Messages

1741

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: I found a copyright infringement!

« on: January 16, 2012, 06:07:03 PM »

Wow, you are vicious. I might be inclined to distribute this screenshot as an illustration. However, I feel calm right now so I won't.

I'm not done herpa-derping this just yet.

http://img829.imageshack.us/img829/8567/juliestewartlawyercanad.jpg

S.G.

1742

Getty Images Letter Forum / The Roots of ELI's Defense Strategy: Napoleon Hill Foundation vs. MMF

« on: January 16, 2012, 06:00:28 PM »

I wrote a new blog post that details my little drama with MasterMind Forums, another online community I operated from 1999-2007. I have revived that little piece of drama because that is where I first learned how to fight back against bogus accusations by bullying organizations and lawyers. I think some of you might enjoy this little blast from the past of letters I wrote to opposing lawyers 10-12 years ago.

http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/napoleon-hill-foundation-dispute-mastermind-forums/

If you simply want to read the dispute letters, they have been uploaded to Scribd.

http://www.scribd.com/my_document_collections/3439073

1743

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Attorney Bruce Rosen (representing Julie Stewart) Sends Certified Letter to ELI

« on: January 16, 2012, 02:48:24 PM »

Absolutely correct on all counts quoted.

I would be the first to admit we have a slight bias because we are taking a position. Nevertheless, amongst our speculations, we do endeavor to stick to the facts. And with very few exceptions, Oscar and I have never had to take down any information because it was wrong or inaccurate.

It's sort of interesting how ELI is evolving into a mini version of a niche news reporting site. It used to be just "helping" people with their letters by pointing people into the right direction and providing some education. And while that still happens, it seems that that the ELI community has gone "proactive" by seeking out information and developments of interest.  And many ELI Forum contributors bring in interesting nuggets to the overall conversation.

Of course, no one could ever have guessed that ELI would become part of the news it reports and comments on. I guess we have the various opposing lawyers to thank for that as they come one-by-one complaining and making bogus allegations. ELI has to self-report the news because we are too small and nichey for anyone else to care.  LOL.

But even then, most of those incidents were simply small blippy events that came and gone fairly quickly.  But since our favorite F.E.C.A.L (FEmale CAnadian Lawyer) came along, she is an ongoing news story all to herself full of drama that we could not have possibly created by ourselves. And yes, it is quite news-worthy.

And yes, it could be FAR, FAR worse but FECAL just doesn't get it. Your very impressive online combat strategy that you so kindly shared is one such scenario.  Right now, I am sticking to very light "2 for 1 eyeball specials". Every time ELI gets poked in the eye, there will be 2 pokes back.

Last thing, I cannot wait to see the video you come up with.

While we do sometimes have some "fun" here, all that's really being done is the reporting of factual, publicly available information.

However, the entire "copyright trolling" issue is quite controversial to begin with, and lawyer Julie Stewart's involvement with H.A.N., including her reactions to factual reporting are noteworthy.

In the face of weak claims and non-existent legal standing in almost every case, it seems that some wish to suppress the reporting of the issues.
This isn't North Korea.  People can't tell us what we can and can't talk about.  Things could be much worse.
If I got an extortion letter from lawyer Julie Stewart over those deliberately seeded H.A.N. photos, I'd have my PR machine up and running in seven days.
That would include a website called "canadianlawyerjuliestewart.tv" hosted "offshore", with domain privacy in place.
This site would include all publicly available information about lawyer Julie Stewart that can be shown to be factual.
I would also institute pay-per-click ads "Canadian Lawyer Julie Stewart" that direct traffic to my site.
I would place sufficiently high bids so that the pay per-click ads would stay "on top".
Even if I was outbid somehow, my ads would be at least second.
Everything would be "legal" so as to ensure that any legal efforts to suppress information about Canadian lawyer Julie Stewart would be met with a prompt and successful legal response.
Further efforts would be to involve national media if things escalate.  Blogs would link to my site, and the traffic would keep it on top in the search listings.

Again, things could be much worse for those who intend to prevent people from discussing the issues and people involved.

I'm going to make my own "Canadian Lawyer Julie Stewart" video, but "Adagio for Strings" (from Platoon) is copyrighted, and I have to find some other tragic-fail sounding music for my clip about her.

1744

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Attorney Bruce Rosen (representing Julie Stewart) Sends Certified Letter to ELI

« on: January 15, 2012, 01:35:51 AM »

I stupidly thought that Julie might come to her senses and would give up in trying to have us remove content about her. I stayed quiet for a long time hoping she would go away. But she has proven me wrong so I caved in and spent the time to create a Chronology of Events. 

http://www.extortionletterinfo.com/toronto-lawyer-julie-stewart-vs-eli-chronology-of-events/

Even after Bruce Rosen's letter, she had to get petty and file a complaint about our Facebook Page and ding yet another social media account.  That means it won't be long before she starts digging into all the other ELI accounts and filing reports against our accounts.  So, every time she scores a winning hit, I will document her "successes" and "wins" against ELI.  We will keep score, blow by blow, play by play.  Everyone else can enjoy the show.

The good news for Julie is that she will eventually force us to sanitize every reference and entry on her EXCEPT the ELI Home Bases:  The ELI Site & the ELI Forums.

There have been too many things that have happened between ELI and Julie since October and I cannot track all of the dates, people, threats made, actions taken, rebuttals, gossip, and dramatic events (large and small).

As promised, I wrote a Chronology of Events based on my email records, communication trail, ELI Forum posts, and my memory recollection. I started with the easier items and major events and started "filling in holes". There are still holes in the Chronology but I will fill them in as my memory is jogged. Of course, I am happy for the ELI community to scrutinize it in detail to make sure I get all the dates and sequence correct.

I left out much of the commentary and editorializing that I normally do simply to keep it tight and to the point.

Last thing.... Julie hates ELI using her name on the forum so I am kicking around the idea of using an alternative name. An interesting anagram for a FEmale CAnadian Lawyer is F.E.C.A.L?  So if we discuss issues regarding Juile, we can refer to them as "FECAL Matters".

1745

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Masterfile starts it round of 2012 Lawsuits

« on: January 14, 2012, 10:58:12 PM »

I don't think they are crazy. It is a calculated risk which will likely net them a few bucks. If nothing else, it will send a message to everyone that they will file suit on a single image.  Also, most defendants don't have to stomach to see it through. Hence, defendants will either settle or default.

MF appears to be on the crazytown express. I predict this will get settled.

1746

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Masterfile starts it round of 2012 Lawsuits

« on: January 14, 2012, 10:18:39 PM »

Here you go Boys & Girls. Let the dissection begin.

http://www.scribd.com/doc/78285545/Masterfile-vs-Walter-Wethered-Complaint-Exhibits

It is over 1 image but it appears to be against a successful business practice, not a non-profit, startup, or hobbyist. Also, the image in question is part of a collection which mitigates any possible awards.  Masterfile has an extensive history of eventually forcing settlements once the complaint is filed.

On a different note, the name "Masterfile" itself does not convey stock images. It conveys expertise in "filing" presumably filing copyrights and filing lawsuits. I am beginning to think Masterfile did not start out as a stock photo company. In fact, it has been speculated that the majority of Masterfile's revenues does not come from image sales at all. It might be a "front" to the extortion letter / shakedown letter business.

1747

Righthaven Lawsuits Forum / Re: Google sides against Righthaven in appeal of copyright case

« on: January 14, 2012, 10:10:35 PM »

Amicus briefs by EFF can be found in this article.

https://www.eff.org/press/releases/eff-urges-court-reject-baseless-righthaven-appeals

The Google Amicus brief has been uploaded to the ELI Document Library:

http://www.scribd.com/doc/78289584/Google-Amicus-Brief-Regarding-Righthaven-Appeal

1748

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Geoffrey Beal of Masterfile Tries to Suppress Information on ELI

« on: January 14, 2012, 01:22:35 AM »

Tell me about it. We have had more than one lawyer get bent out of shape because of the euphemisms we use and their crying defamation.  Supposedly educated and informed lawyers are getting their feelings hurt with great frequency here. And then they send us a time-sucking nasty-gram.

And I suppose that I should formally state for the record, lest the words in my previous post be misinterpreted, I am speaking only metaphorically.  Any "rounds of ammunition" that I have strictly refer to evidence in my case that I have not yet revealed.  All I need is for some overzealous lawyer to try to deny our freedom of speech as well.

1749

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Geoffrey Beal of Masterfile Tries to Suppress Information on ELI

« on: January 13, 2012, 06:08:05 PM »

Psychological warfare comes in many form.  It is often called "calling someone's bluff" or "playing chicken". There are many, many other tools to use to get your way but you have to have the stomach and will to use them.

Maybe I have been with this issue too long. My patience on several issues has grown shorter with time.  It sometimes gets to the point of where I shoot first and ask questions later.

If I were you, I would go have a relaxing weekend. Masterfile used to get a free ride here on ELI but now they are being scrutinized much more closely. There are lots of eyes watching them.

Only problem now is that with the ball in their court, they still have the upper hand in terms of psychological warfare.  I now have to wait (potentially for the next three years) to see if that next letter will come.  Let's hope that they either drop the claim or do something soon - because the waiting is going to make me ANGRY.
   

1750

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: A letter to my Congressman and my two Senators

« on: January 13, 2012, 06:00:03 PM »

FYI, I was initially blocked myself and did not see the photo of a cat when I was in Columbus, GA. Right now, I am in Atlanta.

Sorry about the block.  You were blocked by referrer. I was blocking everything with "getty" in the referrer.  Normally that's ok, but clearly, it's likely to be a problem for anything coming from ELI since "getty-images-...." contains getty.  I've made the string longer to block "gettyimages" and "gettywan".

I know I'll still block somethings I don't want to block. Right now I'm monitoring 403's daily to tweak what I block.

1751

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: A letter to my Congressman and my two Senators

« on: January 13, 2012, 05:58:36 PM »

There is no bullet-proof way to protect yourself short of staying off-line and not participating.

The protection comes in when other people post things that you don't feel responsible for.  Here on ELI, people can post what they want but if I feel it is a violation for forum policy or simply inappropriate, I will delete it altogether.

It also forces them to properly notify you even if YOU post something questionable vs. what happened here to me where Canada Julie went straight to my hosting provider.

When you become a DMCA Agent, you agree to following a proper procedure such as DMCA complaints and counter-notifications.

I guess I don't understand exactly how filing an DMAC agent would protect me from copyright trolls. It protects me if my commenters blog post, but it doesn't seem to protect me if I post something copyrighted. Am I missing something here?

Also, it only protects if I do take stuff down after a takedown notice.  What if I disagree with the person requesting the take down so I refuse? Then I'm not protected, correct? 

I think it might be cheap if it works-- but if it has huge holes, I'm  not sure it's worth it. Am I misinterpreting something about how it protects?

1752

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: ELI Public Service Videos

« on: January 13, 2012, 03:56:25 PM »

I really like the videos from BoraBoraHeart as good examples of assisting ELI with public service videos..

1753

Getty Images Letter Forum / ELI Public Service Videos

« on: January 13, 2012, 03:44:20 PM »

I have taken the initiative to create a new ELI public service video.



This video is part of the ever-growing collection of ELI Public Service videos.

http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLE021930D1693CF3A&feature=plcp

If you want to assist ELI, you can visit this link to create one of your own public service video.

https://searchstories-intl.appspot.com/en-us/creator/

I will create a list of non-ELI created public service videos later. Feel free to add your own special public service videos here. 

NOTICE: If you do create public service videos, only use sanitized language in the search phrases and the description. Do not use overly colorful, negative, or hateful language. YouTube won't take kindly about that. However, we are not responsible for the search results positive or negative.

1754

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: Attorney Bruce Rosen (representing Julie Stewart) Sends Certified Letter to ELI

« on: January 13, 2012, 03:33:42 PM »

I created a new public service video with some sanitized search phrases about a very "unique" lawyer from Toronto. It is about time people keep up with the ongoing saga of Julie Stewart/Blackline vs. ELI.

1755

Getty Images Letter Forum / Re: So I really Screwed up...

« on: January 13, 2012, 03:26:40 PM »

Cire,

I left you phone messages today at your 2 numbers. Please call me back. I am available most of today.

Do I just sit back and not do anything, i'd be willing to pay Oscar, I even paid $50 to Matthew for a phone consultation today,honestly im on the verge of a mental breakdown and or God forbid, suicide. I can't take this anymore. someone please help