What is the Streisand Effect?
The “Streisand Effect” refers to the likelihood of a cease-and-desist demand attracting more attention to the complained-of material than it had before the demand. The effect gets its name from a 2003 incident in which Barbra Streisand sued a California photographer for including aerial photographs of her Malibu house on his coastal survey website. Instead of removing the image, the photographer publicized the suit, drawing further attention to the photo. See Andy Greenberg, The Streisand Effect, Forbes. Adelman, who maintained californiacoastline.org, obtained dismissal of the suit under California s anti-SLAPP law, and won attorneys fees and costs. See Streisand v. Adelman, No. SC 077 257 (L.A. Sup. Ct. May 10, 2004).
