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Funny article that includes such gems of bad advice as:

"There are only two types of reviews: the positive kind, and the kind where the reviewer didn’t understand the book. A bad review of your book is actually a cry for help!

 

Whenever you see a negative review that makes you say to yourself, “I should reach out to this person, perhaps in a borderline illegal fashion,” by all means do so. Find out where they live if you want! Show up on their doorstep and offer to politely explain how they simply failed to understand your novel. Make it clear that this is something they need to resolve within themselves and not a reflection on your work, and also that there’s no need whatsoever to call the police, so please put down the phone and stop crying."

Just sharing something that punches my buttons:   the negative consumer product opinions (reviews) only permissible as "constructive feedback" for authors culture that is growing like a bad fungus.  

Seriously, not trying to draw attention to or garner publicity for this author. I'd just as soon everyone ignore the books and not comment, rate, review, buy, sample or whatever.  So much if this drama crap is intentionally done (no way if knowing this author's intentions) thinking bad publicity better than no publicity to draw attention to not-being-discovered (or not selling enough) books, not trying to add to it.  

And, yes, authors definitely have "skin in the game."

"...a 2008 University of Illinois at Chicago analysis found that 60% of reviews across Amazon.com awarded products five stars. Another 20% of reviews awarded four stars...

Liu, the UIC professor who conducted the Amazon analysis, says the trend runs counter to expectations: “Most people say that if they have a good functioning product, they are not likely to write a positive review,” he says. “It is only when they have a bad product, they are more likely to write a review to complain.” Prevalent fake and solicited reviews probably contribute to the higher ratings, he says, especially since the number of negative reviews is small relative to the number of customers...

Shoppers are also more likely to give feedback on purchases they get excited about, which is often why they’re buying in the first place, says Brad Williams, president of public relations firm Weber Shandwick’s North American technology practice, which has studied consumer reviews. “It’s easier to get reviews about a tablet computer than a humidifier,” he says. That enthusiasm can spur more ratings, which in turn fuel more purchases, creating a perpetual loop..."

I missed catching the results of all this.  

The bottom line:  Customer won.  The damages awarded were not disclosed.  I'm not even clear how much of the court decisions were based on lack of response by KlearGear to the lawsuit, the involvement of Fair Credit reporting folk, the fact the clause was added three years after purchase transaction, etc.--but, the reviewer won.  They were awarded damages from KlearGear and further damages from an out of court settlement with the debt collection agency KlearGear used to report the "fine for violation of antidisparagement clause."

The lawsuit Palmers filed did include  "...