News Corp threatens Steve Morgan Friedman with lawsuit if he doesn't take Simpson quotes off the web

[James Love <love@cptech.org>]

Steve Morgan Friedman, who created Westegg.com, which is
a personal web site named after a town in NY. has a page on 
his favorite simpsons quotes.  But, News Corp is now threatening 
to sue him and his ISP if he doesn't take it down, right away.   

   Jamie


http://www.westegg.com/simpsons/


-- 

From: "Matt Haber" <mhaber@newsdigital.com>
To: "S. Morgan Friedman" <morgan@westegg.com>
Subject: Re: Your site
Date: Wed, 15 Dec 1999 15:55:59 -0500

[snip]
   I am writing because, as you can see from my e-mail domain, I work for
Newsdigital, a division of News Corp, owners of the Fox Broadcasting Network
and licensor of The Simpsons name and content.  In fact, in my current
capacity at New Digital, I am the producer of The Simpsons website, and
overseeing the site's re-launch in January of 2000.  To the point: I am
issuing you a warning to remove all references to our copyrighted material
from your website or we will sue you and your internet provider for
infringing on our copyrights.  You are free to use any quotes and references
to your own made up characters--your Norman Wheelers and Daniel
Horwitzes--but not ours.  I thank you for your prompt and thorough response:
Please have all references removed by 4 PM EST today.

Thank You,
Matt Haber


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James Love / Director, Consumer Project on Technology
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