Goes to the foundation of course, but not to panic - every shyster in existence is going to see $$$ opportunities, and make all kinds of overreaching accusations, as the lawyers on this list have reminded us before. It's pretty hilarious to think that a mistaken birthdate is libel!
Just watch, at some point some dimwit is going to try to insert the false info themselves as a sort of blackmail. One more reason to revert all unsourced edits!
Stan
Michelle wrote:
We're getting more and more of these emails every day to the helpdesk -- everyone and their brother is screaming libel and demanding we delete everything remotely related to them, their brother and their pet pig once removed. Fun. Think it'll die down after a while or are we in for constant legal threats from now on?
Jareth (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User_talk:Jareth)
-------- Original Message -------- Subject: [HelpDesk-l] Libelous communications Date: Thu, 15 Dec 2005 09:10:42 -0600 From: skip davis emdavis@texas.net Reply-To: Help desk for questions about Wikimedia projects helpdesk-l@Wikimedia.org To: helpdesk-l@wikimedia.org
Greetings!
I am an attorney and I represent a young lady, an actress whose name is Maria Ford. I took a look at your website after Ms. Ford retained my firm to investigate and determine whether your operation (Wikimedia and Wikipedia) publicizes false and misleading, and/ or otherwise incorrect information regarding Ms. Ford. From our investigation, I have concluded that your website does indeed publish materially false information regarding Ms. Ford.
Specifically: You publish an incorrect birthdate for Ms. Ford You publish other incorrect biographical information regarding Ms. Ford.
Now that you know by my admonition to you above, that this information you publish is *patently false,* I hope that you will follow what I recommend as the simple resolution of this Libel situation: that you remove all reference to Ms. Ford from your website.
If you persist and continue to patently publish false and misleading information that continues to be injurious to my client, then Ms. Ford will be forced to seek measures to enforce her rights against your libel, including any and all remedies available under both State and Federal laws. I attached an article from CNN.com that I am certain your legal department is aware. http://www.cnn.com/2005/US/12/11/wikipedia.ap/index.html
It is the holiday season, so I urge you to act in the spirit and do the right thing immediately. If however upon the New Year 2006 no action has been taken on your part, then we will be having a much different conversation immediately thereafter.
If you have any questions at all, please feel free to contact me.
Major Edmund M. "Skip" Davis Attorney at Law PO Box 201123 Austin, TX 78720 Phone and Fax: 512.331.2828
HelpDesk-l mailing list HelpDesk-l@Wikimedia.org To unsubscribe from this list, visit: http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/helpdesk-l
WikiEN-l mailing list WikiEN-l@Wikipedia.org To unsubscribe from this mailing list, visit: http://mail.wikipedia.org/mailman/listinfo/wikien-l