Freedom of Speech on the Web. And in the Emirates Stadium.

[rhythmaning]

matgb has posted about Tim Ireland's web host taking down his site, and other sites he hosts (apparently including Boris Johnson's - ha!). OK, I don't read Tim Ireland's blog. (Perhaps I should, but.) I have, however, followed the link to Chicken Yoghurt's post about it, and from there I went to Freedom and Whisky (because this is my favourite Scottish libertarian blog. Actually, the only one I have come across, but), and of course from there I went to Iain Dale's Diary (no, I'd never been there before. So I'm learning, too).

Anyhow, if you can't be bothered to follow the trail, it appears that Tim Ireland's blog has been taken down by its hosting service because he was somewhat critical of Alisher Usmanov, the billionaire who is currently trying to buy Arsenal. (The Arsenal defence seems to be quite successfully keeping him out. For now.)

Usmanov wasn't pleased, and got his lawyers to get the hosting company to close down Ireland's blog, and all the sites he was hosting. The thing is, this just seems wrong. I'm not a lawyer, and I haven't read the original post, but it seems like unpleasant bullying tactics.

So I thought I'd help spread the word.

Comments

[filmstalker (from livejournal.com)]

Wow, that's timely. I've been hit by solicitors of a large Scottish based organisation who were trying to close down my site over a review I had.

It wasn't the review but the comments others had left, and the post was so popular it landed itself in the middle of the first page of Google above their own sites.

So they came down hard with the head of the company phoning my house, the MD writing to me, and several solicitors letters.

The next step was the courts and I was advised to remove the post or become a test case in the UK courts!

I've just written it up on the site, you might be interested in it, and if you ask me offline I'll be happy to tell you who it's about.

[itchyfidget.livejournal.com]

Meep.

*disbelief*

Meep again.