>>>>>Hi Bruce,
>>>>> Thanks very much! This article included many of the haikus I used, but unfortunately not the one my former client objected to.
>>>>> I will keep searching.
>>>>> Thanks, Chaim
>>>>
>>>>Maybe this is too obvious, but have you searched the Google results of [computer error haiku]?
>>>>
>>>>e.g. http://www.infiltec.com/j-chaiku.htm
>>>>
>>>>Or even a distinct phrase of the haiku in question?
>>>>
>>>>From the Google results there is a lot of overlap, any FoxTalk haikus may have originated somewhere else.
>>>
>>>Just presenting the multitude of cases when these were published over the years, specially with extra ones which weren't coming from Salon, should make the case that it was a form of popular art.
>>
>>Agreed. I can see how some of them (e.g. #2 from the link above) could be construed as threatening by clients disputing invoices, or their inventive lawyers.
>
>German law would say the invoice is for the use - what the customer undoubtly as done - if he feels threatend he may sue on that, but this gives not right to block paiment. Unrelated problems. Or does the haiku block the customer from use in some way? (Aside that I think the haikus are childish, not appropriate for the common keyboard-chair-interface. Might be a laugh on developers level.)

Generally Canadian law works the same way. But maybe the person who saw the haiku was so traumatized they had to take time off work, get therapy etc. which was a cost to the company. Rather than try to recover those costs separately they may opt for the "immediate payback" of not paying an existing invoice.

Never underestimate peoples' ability to be scared or offended (real or otherwise) e.g. http://news.nationalpost.com/health/patient-complains-nurses-skull-tattoo-gave-her-nightmares-b-c-hospital-says-it-does-not-discriminate