Flutterby™! : Harlan Ellison is a Stooopid

Harlan Ellison is a Stooopid

2002-04-21 16:18:44+00 by TC 5 comments

I consider myself somewhat of an Ellison fan. While I have never read any of his books. he's written some of the best Star Trek & Twighlight Zone episodes to ever air. I think he saved the Babylon 5 series but when you find crap like this it's shock to the brain.

Among the terms of the settlement, Critical Path will develop software that allows Ellison immediately to delete unauthorized postings of his works of which he becomes aware.

Holy Crap! I'm in the twiglight zone. Stupid precedence is very very very bad thing. Now any ambulance(errr red herring) chasing liar(errr lawyer) can point to this settlement and say seee censorship is a good thing. I'm not saying people should be able to post copyright material on the net but giving people big red delete buttons is worse.

comments in ascending chronological order (reverse):

#Comment made: 2002-04-21 18:04:10+00 by: Pete

I thought settlements didn't establish legal precedents. Is this incorrect?

#Comment made: 2002-04-21 20:15:16+00 by: Dan Lyke

I don't know if they establish legal precedent, but settlements are definitely used when lawyers are playing chicken, in the "look at the budget these guys had, and they chose to settle. Are you sure you know more than them?" sense. Especially since law is about who the better bullshitter is, it's not about who's right or wrong, or who will win the lawsuit, it's about economic decisions and whether funding the lawyers will payoff.

#Comment made: 2002-04-21 22:22:09+00 by: TC

Yeah, I was careful not say legal precedent but perhaps could have worded it more clearly. As Dan pointed out these are used to force similar settlements and you get this dog pile effect on something pretty ....well pretty stupid. I met the CEO of critical path at the Churchill Club and thought he was pretty sharp. I am lossing faith in my people judging skills.

#Comment made: 2002-04-22 14:26:33+00 by: alChandler

I followed this on Slashdot. Apparently, all Critical Path did was give him his own cancelbot. Ellison has somebody detailed to use the thing every time somebody warns him that his work turned up in a newsgroup. Ellison could hve saved a lot of money by getting a friend to give him one for a six pack.

#Comment made: 2002-04-22 19:48:01+00 by: starbreeze

*laugh* when i first read that, i thought you meant larry ellison and i was confused! :P