We are being sued by HCI! Need to get the word out!

E

El Jefe

New member
Pro gunners, Pro RKBA'ers If ever there was a time that you were needed it is NOW!
Last year on December 11th 1999 I launced the Anti-HCI site at www.handguncontrol.net
This site has been dedicated to dispelling the Anti gun rhetoric that too often is
touted as truth We at the Anti HCI site have used the site ONLY for the edification
of the General public to promote responsible, legal, safe firearms ownership. We have
spent only our own personal time and money to keep the site running as well as other
pro gun sites that most of you know well. We are in dire straits and need the assistance
of every pro gunner. HCI is suing us!! They want the domain name Handguncontrol.net because
we have become a thorn in their side. We have made an impact by replacing their fiction with
facts and they are turning their attentions to us. They do not want people to know the truth
and now seek to shut us down. We have very limited resources and an organization the size of HCI
will overwhelm us eventually. We will fight the good fight for our rights but we need your help.
We are seeking the support of the NRA, GOA, JFPO etc. to assist us. If any of you has an "IN"
with any of these organizations I urge you to point them in our direction or provide us with a
contact that can assist in this matter. We need a good Lawyer and help from big brother
( NRA, GOA, JFPO etc)would be of immense help! Get the Word out, that HCI is trying to
railroad us into giving up the domain. Why is HCI so worried about us?? Because the truth
is out and people are listening, questioning HCI et al's emotional rhetoric and countering
it with the facts and references provided at the Anti-HCI site. I urge you to contact the NRA, GOA
and urge them to assist us in saving the ANTI-HCI site.

NRA-1-800-392-8683 (ask for the office of the general counsel)
GOA-703-321-8585
JFPO-262-673-9745

I can be reached at my webmasters account Webmaster@handguncontrol.net and will promptly respond
to any mail I receive. Thank you in advance for your support. El Jefe Webmaster Handguncontrol.net

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...“ They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” --Benjamin Franklin, Historical Review of Pennsylvania, 1759.

Whereas, to preserve liberty, it is essential that the whole body of the people always possess arms, and be taught alike, especially when young, how to use them; nor does it follow from this, that all promiscuously must go into actual service on every occasion. The mind that aims at a select militia, must be influenced by a truly anti-republican principle; and when we see many men disposed to practice upon it, whenever they can prevail, no wonder true republicans are for carefully guarding against it.
---Richard Henry Lee, The Pennsylvania Gazette, Feb. 20, 1788

Take care and God Bless, El Jefe

The ANTI-HCI Site!
 
What a bunch of crap! On what grounds can they possibly being suing you?

Will you be set up to take private donations, or is this going to be bigger than that?
 
Heard a bit about this threat just last evening.

Can you post the complaint in this thread? I'd be very interested, and so would many others.

Regards from AZ
 
The Certified letter went to the Host of my site, he will scan it for me and I will post it...... It has to do with the domain name....They want it even though we bought it legitimately years ago.
Jeff where did you hear about this?

[This message has been edited by El Jefe (edited October 20, 2000).]
 
Suing you for telling the truth? Come on..what grounds?

You are providing facts and this is protected under free speech isnt it?

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Try to take away my gun...and you will see my 2nd Amendment Right in ACTION!!! -Me

The laws that forbid the carrying of arms are laws of such a nature. They disarm only those who are neither inclined nor determined to commit crime. Such laws make things worse for the assaulted and better for the assailants; they serve rather to encourage than prevent homicides, for an unarmed man may be attacked with greater confidence than an armed man." Thomas Jefferson
 
It's not really a free speech issue - HCI could sue just to take possession of the domain name. This comes about because of some idiotic court descision that said (basicaly) that an organization has a claim to domain names that would be logically associated with it. Thus, HCI has a "right" to any and all variations of handguncontrol.com, handguncontrol.net, hci.com, etc...

It's complete bull____, but there are people who have been sucessfully sued for this. I'm not optimistic about our chances.

Later,
Chris

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"TV what do I see, tell me who to believe, what's the use of autonomy when a button does it all??" - Incubus, Idiot Box
 
Chris laid out the understanding I received last evening ... a local gathering we call 'TUG', meaning 'the unorganized or umbrella group' - a get-together of about 75 people representing all the RKBA groups in our area. Very helpful discussion, shoe-leather activism, etc.

I'd be very interested in reading the court case that established this precedent. And, considering this recent news, I would say that such a case would certainly be RKBA-related, and not OT.

Regards from AZ
 
As Chris II stated about previous court decisions.
I believe that the actress Julia Roberts won a W.I.P.O. [World Intellectual Property Organisation] decision after some guy registered the domain name, JuliaRoberts.com and then tried to sell it on E-Bay

But heck isn't handgun control about using both hands, not Brady's lies and half truths :D
 
Hey all,

I'm in the dot com business and have run across instances similar to this. In all of the cases I have heard of, the holder of the domain name only has to relinquish it if the person or party is shown to have obtained it soley to "squat" on it for profit, or if the holder is trying to gouge the "logical" namesake...e.g. the case of the guy that wanted to sell MJ www.michaeljordan.com for a million bucks.

I would think that your (OUR) case should hold water just fine as you are using it for a legitimate informational site.

Hang Tough and Good Luck!

SpazzTrap

PS...I'll talk to our corporate lawyer tomorrow and see what she says...she's been around the silicon valley for years and probably has tons more info than I do. Will post any info gained...
 
If you haven't already, I'd recommend submitting a story to Slashdot on the subject. Your site should be protected as free speech and parody. The /. community tends to rally around people they percieve as defending free speech against big corporate/political interests. A few people will try to get into an argument over guns/politics but I suspect they won't be moderated up. If you have an active member who is also active on slashdot that might help in getting the story accepted.

(For those who don't know, /. is a site which a lot of self-important computer folks post to. It's tag-line is 'news for nerds.' Anyway, they have a whole lot of regular visitors including some who have been through the process of fighting over parody sites before.)

The ACLU will probably also help you if you convince them it's an important case _and_ you can suppress whatever your personal dislike of them is.

Yes, courts have ruled against parody sites lately but IMHO they're very wrong. This b*llsh*t of extending trademark, patent, and copyright protections farther and farther in an era when information _is_ going to be free (whether or not it wants to be ;)) is rediculous.

Of course, you realize that fighting to protect your site also means fighting to protect Bush parody sites and anti-corporation parody sites.

[This message has been edited by folkbabe (edited October 20, 2000).]
 
Thank you Folkbabe in your support of this and unbiased perspective. I'm happy to see that you are still here. :)

Edited for invintation.....

Folkbabe if you would not be uncomfortable doing so please Email me. I would like to invite you to another forum that I feel, considering your refreshing willingness to participate and open minded perspectives, could be mutually beneficial. I do not think you will be disappointed.

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Gunslinger

I was promised a Shortycicle and I want a Shortycicle!

[This message has been edited by Gunslinger (edited October 20, 2000).]
 
El Jefe,

We at KeepAndBearArms.com are willing to assume ownership and all legal liability of HandgunControl.net, provide significant upgrades to the site including significant additional programming such as archiving, forums, chatrooms, extensive expertise and a great deal of passion, all dedicated to not only keeping the domain on the side of gun owners, but also in using it as the tool you have envisioned from its inception.

We believe this case is winnable, and we believe it could be the biggest boon for freedom that has ever fallen into our collective lap -- because the press that can come out of a large legal battle could bring TONS of anti-self-defense people to the .net site, providing them with factual information where the .org site is so lacking in the area of REALITY.

If HCI thinks they can take that domain name, we believe they will find out they are wrong no matter how many millionaire socialists they have on their side: Here are the reasons why:

There is no "squatting" going on where the name is being held up on the auction block.

The site is in direct opposition to lies, half-truths and deceptions aplenty being foisted by the .com owner, and thus this site is in use as political opposition.

No profit is being generated as a result of the .com holder's "good" name.

The .net site is not infringing on .org's turf any more than any other political opposition site infringes upon its target's turf. Gore and Bush would be suing several domain owners right about now, as would many corporations.

With the proper professional programming, we could create a nicer site than HandgunControl.org!! Heh heh

So, El Jefe, there you have it. You want a partner, that's about as partner as it gets.
Handgun Control, Inc NEEDS to be exposed for who they really are: liars, distorters, anti-civil-rights and anti-self-defense socialists. They want to help women get raped and murdered by denying them the means of self-defense, so they are evil, anyway. Let's whip them in court and put their site to shame with a site filled with facts, not misguided and dangerous fantasy.

Quite honestly, HCI is setting itself up for a counter suit by lying about the HandgunControl.net site at the bottom of their home page. Winning this case could be great for America.

Respectfully,


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Angel Shamaya
Director
http://www.KeepAndBearArms.com
 
Whatever allies you choose, El Jefe, fight this one as a free spech issue. Madonna and Julia Roberts won their suits because people were trying to exploit their fame for profit. That is NOT the case here; your site is not commercial but political. HCI is suing to suppress public dialogue on the issues. They are trying to limit the public's access to balanced discussion. They are using the First Amendment as toilet paper. Hell, with that line of argument you might get free legal services from the ACLU.

Give 'em hell!
 
As both are “political, philosophical and not for profit” I would also argue “Equal time” as well with regard to making differing opinions and facts available about the same subject. Hand Gun control is an appropriate name as anyone researching the topic “pro or con” is entitled to equal access and no one side can legitimately shut the other out. Your name is topic related!

On the up side this is evidence of a job well done on your part as HCI would not waste resources unless you were having an effect. Hats of to you and your group. Let me know of any way I can be of assistance.




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“This is my rifle, there many like it but this one is mine …”
 
Angel!

welcome to thefiringline!
I think moving the domain to KABA might give some protection to individual targets...

dZ
 
<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by folkbabe:
The ACLU will probably also help you if you convince them it's an important case _and_ you can suppress whatever your personal dislike of them is.[/quote]

I would be very surprised if the ACLU can drag itself away from whatever loony issues they're supporting this year to actually come out on the RKBA side of things, even if it's only a 'free speach' issue.
 
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