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Re: Big money in the electrostatics biz



Just to note that I for one would contribute to a Beatty defense fund.
Mr. Thorp's attempts to intimidate an opinion by veiled threats of
lawsuits are unacceptable and unconsionable.
James Mackey

John Clement wrote:

I will not be entertaining William's outrageous behaviour any longer, if
all of the offensive material is not removed from public access by the 8th
August 2002 USA time I will commence proceedings against William Beaty.

Bill Thorp


Unfortunately removing just Beaty's posts would not remove the replies to
his posts or the recent post by Bill Thorp. As a result the information
would still remain available. In either case, the tone of the recent post
probably would make people think twice about the product. Even if the posts
are removed the evidence of a cover up would remain, and that might be more
damning than the original debate. Meanwhile I suspect that Mr. Thorpe has
alienated a large number of highly educated people.

Since the web site is in Australia and this list is in the US, such a suit
is unlikely to be successful. The courts in the US give much greater leeway
to speech than is given in other countries, and very wide latitude is given
to the media. It is very difficult to win a suit against someone who
criticizes commercial speech or for a public figure to win a suit. Many
products are criticized in print and on the air in the US as being cheap
rubbish, and nobody pays any attention. They still sell. In either case it
could be argued that the posts on this list have actually given greater
visibility to the product.

Now it might be possible to get a judgment in Australia, but it is not
enforceable unless Beaty wishes to travel to there. I doubt that the cost
and effort of mounting a suit is worth the small possibility of success.

This is just my observations, and I suspect there might be some physicists
who have had training in the law who could comment on this. I even know a
physicist who got a PhD from Duke and then got a law degree. Then again
maybe the issue should now just be ignored.

John M. Clement
Houston, TX