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Sonae factory threaten local website

Kirkby Times | 12.04.2005 18:55 | Culture | Ecology | Social Struggles | Liverpool

Sonae factory threaten local website with solicitors threats and accuse website of damaging reputation of Sonae.



First off - Sonae is a factory in Kirkby Merseysdie. A factory 99% of locals oppose. Sonae have been prosecuted on several occasions since coming to Kirkby in the year 2000.

The website received a complaint as follows....

Dear Sir (Cust: xxxxxxx)

Our Ref: kirkbytimes.co.uk

We are in receipt of a complaint by Hammonds Solicitor's, who are representing their client, Sonae (UK) Limited. They have stated that the above mentioned website contains defamatory statements against, Sonae (UK) Limited. They have advised your website is having a damaging effect on its reputation.

Furthermore they are considering commencing legal actions, against yourself and/ or us as we are the hosting registrar, due the seriousness of this complaint.

To this extent we have renamed your index.html file to stop any additional traffic visiting your site. Kindly remove the offending content within 10 working days, or we shall have no option but to either suspend your account indefinately or terminate this account accordingly.

We thank you for your co-operation and hope we can resolve this issue shortly.

If you have any further questions do not hesitate to contact us.

Kind regards

xxxxxxxxx

Legal Department

1&1 Internet Ltd.

As of now - we need to move the Sonae material away from interfering UK lawyers.

After more correspondence with 1&1's legal department, it transpired that Sonae are refusing to forward the original complaint, but have 'allowed' 1&1 to supply with me the 'support articles' (our own copyrighted material) which has been duly marked on various sections of photocopied pages of the website. Some of the points of contention are arguable as to whether the wording harms Sonaes reputation. I question whether it is contentious in the eyes of the law here in the UK.

Sonae have raised issue on 3 or 4 articles, but they will keep up the pressure as the points they used could be added to by many other points of contention in any one of 118 articles. All they need do is threaten 1&1 with a legal complaint. That's why we will move the Sonae material and ask other websites to carry articles to make sure that Sonae fail to stop our freedom of speech being stolen from us. If we cannot speak out against a simple factory, then there is something wrong with this Country. To be accused of a 'crime' then to find that the accusers are not prepared to explain what the crime might be is grossly unfair and it does not 'feel' like British Justice.

Link on local news page Kirkby Times.

We can pay for hosting so all we need is some bright spark to pass on a website hosting company which will not cave into Sonae.

In short, we need some freedom of speech and cannot find it in this Country despite my/your relatives spilling blood.

Anyway - any ideas for a host - get in touch asap - thanks

Your friendly local working class website

Kirkby Times

www.kirkbytimes.co.uk

Email from website.

Kirkby Times
- Homepage: http://www.kirkbytimes.co.uk

Comments

Display the following 2 comments

  1. Keep up the good fight — Mike
  2. Cheers — Kirkby Times