Original URL: https://www.theregister.com/2000/03/01/clarification_libel_case_author_not/

Clarification : libel case author not libel case author

Member of cast in Godfrey v. Demon Internet speaks

By Michael Dolenga

Posted in On-Prem, 1st March 2000 09:14 GMT

I just came across a story of yours dated almost 1 year ago, regarding Laurence Godfrey v. Demon Internet(story: Demon libel loss could cripple free speech). In it, you state the following: In March this year, a UK court awarded Godfrey £15,000 in libel damages from Canadian student Michael Dolenga, the real author of the Thai Usenet messages, who posted the piece while he was studying at Cornell University. "I'm not recognizing the British court's jurisdiction and the hell with it", Dolenga said at the time, according to Need to Know, the impeccable source on all things Web and cultural. While the quote attributed to me is essentially correct (it was given to a reporter from a newspaper in Toronto, Canada), I am NOT the real author of the Thai Usenet messages. My case with Godfrey dealt solely with postings on soc.culture.canada from 1994 only. While I have come to expect a good deal of confusion between his many cases, I find this particular instance troubling. Notwithstanding the fact that much time has expired, I ask that you print a correction. Michael Dolenga