Bricks & Minifigs (BAM Franchising) is escalating its legal battle over criticism of its franchise practices. After suing “Reckless” Ben Schneider under RICO for his work pushing the company to repay money owed to Bryan Mansell, the company has now filed a new action to force the disclosure of the anonymous person behind the “BAM Map,” a resource that appears to track franchise-related disputes.
Schneider has already filed an anti-SLAPP motion in the original case, arguing that the RICO lawsuit is designed to silence protected speech. The new unmasking suit, however, targets a different party: the unknown operator of the map. BAM Franchising has not publicly explained why it needs the operator's identity, but the timing suggests it is trying to identify and pressure additional critics.
Legal observers note that using litigation to unmask anonymous speakers can have a chilling effect, especially when the underlying speech is critical of a business. The outcome of Schneider's anti-SLAPP motion may set the tone for whether the unmasking effort proceeds. For now, the map remains online, and the company's attempt to reveal its creator is drawing renewed attention to the broader dispute.