Gene Simmons has become targeted by the online group known as Anonymous, after the bassist and founding member of KISS angered Internet users following remarks he made against file sharing on the web. The ongoing feud escalated to the point where Simmons’ official web site and his official record company site were subject to a DDoS attack by Anonymous, resulting in legal action being threatened against individuals who participated in the attacks.
Simmons has been a vocal opponent against peer-to-peer file sharing for many years, and has also been critical of artists searching for alternative business models for the music industry in the 21st century. Anonymous, often associated with the image board 4chan, made Gene Simmons a target of Operation Payback (part of Anonymous’ ongoing online battle against organizations such as the RIAA and MPAA) following remarks he made during a panel discussion at MIPCOM 2010:
Make sure your brand is protected. Make sure there are no incursions. Be litigious. Sue everybody. Take their homes, their cars. Don’t let anybody cross that line.
Students of the Unusual™ comic cover used with permission of 3BoysProductions
The Mercuri Bros.™ comic cover used with permission of Prodigal Son Press
