Thanks to James for
this link.
An unnamed third party is sueing over site content.
Segfault.org displays the
notification: “This site is closed”. Segfault Editor, Scott James Remnant vows: ” I
promise I will fight this one through to the end.”
Userfriendly.org
contains only a short message written by the site’s legal counsel
and stating “User Friendly the Comic Strip has been discontinued
indefinitely in accordance with an injunction secured against the
site.”
A support
site has been launched to report news and developments of the
controversy and organize community support for the popular Web
sites.
According to this site, User Friendly “is an on-line comic strip
based on “Columbia Internet, the friendliest, hardest-working and
most neurotic little Internet Service Provider in the world.” It
has enjoyed increasing success, reaping in 3 million hits a month,
print syndication in two Canadian newspapers, and critical acclaim
from many computer-oriented publications. Recently, a computer
company (the name can not be released for legal reasons) has
started litigation against the author, Illiad, for a parody of that
company’s product in one of his cartoons.”
“We the UFies of the world are showing our support of the
cartoon Userfriendly in its time of need. This litigation could be
a blow for free speech on the internet everywhere. There has
already been legal precedent set on rulings for print publications
that a company or person that throws itself in the public arena is
fair game to parody and criticism. We hope that this decision will
not be reversed when tested in a new form of public media.”
Visit Segfault.
Visit User
Friendly.
Visit Support User
Friendly.