WiReD is reporting:

Paul Myers, better known as the science blogger Pharyngula, has been sued for libel by Stuart Pivar, author of Lifecode.

Pivar, a wealthy art collector, alleged Stephen Jay Gould buddy and Renaissance-throwback science hobbyist, published Lifecode in 2004.

Type-A asshole turns legal system on people with opinions. WTF.

The WiReD article concludes with:

Pivar’s case is clearly empty. And given his wealth, he can undoubtedly afford better legal advice. So what’s the deal? I’m guessing that it’s just a PR stunt. What better way to sell your book than get the blogosphere boiling, in the hope that the lawsuit becomes a full-blown — and wholly undeserved — controversy?

This is indeed scary. Either the guy is a clueless loser, suing someone who didn’t like his book or he is a clueless loser trying to generate interest in his book.

I hope the legal system and the market punish the crap out of said clueless loser.