Under the law, their excuse doesn't really matter. Doesn't matter if you buy it or not. Doesn't matter whether it's true or utter bullshit. Copyright violation is copyright violation. Rationale is irrelevant.

The only thing it might help is to try to repair their trashed credibility in the public's eye. And it might help fend off some of the (probably many) copyright lawsuits if the plaintiffs feel sorry for them.

"Our sin was promotion"

MY ONLY SIN IS I HAVE SO MUCH LOVE

TL;DR: "Sorry, not sorry."

It's not the "Minnesota Star Tribune." Just the "Star Tribune." Formerly the "Minneapolis Star Tribune," but it dropped the Minneapolis part more than thirty years ago.

Meanwhile, The Bellingham Herald is a RepubliKKKan-owned and grossly mismanaged rag that got sold out to a California company. The Seattle Times is nothing but Blethen GOP endorsing bullshit. Ohhhh, gawwwd.......don't go out of business because of multiple lawsuits, Cascadia Weekly! You're my only local news source besides The Stranger.
Hey, Dan Savage, Katie Herzog, and Stranger staff: any chance you can help save the Cascadia Weekly from its fate and merge both weekly papers? YOu're the only voice of the people we've got left.