Discussion
A little over 2 years ago I got an email from a guy in my industry in the US who had got wind of a new and rather controversial product my company was working on. He was , well nuts. Threatended to make sure the product was never used in the Uk etc. All the signs of a nutter in training. I ignored him.
This week the emails started again, and I told him I intended to ignore him until he stopped ranting. He sent similar emails to colleagues and we agreed to all do the same. One collegaue did agree to talk to him next week to answer his rants but he stormed off in a huff because 'he wasn't being dictated to as to when he would have the conversation'.
Because we wouldn't enter into a debate with him by email he has started threads on a number of web forums, including that of our trade association generally derating me by name, the product by name and the company. Most of it is bizarre and ill informwed. The forum modertors said they would take his post down because it was inflammatory and bordering on libelous but frankly the mods and I think that since it isn't exactly the most used of forums it is best to continue to ignore him, and that responding or taking down his post would just stoke the fire. He has made some pretty bizarre and easily contested claims and the gut reaction says I have an overwhelming urge to correct him by posting/emailing, but the head says stay low and he will either lose interst or do enough for me to complain to the trade association and get him disciplined. Bearing in mind that Uk juristriction is limited, short of getting his web site (where is is posting his views in great detail) cyber-attacked or complaining to the trade body, I really want to seek revcenge without beig drawn into his murky world.
Any ideas?
This week the emails started again, and I told him I intended to ignore him until he stopped ranting. He sent similar emails to colleagues and we agreed to all do the same. One collegaue did agree to talk to him next week to answer his rants but he stormed off in a huff because 'he wasn't being dictated to as to when he would have the conversation'.
Because we wouldn't enter into a debate with him by email he has started threads on a number of web forums, including that of our trade association generally derating me by name, the product by name and the company. Most of it is bizarre and ill informwed. The forum modertors said they would take his post down because it was inflammatory and bordering on libelous but frankly the mods and I think that since it isn't exactly the most used of forums it is best to continue to ignore him, and that responding or taking down his post would just stoke the fire. He has made some pretty bizarre and easily contested claims and the gut reaction says I have an overwhelming urge to correct him by posting/emailing, but the head says stay low and he will either lose interst or do enough for me to complain to the trade association and get him disciplined. Bearing in mind that Uk juristriction is limited, short of getting his web site (where is is posting his views in great detail) cyber-attacked or complaining to the trade body, I really want to seek revcenge without beig drawn into his murky world.
Any ideas?
Sheets Tabuer said:
Erm sue him, if he is right he will win, if he's wrong you will..
He flits betrween the Uk and Us, mostly in the US.I was thinking of putting the poison in with his suppliers, with whom I have good relationships, as without them he will have other things to think about.
Brown and Boris said:
Sheets Tabuer said:
Erm sue him, if he is right he will win, if he's wrong you will..
He flits betrween the Uk and Us, mostly in the US.I was thinking of putting the poison in with his suppliers, with whom I have good relationships, as without them he will have other things to think about.
Do a whois on his website, and direct your complaint straight to his hosting company. Phrase it in the right way - set out exactly why the comments on it are defamatory, how they identify you and what damage this does to your business as a result. Then threaten to sue them if they don't act, making clear that they are considered equally liable. Most hosting companies won't want to be concerned with potential legal action and will simply remove the site concerned as it is the path of least resistance. Job done.
ker, and he was banned.Stuart said:
Do a whois on his website, and direct your complaint straight to his hosting company. Phrase it in the right way - set out exactly why the comments on it are defamatory, how they identify you and what damage this does to your business as a result. Then threaten to sue them if they don't act, making clear that they are considered equally liable. Most hosting companies won't want to be concerned with potential legal action and will simply remove the site concerned as it is the path of least resistance. Job done.
Would that be the same if the site were hosted in the US? Dick_Phallus said:
Stuart said:
Do a whois on his website, and direct your complaint straight to his hosting company. Phrase it in the right way - set out exactly why the comments on it are defamatory, how they identify you and what damage this does to your business as a result. Then threaten to sue them if they don't act, making clear that they are considered equally liable. Most hosting companies won't want to be concerned with potential legal action and will simply remove the site concerned as it is the path of least resistance. Job done.
Would that be the same if the site were hosted in the US? 
Also check to see if the personal details he used to register the domain name are fake or not - if they are fake you could complain to ICANN who may revoke the domain.
Stickers said:
You're not giving much away here.
Is the 'Nutter' contesting intellectual rights over the product or just simply disagreeing with your company on ethical grounds or otherwise?
Without giving to much away and giving the 'moral high ground', he is accusing me/us of racism and trying to bamboozle the customer with bad science. Lets' say it is a religious DVD (it isn't but the passion it has invoked is like that)and he objects with the whole notion that such a DVD should be produced because it goes against his religious principles.Is the 'Nutter' contesting intellectual rights over the product or just simply disagreeing with your company on ethical grounds or otherwise?
I have hard copies of his various posts. Just heard back from the other company he is ranting about and they think we should continue to keep our heads down, document it all and then if he doesn't stop or starts putting stuff in front of our customer base, nail him through our trade body discipline code at first. Without them he can't work in the UK.
Brown and Boris said:
Stickers said:
You're not giving much away here.
Is the 'Nutter' contesting intellectual rights over the product or just simply disagreeing with your company on ethical grounds or otherwise?
Without giving to much away and giving the 'moral high ground', he is accusing me/us of racism and trying to bamboozle the customer with bad science. Lets' say it is a religious DVD (it isn't but the passion it has invoked is like that)and he objects with the whole notion that such a DVD should be produced because it goes against his religious principles.Is the 'Nutter' contesting intellectual rights over the product or just simply disagreeing with your company on ethical grounds or otherwise?
I have hard copies of his various posts. Just heard back from the other company he is ranting about and they think we should continue to keep our heads down, document it all and then if he doesn't stop or starts putting stuff in front of our customer base, nail him through our trade body discipline code at first. Without them he can't work in the UK.
Post his web address, I'm really curious now.
Oh and don't reply to him, no doubt he will use anything you say as a weapon against you later.
Talk to a good lawyer. Seriously, if someone is using your name and making wild and nutter-like comments on public forums (fora?) then you need to stop him. The simplest and easiest way is to talk to a good lawyer and get them to make contact and send a 'cease and desist' notice. A company that I have worked for previously had to do this and it stopped the nutter in their tracks. Not saying its fool-proof (pun?) but its the most effective legal avenue to take at this point.
off_again said:
Talk to a good lawyer. Seriously, if someone is using your name and making wild and nutter-like comments on public forums (fora?) then you need to stop him. The simplest and easiest way is to talk to a good lawyer and get them to make contact and send a 'cease and desist' notice. A company that I have worked for previously had to do this and it stopped the nutter in their tracks. Not saying its fool-proof (pun?) but its the most effective legal avenue to take at this point.
+1, but duplicate all communication to the webmaster or hosting company of anywhere where he's posting defamatory material. They are equally culpable in law and know that they are likely to be the target of any litigation, so tend to act quickly and with less self-righteous passion than the nutter that you're dealing with.Stuart said:
off_again said:
Talk to a good lawyer. Seriously, if someone is using your name and making wild and nutter-like comments on public forums (fora?) then you need to stop him. The simplest and easiest way is to talk to a good lawyer and get them to make contact and send a 'cease and desist' notice. A company that I have worked for previously had to do this and it stopped the nutter in their tracks. Not saying its fool-proof (pun?) but its the most effective legal avenue to take at this point.
+1, but duplicate all communication to the webmaster or hosting company of anywhere where he's posting defamatory material. They are equally culpable in law and know that they are likely to be the target of any litigation, so tend to act quickly and with less self-righteous passion than the nutter that you're dealing with.Brown and Boris said:
Stuart said:
off_again said:
Talk to a good lawyer. Seriously, if someone is using your name and making wild and nutter-like comments on public forums (fora?) then you need to stop him. The simplest and easiest way is to talk to a good lawyer and get them to make contact and send a 'cease and desist' notice. A company that I have worked for previously had to do this and it stopped the nutter in their tracks. Not saying its fool-proof (pun?) but its the most effective legal avenue to take at this point.
+1, but duplicate all communication to the webmaster or hosting company of anywhere where he's posting defamatory material. They are equally culpable in law and know that they are likely to be the target of any litigation, so tend to act quickly and with less self-righteous passion than the nutter that you're dealing with.Gassing Station | The Lounge | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff