• by Wendy Davis , Staff Writer @wendyndavis, July 13, 2011

Earlier this year, a Twitter user created an account devoted to parodying Coventry First, a company that pays consumers for the right to collect future proceeds from their life insurance policies.

Between the Twitter account's launch date of May 27 and present, the user posted 28 tweets, most of which were critical of Coventry's controversial business. As of today, the account has garnered just 16 followers -- and that marks an increase from several weeks ago when it had just five.

But the relatively small readership didn't stop Coventry First from going to court. In a lawsuit filed last month, Coventry made the laughable allegation that the Twitter author infringed trademark. But, as Internet law expert Venkat Balasumbramani pointed out when the case was brought, the account isn't being used to sell goods or services. "It's tough to see how this can amount to trademark infringement," he wrote.

After filing suit against the anonymous Twitter user, Coventry First sent Twitter a subpoena demanding that it identify the user. Digital rights group Public Citizen got involved and prepared a motion to quash the subpoena, arguing that Coventry shouldn't be able to unmask a critic based on such flimsy trademark infringement allegations.

Faced with the prospect of a lengthy legal battle, Coventry First withdrew the case yesterday. Coventry First didn't give a reason for its decision, but the move makes sense given the weakness of the company's case. Still, it's puzzling why Coventry First ever thought that filing a lawsuit was the appropriate response to being mocked on Twitter.