Hi All,
Just for your information, I placed Chris Hansard on my website [
www.viewonbuddhism.org] under controversial people and groups. And guess what, today I received an aggressive mail from [
www.websheriff.com]. I have never ever read such an open and gross threat to my freedom of speech on the internet. They threaten to take my site down just because there is a link to
this thread.
This is the text of the email from
SL@websheriff.com:
---
Please be advised that Web Sheriff represents Christopher Hansard in relation to the above matter, as his on-line, intellectual property, rights agents.
It has been brought to our said principal’s / client’s attention that your blog (situated at [www.viewonbuddhism.org] and hereinafter referred to as the “Infringing Site”) has published posts headlined ‘A View On Buddhism’ that contains a link to highly defamatory material (hereinafter referred to as the “Infringing Post”). Whilst our client reserves his position as regards the aforementioned material generally, the Infringing Post is both untrue and a gross distortion and, moreover, are not only libellous of Mr. Hansard, but also potentially constitute malicious falsehoods injurious his business interests: as such, the Infringing Site and, equally, all of its directors, officers and administrators are liable to our client in damages.
That having been said, we would invite you to simply remove the Infringing Post immediately, whereupon our client would consider not pursuing his claims further. Should you fail to immediately remove the Infringing Post, however, (a) Web Sheriff shall be obliged to take direct action to have your web-site taken off line and (b) our client’s litigation attorneys, solicitors and advocats shall also be obliged to take all necessary action (via the Courts and on a multi-jurisdictional basis) to seek legal redress for our client in this matter.
In view of the very serious nature of this matter, we must insist that you revert to us by return / overnight, with confirmation of the above request (or otherwise – as applicable). In this regard, we must also insist upon separate confirmation from all other owners, officers and admins of the Infringing Site as, clearly, there would be a conflict-of-interest between you should this matter proceed to litigation / enforcement and damages actions in the Courts. Similarly, should you / your colleagues be unwilling or otherwise unable to comply with our, in the circumstances, very reasonable request, we must ask that each owner, officer and admin of the Infringing Site provide us - by return - with the names and addresses of the (again separate) US attorneys, UK solicitors, French advocats and German advocats whom you respectively intend to instruct in relation to this matter, for the purposes of accepting the service of the proceedings that our client’s appointed litigation attorneys, solicitors and advocats would issue against - inter alia – the Infringing Site and its owners, officers and admins on behalf of our client in such an event. Naturally, however, we trust that such a course of action shall not prove to be necessary and that common-sense (on your part) shall prevail.
Whilst writing, we would strongly advise you against communicating or otherwise 'posting' any correspondence and / or remarks to third parties that could, in any way, be construed as being defamatory of our client or which could otherwise constitute malicious falsehoods injurious to our client’s business interests. We would further advise you that this e-mail / communication is both confidential, without prejudice (save as to Court costs) and the copyright of Web Sheriff and that, accordingly, any publication and / or communication to third parties (other than, of course, your legal representatives) is prohibited and would be actionable: furthermore and for the avoidance of doubt, Web Sheriff cannot be held liable for the consequences of the publication and / or communication of this e-mail to third parties in circumstances where such publication and / or communication originated from you and / or parties acting in unison with you.
As you will appreciate, this e-mail – containing, as it does, a position that is potentially prejudicial to our client’s open / formal position – is written on a without prejudice basis (again save as to costs) and, as such, all of our client’s accumulated, worldwide rights and civil and criminal remedies – including, but not limited to, the right to apply for injunctive relief, damages, costs and interest on a multi-jurisdictional basis, the right to cite further infringements by you, the right to subpoena all historical records relating to the Infringing Site and the Infringing Post and the right to report your activities to the appropriate, regulatory and Federal authorities (all as applicable), together with the right to join and / or institute proceedings against your ISP and your domain maintainer for, inter alia, knowingly hosting the Infringing Site and the Infringing Post respectively - are hereby strictly reserved : please excuse this required formality which, hopefully, we shall soon be able to dispense with.
Once again, we shall look forward to hearing from you by return / overnight and, in all of the circumstances, trust that you shall comply with this request.
Yours Faithfully,
WEB SHERIFF---
I don't know Chris Hansard, but if he resorts to such gross gun-slingers, it only seems to justify his placement on my website as a controversial teacher.
Love & clear light,
Rudy