Editing Pets.com (section)

=== Lawsuit ===
As Pets.com's recognition began to grow, it attracted the attention of the creators of [[Triumph the Insult Comic Dog]]. Representatives from [[Robert Smigel]] sent letters, including a [[cease and desist]] demand, to Pets.com claiming that the puppet was based on Triumph. Pets.com responded by suing Smigel in the [[U.S. District court|U.S. District Court]] in San Francisco in April 2000, demanding $20 million in damages for [[defamation]] and trade libel.<ref>[http://www.thesmokinggun.com/file/dirty-sock-streisands-stocks Information on Smigel's lawsuit at] [[The Smoking Gun]]</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://dks.library.kent.edu/cgi-bin/kentstate?a=d&d=dks20000427-01.2.15&txq=Pets.com#|title=Daily Kent Stater 27 April 2000 — Kent State University|website=dks.library.kent.edu|access-date=2018-06-12}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=http://articles.latimes.com/2000/may/04/news/mn-26524/2|title=This Legal Dogfight Is No Joke|last=BROWNFIELD|first=PAUL|date=2000-05-04|work=Los Angeles Times|access-date=2018-07-26|language=en-US|issn=0458-3035}}{{dead link|date=September 2024|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news|url=https://nypost.com/2000/04/26/pets-com-poop-on-conans-puppet/|title=PETS.COM POOP$ ON CONAN'S 'PUP'PET|date=2000-04-26|work=New York Post|access-date=2018-08-11|language=en-US}}</ref>

Wainwright responded to the lawsuit, saying that "We were surprised when we received the letter because there is obviously no relation between the Pets.com Sock Puppet and Triumph".<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thefreelibrary.com/Pets.com+Provides+Perspective+On+Lawsuit+With+Robert+Smigel%2C+Creator...-a061758051|title=Pets.com Provides Perspective On Lawsuit With Robert Smigel, Creator of Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog.|date=2000-04-27|website=The Free Library by [[Farlex]]|access-date=2019-01-29}}</ref> Canadian sock puppet character [[Ed the Sock]], who had previously accused Smigel of basing his Triumph character on himself, also used the incident for publicity.

The lawsuit was dismissed in February 2001 by [[Judge]] [[Charles R. Breyer]].<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://archive.org/details/gov.uscourts.cand.38967|title=Case docket: Pets.com Inc v. Smigel|website=ia802307.us.archive.org|access-date=2018-08-10}}</ref>