A new billboard battle is being waged — this time in cyberspace. A protest website recently popped up to “address the injustice placed upon the tenants of 10801 and have the supergraphics' removed forever.”

The blogger, Dr. David Allan, started the site after part of his office on the north wall of the six-story building at 10801 National Boulevard in West L.A. was draped by a gargantuan, vinyl blanket touting Tropicana juice on January 14. Allan, whose chiropractic office is on the fifth floor, said sarcastically that the view he is paying a premium rent to have is completely obscured by a “wonderful piece of orange graphic.”

“We are facing West Hollywood and the Santa Monica mountains,”

added Allan. “All of a sudden [we] come in and have this whole thing

covered. Some of the sign is black. You are looking out to darkness.”

The

bold super-graphic of a woman cuddling her child next to a box of

Tropicana orange juice is owned by World Wide Rush, which sued the city

in federal district court. A judge issued an injunction against the city on the grounds that it has used an ad hoc approach filled with loopholes that allow some selected companies to legally erect such signs despite a 2002 ban affecting other companies.

The

blogsite offers updates, a petition link and compelling Before and

After shots. (Headline: “It's a Smoggy Day, Everyday at the Office.”)

It also provides legal documents to peruse, including a letter from the

law firm representing the owner and lessor of the building, National

Investment Company. Allan said at least 1,000 viewers, mostly from

Southern California, have checked out his site since he began blogging

two weeks ago.

The Tropicana super-graphic has prompted the Los Angeles Times to write a scathing editorial

asking Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to do something about the

super-graphics since the “witless” City Council and City Attorney's

office apparently won't.

The

good news for tenants is that the sign will be removed at the end of

the month, according to a letter written to Allan by the law firm

representing the building owners. The bad news?  As this legal war goes

on, and as the City Council continues to dither, similar signs will be

installed on 10801 National Boulevard, according to a letter written by

the attorney for the building owner.

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