Weaponisation of For-Profit Dockets - Part III: No More Media Lawsuits From Brett Wilson LLP This Year, One Can Only Guess Why
Against anybody
Some of our recent articles seem to have rattled particular groups and, as repeatedly noted in the first part and second part, all they can think of right now is SLAPPing us (sending threats to silence us, issuing ultimatums, demanding censorship etc.) and it's not going to work. The SLAPPers are Microsofters in another continent and the SLAPPing is done in likely breach of rules (under investigation at the moment) on behalf of stranglers from Microsoft on shoestring budget (not enough to actually pursue a lawsuit in full). Such bluff or bluster isn't without consequences. The conniving element will be elaborated upon tomorrow because it is also crucial.
People leak a lot of material to Techrights because they know, based on the track record, that the sources will be protected and whatever gets published will stay online, in full, no matter how stubborn an effort (even lawsuits and blackmail) will be sent its way [1, 2].
Truth must prevail and we have the technical skills and decades of experience to facilitate this (various protocols, no outsourcing of videos to other sites, or any messages offloaded to any social control media, which may not only censor but also go offline, eventually). The site has a firm obligation to its sources and whistleblowers.
It is not a "calling", it's just a simple matter of iron-clad principles. Reputation isn't based on things like overnight stunts but decades of proven dedication and abundant instances of perseverance, even in the face of Europe's second-largest organisation and Novell's CEO. Nothing will change that and, as we've said many times before, we've eliminated/swatted away much more potent challenges than the latest SLAPPs from Microsofters. One former employer had a go at it too, but it's nothing big like Novell (~7000 staff) and the EPO (also around 7000 staff, however decreasing over time).
TL;DR "Streisand Effect", as someone said in IRC earlier today.
A year ago we went to see some lawyers (for the first time) about this matter and based on their estimates - as well as others' - it seems plausible that the Microsofters already spent over $200,000 trying - to no avail and without any success - to silence and censor us. One of them estimates he'll have to spend over $330,000 trying some more, in vain. But this isn't about the depths of one's pocket (surely Microsoft understands this by now); evil won't win, is simply cannot.
This money from Microsoft is more than the notorious 'SLAPP company' has in the bank, based on its own filings (see above; this is public). Last year more than 20% of the media lawsuits (their primary specialty and their cash cow) that it filed were against me and against my wife. Yes, that's right, over 20%. This year they filed none, against anyone, perhaps knowing their licence to operate is now at risk because they went too far and engaged in patently abusive litigation (according to respectable law firms which studied the SLAPPs). There's a massive difference between engaging in corporate extortion and exercising law. Many lines were crossed in a desperate effort or a campaign to silence us.
Remember: being a lawyer does not mean you get to do anything you want.
We shall pursue compensation for the horrible things these people did. Unscrupulous, impulsive behaviour isn't without consequences; it may take some time to turn out that way, but eventually truth finds its way and people get what they deserve. █