And yet more fallout - WikiEN-l

19 Dec 2005

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 &lt;emdavis(a)texas.net&gt;
Reply-To: 	Help desk for questions about Wikimedia projects 
&lt;helpdesk-l(a)Wikimedia.org&gt;
To: 	helpdesk-l(a)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

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