Potentially illegal uses of this forum, Please let us know of any Options

[blissyu2]

I know we've said this before more than a few times, and we do get messages from time to time advising us of anything potentially illegal on here, but we just got a serious legal threat from Jimbo Wales himself, threatening to sue us. And that means suing me, since I bought the domain name. That's my role here, basically, to make sure that everything here is legit and legal, so I hope that people can respect that.

The relevant post is this one: http://wikipediareview.com/index.php?showtopic=1533

I have just written a response to it, in an e-mail to Jimbo Wales, and I cc'ed a few relevant people too. Put simply, I don't think that Wikipedia CAN sue Wikipedia Review. On what grounds? For daring to criticise the forum? And I am hoping that through this Wikipedia Review is able to exist without harassment from Wikipedia, so that people can come here without fearing being banned from Wikipedia for being critics, and so that people can go to Wikipedia and talk about this forum without fear of being censored or banned for doing so. However, if they are stupid enough to sue us, I want us to go full force, and bring up every single illegal action that Wikipedia has taken part of. I don't want them to feel that they can get away with this kind of terrorism. Counter-suing is relatively cheap and easy, and it would be legally much easier for us to counter-sue them than to initiate the action. We'd also be open to let anyone else jump in on the counter-suing. Its up to Wikipedia of course whether they want to go through with this.

But we need to be prepared. So please, look through, and see anything that you think is even a hint that it might be illegal. We will then wipe it or else edit the post.

[blissyu2]

It doesn't matter which national laws apply. We haven't broken any laws, anywhere. So its irrelevant. I don't want to be using legal loopholes, by saying "Well, legally, we are in the republic of Senegal" over this. We could do that, but then we'd be effectively saying that we are doing the wrong thing. I want it out in the open. If we've done something illegal, we should be sued.

Note, by the way, that my posts didn't appear on the Wikien mailing list. Nor has anyone replied to them.

It's worth remembering that under Florida law, a timely correction of erronious information is a defense against libel. A person must first advise a potentially offending publication of erroneous information.

I think you will find that basically everywhere, that is true. And indeed you get more than that too.

In other words, if they don't tell us its illegal, then we aren't breaking the law.

Good thing we allow legal threats, huh.

[Donny]

It doesn't matter which national laws apply. We haven't broken any laws, anywhere.

That's rather a sweeping statement, isn't it? Considering the number of countries and different laws, I would have thought it was quite possible that in some countries this forum would be breaking the law in some unknown way.

So its irrelevant. I don't want to be using legal loopholes, by saying "Well, legally, we are in the republic of Senegal" over this. We could do that, but then we'd be effectively saying that we are doing the wrong thing. I want it out in the open. If we've done something illegal, we should be sued.

I think being sued involves the laws of one country or another. This forum is hosted in the USA isn't it?

Note, by the way, that my posts didn't appear on the Wikien mailing list. Nor has anyone replied to them.

Are you convinced that the legal threat was a real one?