day. The service was just unacceptably bad: (food was cold, we had to beg for water, the waiter started arguing about a wine bottle gone bad, wrong food, slow and unprofessional service. You get the picture). They never replied to it. So i put it on line and blogged it. One and a half years after our night in Lehtovaara i got a threatening email.

The legal threat letter was sent by a member of Finnish BAR Antero Molander who also owns the restaurant. The letter is demanding 5000 euros per month for the damages to the restaurant. It all adds to well over 80.000 euros plus interest. The best part of the letter is: "because you don't work in the restaurant business, you can't simply understand the damages." They don't question the facts in my letter. Threat letter just says that I should pay the damages the restaurant has suffered. What what WHAT! Even the first year law student understands that this sort of criticism based on true facts cant lead to damages. Think about a legal system where restaurants could sue journalist that write crushing review of a restaurant...

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