Online angels hit out at their non-virtual counterparts

The founders of the CyberAngels, the online version of the vigilante good-guys, are suing the Guardian Angels and its founder Curtis Sliwa for fraud, copyright infringement, libel, breach of contract, misleading tax advice, defamation and unpaid debts. Colin Gabriel Hatcher and Dominie Judge Kitaj, who filed the suit in the US District Court for the Northern District of California, allege that the Guardian Angels -- famous for wearing red berets and fighting street crime -- have violated their copyright by claiming ownership of materials that were written by Hatcher. The suit further alleges that after Hatcher was told he was to receive an award for his volunteer work in cyberspace safety education, the Guardian Angels said that Hatcher was an employee of their organisation instead. As a result of this alleged misrepresentation, Hatcher was deemed ineligible for the award, the CyberAngels maintain. Kitaj is also suing for reimbursement of several thousand dollars which she says she lent the Guardian Angels to run various community service projects. The Guardian Angels deny that they owe her any money. ®