[Foundation-l] Relocation announcement

[Ray Saintonge]

Thomas Dalton wrote:
> On 22/09/2007, Andrew Gray <shimgray at gmail.com> wrote:
>   
>> On 22/09/2007, Thomas Dalton <thomas.dalton at gmail.com> wrote:
>>     
>>>>> In making this decision, we assessed five major cities: Boston, London,
>>>>>           
>>>> If that assessment took more that say 20 seconds we have a problem.
>>>>         
>>> Could you elaborate? Are you saying that it should be, in some way,
>>> obvious that London is a bad choice? In what way is that?
>>>       
>> As discussed interminably on some other list this very week, British
>> defamation law is voracious and enthusiastic. Having WMF operating in
>> a British jurisdiction, or keeping assets there, is pretty much an
>> invitation for someone to sue us in a UK court - a situation where we
>> might win but we would certainly suffer.
>>     
> I thought the main reason British defamation law was "voracious and
> enthusiastic" was because it has a very loose definition of what it's
> jurisdiction is, so I don't see how the main WMF office being in
> Britain would make it any more susceptible to British defamation law.
The difference is not just a matter of the laws; where the assets are is 
important too.  Now, assuming that a British suit could be successful, 
there are few assets to be attached in the UK, and the US courts won't 
recognize a UK defamation decision.

Ec