Monday, July 28, 2008

Dave Walker Cease and Desist: another way

One of Dave Walkers archive posts mentions a letter sent by SSG to Phil Grooms website, asking for some inaccuracies to be taken down.

The letter begins:
Dear Sir;
I write to request that you kindly remove the following from your website which I was most shocked and disappointed to read when perusing it today:


That's the way to ask for things. I still don't quite understand why that approach wasn't taken with Dave's blog. Specific things, and a polite request to have them removed, and a presentation of the true facts of the case. I don't think Dave has ever had one of these letters, which makes it all the more bizarre that he's suddenly asked to take 75 posts down and threatened with libel if he doesn't. Even if there is any merit in the libel charge (which I don't think there is), it can only apply to 1% of the content of the posts, most of them would still be fine to keep in the public domain.

Meanwhile the Cartoon Blog/SPCK/SSG saga has made the Britblog roundup, and inspired ASBO Jesus to a second cartoon. I have also found Muslim, atheist and political websites today which mention the story. Ministry of Truth has updated their post on the legal side of things, if you're interested in the detail.

For the record, as soon as Dave (and anyone else who has recieved one related to SPCK) has their Cease and Desist notice withdrawn, I will probably stop commenting and linking on this case. I'll take soundings, but would also then like to close down the 'We Support Dave Walker' Facebook group a week or so later, to give people the chance to make friends with each other before it goes offline. That will be job done as far as I'm concerned. But in the meantime.....

PS I'm not sure when Phil Groom gets back from holiday, but just in case he has a legal document on his mat and you're interested in salvaging the SPCK/SSG blog , it might be worth a few of us popping over and saving some of the contents....

Update (lunchtime) the SPCK/SSG blog is back open for business, and taking comments again, with the wise counsel that folk stick to facts. Outside of the Cartoon Blog, this has been the best running source for information on SPCK, and is run by a bookselling insider with knowledge of the industry. The site is specifically for news and information about SPCK and related issues.

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