Pranay Gupte, the former New York Sun columnist who wrote its "Lunch at the Four Seasons" profiles until, he said, the Sun couldn't pay him, now says the paper has hijacked the column, stolen "intellectual and creative property" after it resumed the column under a new byline.

In an e-mail to Sun editor Seth Lipsky and co-owners Roger Hertog and Michael Steinhardt, Gupte wrote that Lipsky's decision to restart the column — which appeared yesterday under freelancer Liz Peek's byline — has caused him "professional damage in full public view." Gupte says Lipsky told him he would "soon have me resume the column, this time on a compensated basis."

Not only have you stolen my idea and enterprise, Seth, you have also caused me professional damage in full public view. Readers who would be seeing the column now are certain to assume that I'd been fired, and that Liz Peek was my replacement. The circumstances of my departure from The Sun were entirely the result of your inability to pay me -- a puzzling thing, especially in view of the handsome salaries and fees that you pay yourself and other favored editors and writers, few of whom were as productive and loyal to the paper as me over such an extended period.

Gupte, who resigned in July, is asking the paper to stop publishing the column under the "Lunch at The Four Seasons." "If you continue running the column under someone else's byline than mine," Gupte wrote, "I will consider it a deliberate act of hostility and professional malevolence, and will take appropriate action."

Gupte's full e-mail:

From: "Pranay Gupte"
To: "Seth Lipsky"
CC: "Michael Steinhard", "lizpeek", "Roger Hertog"
Date: Thu, 28 Sep 2006 00:18:56 -0400
Subject: Re: Lunch at the Four Seasons

Dear Seth:

I always thought of you as a man of integrity and honor -- until I opened The New York Sun today and saw my column, "Lunch at The Four Seasons," appearing under Liz Peek's byline. Lest you forget, the column was conceived, invented and paid for by me (the Sun only started reimbursing lunch expenses relatively recently). I also wrote the daily column free of charge for 20 months out of warmth toward you and good will toward the paper, bringing to the pages of the Sun exceptional Americans and others to whom your paper would ordinarily not have access.

I was especially astonished when I saw Liz Peek's byline under the column because earlier in the day, Michael Steinhardt, one of the Sun's biggest owners, had called me to assure me that you told him you'd very much like me to "come back to the Sun" after my resignation in July when you informed me that you did not have the money to pay me for my column. Michael also told me that, in your words, you were experiencing "existential problems" and therefore were unable to ask me back right now. You will also recall that about a month ago, you told me over lunch in Brooklyn Heights that you would soon have me resume the column, this time on a compensated basis.

By re-starting the column without consulting me, you have, in effect, stolen my intellectual and creative property. I wrote more than 350 daily columns for The Sun from January 2005 through July 2006; indeed, "Lunch at The Four Seasons" was widely regarded -- and, I dare say, acclaimed -- as my special journalistic enterprise, one that brought your paper formidable encomiums. By writing free for you -- however willingly -- I deprived myself of opportunities for income and professional advancement elsewhere.

Not only have you stolen my idea and enterprise, Seth, you have also caused me professional damage in full public view. Readers who would be seeing the column now are certain to assume that I'd been fired, and that Liz Peek was my replacement. The circumstances of my departure from The Sun were entirely the result of your inability to pay me -- a puzzling thing, especially in view of the handsome salaries and fees that you pay yourself and other favored editors and writers, few of whom were as productive and loyal to the paper as me over such an extended period.

It now turns out that you lied to me about resuming the column. And, in my opinion, you surely lied to Mike Steinhardt as well -- if indeed you told him, as he reported to me today, that you very much wanted me to come back to The Sun. Moreover, it's unlikely that a freelance contributor like Liz Peek would have hijacked my column unless she'd received direction from you, the editor and president of The Sun. The fact that you didn't show me the courtesy of informing me that "Lunch at The Four Seasons" was resuming under another writer's byline

I am asking you to cease and desist -- which is to say, I'm asking you to stop using the title "Lunch at The Four Seasons" in your newspaper and on your Web site. Whether or not you choose to carry profiles is your business. But this special concept is entirely mine, intellectually, by virtue of demonstrated publication over a long period of time, and by general public recognition.

I do not wish to get into a mud fight with you over this. I think I'm capable of overcoming my disappointment that you have been less than honest and less than grateful. (I did not expect gratitude, by the way; I just wish that you would have honored your word.) But if you continue running the column under someone else's byline than mine, I will consider it a deliberate act of hostility and professional malevolence, and will take appropriate action.

A final note: Much as I miss writing my column for The Sun, a huge new opportunity opened up for me. Starting this weekend, I am going to be executive editor/business of the largest English-language newspaper in the Middle East. After writing for barely 15,000 subscribers of The Sun, it's going to be very nice indeed to edit -- and write for -- a newspaper with a daily readership in the millions.

Sincerely,
Pranay
--
Pranay Gupte
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E-mail: [REDACTED]
Global phone: [REDACTED]

Web Site: www.pranaygupte.com
Blog: www.pranaygupte.blogspot.com

Postal Mailing Address:

[REDACTED]
Brooklyn, NY 11201

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