From Strangling Women to SLAPPing Journalists (Microsoft in a Nutshell)
Someone asked me this morning what happened*, primarily because there are things that cannot be publicly said yet (strategic reasons). Asking whether Mr. Graveley did take any action, however, is mostly fair and relevant. Yes, he begged and threatened - even via "guns for hire". He wrote to me in the past begging because, according to him, what he did hurt his reputation. It ruined his personal and professional life. Why blame the reporter? Stop strangling women. Stop doing unethical and illegal things professionally. Be a better person. The issue is the behaviour; the issue isn't people finding out about this behaviour and then friends distancing themselves.
He later joined hands with the person we had sued [1, 2], choosing a notorious and debt-saddled law firm that would say "no" to nobody because its reputation was already bad anyway and it was desperate for money. That's what a local Mancunian firm told us and was later confirmed to us by others. They thought it would be "funny" for a "reduced fee" and ended up with a bloody circus. They try to do what they call "reputation management" (laundering) and in the process only worsen the reputation because the Streisand Effect is real.
So now there is a chaining of strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) by Microsofters from the US, who are in effect litigation tourists looking to silence reporters in another continent. This cannot possibly end well for them (aside from the unwanted publicity). As per SRA: "Strategic lawsuits against public participation (SLAPPs) are a misuse of the legal system, through bringing or threatening claims that are unmeritorious or characterised by abusive tactics, in order to stifle lawful scrutiny and publication, including on matters of corruption or wrongdoing."
As per the British government: "Typically used by the super-rich, SLAPPs stifle legitimate reporting and debate. They are at their most pernicious before cases ever reach a courtroom, with seemingly endless legal letters that threaten our journalists, academics, and campaigners with sky-high costs and damages."
Some time in the future we'll wrap it all up. Of course truth will prevail. We won't ever capitulate to Microsofters who strangle women. We never took articles down, no matter the "cost" of keeping them up. That's not going to change. Principled people always stick to the truth. █
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* We regularly speak to Free Speech NGOs, press freedom NGOs, cops, and media regulators. They're all on our side. They can see very clearly what's going on. Maybe this can result in laws being reformed, i.e. collective benefit.