This image was lost some time after publication.

Kazaa maker Sharman Networks — the file-sharing company that once had the balls to sue the record industry for copyright infringement while they were doing the same to Sharman — sued P2PNet for libel last week.

The peer-to-peer discussion site had published a user comment accusing Brilliant Digital execs Mark Dyne and Keven Bermeister of hiding behind Sharman CEO Niki Hemming. (According to a Wikipedia entry, record companies suing Kazaa maker Sharman Networks claim that Bermeister is running it from behind the scenes.)

A hefty accusation, and we'll leave it to the lawyers to decide what's libel or not. But megablogger Cory Doctorow (pictured here sans glasses) worked himself into a frenzy and lashed out at Kazaa:

This is about as bogus as it comes — real crybaby stuff, wah, someone said something nasty about me, I'll sue the site on which it appears — and P2PNet deserves better. They're raising funds for their defense, and I'll pitch in a hundred bucks once it's live.

The lesson we can all learn: Do not make Cory Doctorow think you're an asshole, or he will hurt you with words and money.

Crybaby Kazaa sues P2PNet for libel [BoingBoing]
kazaa sues p2pnet [P2PNet]
Niki Hemming's Money Mansion [P2PNet, cached]