Comment A reply to 'NetBenefit's Reply' (Score 1) 215
This statement from Alison Sparshatt, managing director of NetBenefit, states that NetBenefit has received advice from its lawyers that our website contained 'potentially defamatory' material when it was checked last week. She claims that it was for this reason - not the threatening letter from Mishcon de Reya - that the site was suspended.
NetBenefit will not tell us which article they consider to be 'potentially defamatory' so we cannot respond in detail. However, we can say that Outcast has never published libellous material in the past, either in print or on our website, and that none of the articles on the website have ever been complained about or been the subject of legal action.
Until today, NetBenefit has been careful not to accuse us of having published 'potentially defamatory' material - for the last week, their lawyers have only expressed a fear that we 'might do so in the future'. Their change in position appears to be a reaction to the huge public outcry, media coverage and pressure from industry leaders and politicians. Their former position has been made untenable.
We find it regrettable that, rather than admitting it was wrong to suspend the site, NetBenefit has introduced a new set of allegations to confuse the issue. This tactic makes it especially difficult for Outcast to campaign for a change in the law to protect ISPs from similar legal problems in the future - a campaign NetBenefit says it supports.
Our website has now been reinstated at: http://64.33.37.176
You can see for yourself that, although some of the articles are hard-hitting and controversial, Outcast's coverage is always fair and accurate and we try to give balanced reports.
Best wishes,
Chris Morris
and everyone at Outcast
NetBenefit will not tell us which article they consider to be 'potentially defamatory' so we cannot respond in detail. However, we can say that Outcast has never published libellous material in the past, either in print or on our website, and that none of the articles on the website have ever been complained about or been the subject of legal action.
Until today, NetBenefit has been careful not to accuse us of having published 'potentially defamatory' material - for the last week, their lawyers have only expressed a fear that we 'might do so in the future'. Their change in position appears to be a reaction to the huge public outcry, media coverage and pressure from industry leaders and politicians. Their former position has been made untenable.
We find it regrettable that, rather than admitting it was wrong to suspend the site, NetBenefit has introduced a new set of allegations to confuse the issue. This tactic makes it especially difficult for Outcast to campaign for a change in the law to protect ISPs from similar legal problems in the future - a campaign NetBenefit says it supports.
Our website has now been reinstated at: http://64.33.37.176
You can see for yourself that, although some of the articles are hard-hitting and controversial, Outcast's coverage is always fair and accurate and we try to give balanced reports.
Best wishes,
Chris Morris
and everyone at Outcast
