Free Speech On Internet Under Threat

[Guest guest]

Hi, Eric Pepin from the Higher Balance Institute (HBI), which markets a dietary supplement, "Magneurol6-S," (supposedly it makes you a telepath among other things) has sued an alternative news page for $ 4.5 million. The crime? The news site, republished and discussed in its forum several news already available in the web, where Eric Pepin's credibility is questioned, that is, he was in court for the sexual abuse of one of his "students" at the HBI.http://www.prnewschannel.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=387 & z=4 -------Free Speech On Internet Under ThreatInternational lawsuit filed in Oregon threatens Internet forums and bloggers.SOTT.net - March 11, 2008(PRNewsChannel) / Toulouse, France - First Amendment rights and free speech on the Internet are under threat as Internet news web site Signs of the Times

(SOTT.net) today announced that its founder, Laura Knight-Jadczyk, a

resident of France, is being sued in an Oregon court by 'Higher Balance

Institute' (HBI), owned by Eric Pepin and based in Oregon. HBI markets metaphysical products and

claims to sell "the world's most advanced sixth sense meditation"

program and a dietary supplement, "Magneurol6-S,"

that is guaranteed to make the consumer an "instant telepath." Pepin

claims that users of his "psychic pill" find that "extended wireless

phone use can cause discomfort." Consequently, they suggest "limiting

the use of cell phones."

SOTT.net

is an international, user driven alternative news site with volunteer

editorial staffing around the globe. Quantum Future Group, Inc.(QFG), a

California non-profit created by mathematician-physicist, Arkadiusz

Jadczyk and Laura Knight-Jadczyk to fund independent researchers

engaged in collecting social and historical data for mathematical

systems analysis, is also named in the suit as defendant despite the

fact that QFG does not own SOTT.net, nor does it have any controlling

interest in the site.

HBI alleges in the suit filed by

Bullivant Houser Bailey, PC, Portland, that the operators of SOTT.net

"published false and defamatory statements" regarding HBI and Eric

Pepin on the SOTT Web site forum. Pepin is seeking approximately $4.5

million in damages.

The suit stems from information posted on the SOTT.net forums [1]

where globally based forum participants uncovered and reposted

public-domain information and newspaper records showing that Pepin had

recently faced numerous sexual abuse charges in an Oregon court

involving a child and former employee of HBI. A grand jury found enough

evidence to indict Pepin who admitted in court to having sexual

relations with his employees. According to The Oregonian

newspaper[2] Judge Steven L. Price, who presided over the case, stated

that it was "probable that the conduct alleged in all counts occurred,"

but that the absence of a date stamp on a video proving that the events

occurred while the complainant was still a minor meant that the

allegations could not be proven 'beyond a reasonable doubt'. Judge

Price was therefore obligated to acquit.

In response to the HBI suit, Laura Knight-Jadczyk, founder of SOTT.net

and named as a defendant, said "This is an attack on freedom of speech,

plain and simple. The issues SOTT.net are concerned with - the

pathology of power and conspiracies among those in power - are

specifically targeted in the suit. A victory for Pepin, considering the

international nature of this suit, would therefore set a dangerous

precedent in US courts and carry serious implications for Internet

freedom of speech and ultimately civil liberties everywhere."

SOTT.net is requesting that all those

with an interest in safeguarding Internet freedom of speech make an

effort to ensure that this information reaches the widest audience

possible.

For more information visit SOTT.net:

[1] http://www.sott.net/signs/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1360 & p=1

[2] http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/05/leader_of_washington_county_in.html

About SOTT.net: Founded in 2002, Signs of The Times (SOTT.net) is an alternative news research resource and news analysis site.

Media contact: sotthttp://www.sott.net

This press release was issued by PRNewsChannel.com. For more information, please visit http://www.prnewschannel.com.

Source: SOTT.net

[Guest guest]

At 10:25 AM 3/12/2008, you wrote:

Interesting. And, interesting site(s). It should give one pause. What

this should point out, and make people aware of, is an abridgment of

rights in one area usually brings abridgement or control in others as

well. What many people in the United States don't seem to understand, for

example, is laws like " false light " and the so-called Hate Laws

will make it virtually impossible to voice or print even known facts

about certain groups. Even if the facts are true, under such laws (or

torts, as in the case of false light), voicing them can be viewed as

defamatory, and one can be subject to fines and/or imprisonment. Free

speech for one, should be free speech for all. Whether you happen to

agree or disagree with their POV. Or, like what they say. Violence

towards one group should be treated simply as violence. Not punished more

- or less - because it is against a certain group. People in Europe,

including Great Britian and Canada, are seeing the result of

such edicts - and it will get worse unless there is a hue and cry from

the masses. In 2005, The Councile of Europe (CoE), an organization of 46

European countries, criticized the Danish government for invoking the

“freedom of the press” in its refusal to take action against “insulting”

cartoons of the Prophet Muhammad. British historian David Irving was

imprisoned in Austria for Holocaust denial. Under current Canadian law,

intermediaries can face potential liability for failing to remove

allegedly defamatory content once they have received notification of such

a claim, even without court oversight. This includes blogging. As a

result, many ISPs and websites remove content in response to unproven

claims, even if they privately doubt that the content is indeed

defamatory. (see

 

http://montrealtechwatch.com/2007/06/18/is-there-freedom-of-speech-in-canada-i-am-not-so-sure-today/

for more info)

The problem is, the masses are either unaware, don't care, or don't seem

to think it applies to them. Until it hits home, of course. Then people

care. But, often it's too late.

I'm not surprised about the lawsuit below - it's not the first of this

type, and it will by no means be the last. Depending on what country has

purview, the outcome could differ greatly. Because, I think, most people

agree with the ridiculousness of it, they can see the lawsuit for what it

is - An attempt at getting unflattering information about one's self

quashed. But, let me pose a question: if various countries control what

people can say or write, how should that affect the Internet that is

supposed to be borderless? That is international? What laws, if any

should apply? Because it's very difficult to control what information one

does or does not get via the 'net, how should - or should not - controls

regarding it be determined? If one says, as I think many do, that there

shouldn't be any controls on free speech and on the 'net, and that all is

fair - should it not also be so in the countries in question, including

the U.S.? Obviously, we can't do much about what they do in another

country regarding free speech and what it entails, but we can do

something about it in the country in which we live.

Lynn

Hi,

Eric Pepin from the Higher Balance Institute (HBI), which markets a

dietary supplement, " Magneurol6-S, " (supposedly it makes you a

telepath among other things) has sued an alternative news page for $ 4.5

million. The crime? The news site, republished and discussed

in its forum several news already available in the web, where Eric

Pepin's credibility is questioned, that is, he was in court for the

sexual abuse of one of his " students " at the HBI.

 

 

 

http://www.prnewschannel.com/absolutenm/templates/?a=387 & z=4

 

-------

Free Speech On Internet Under

Threat

International lawsuit filed in Oregon threatens Internet forums and

bloggers.

SOTT.net - March 11, 2008

 

(PRNewsChannel) / Toulouse,

France - First Amendment rights and free speech on the Internet are under

threat as Internet news web site Signs of

the Times (SOTT.net) today announced that its founder, Laura

Knight-Jadczyk, a resident of France, is being sued in an Oregon court by

'Higher Balance Institute' (HBI), owned by Eric Pepin and based in

Oregon.

HBI markets metaphysical products and claims to sell " the world's

most advanced sixth sense meditation " program and a dietary

supplement, " Magneurol6-S, " that is guaranteed to make the

consumer an " instant telepath. " Pepin claims that users of his

" psychic pill " find that " extended wireless phone use can

cause discomfort. " Consequently, they suggest " limiting the use

of cell phones. "

SOTT.net is an international, user

driven alternative news site with volunteer editorial staffing around the

globe. Quantum Future Group, Inc.(QFG), a California non-profit created

by mathematician-physicist, Arkadiusz Jadczyk and Laura Knight-Jadczyk to

fund independent researchers engaged in collecting social and historical

data for mathematical systems analysis, is also named in the suit as

defendant despite the fact that QFG does not own SOTT.net, nor does it

have any controlling interest in the site.

HBI alleges in the suit filed by Bullivant Houser Bailey, PC, Portland,

that the operators of SOTT.net " published false and defamatory

statements " regarding HBI and Eric Pepin on the SOTT Web site forum.

Pepin is seeking approximately $4.5 million in damages.

The suit stems from information posted on the

 

SOTT.net forums [1] where globally based forum participants uncovered

and reposted public-domain information and newspaper records showing that

Pepin had recently faced numerous sexual abuse charges in an Oregon court

involving a child and former employee of HBI. A grand jury found enough

evidence to indict Pepin who admitted in court to having sexual relations

with his employees. According to

 

The Oregonian newspaper[2] Judge Steven L. Price, who presided

over the case, stated that it was " probable that the conduct alleged

in all counts occurred, " but that the absence of a date stamp on a

video proving that the events occurred while the complainant was still a

minor meant that the allegations could not be proven 'beyond a reasonable

doubt'. Judge Price was therefore obligated to acquit.

In response to the HBI suit, Laura Knight-Jadczyk, founder of

SOTT.net and named as a defendant,

said " This is an attack on freedom of speech, plain and simple. The

issues SOTT.net are concerned with - the pathology of power and

conspiracies among those in power - are specifically targeted in the

suit. A victory for Pepin, considering the international nature of this

suit, would therefore set a dangerous precedent in US courts and carry

serious implications for Internet freedom of speech and ultimately civil

liberties everywhere. "

SOTT.net is requesting that all those with an interest in safeguarding

Internet freedom of speech make an effort to ensure that this information

reaches the widest audience possible.

For more information visit SOTT.net:

 

[1]

 

http://www.sott.net/signs/forum/viewtopic.php?id=1360 & p=1

[2]

 

http://blog.oregonlive.com/breakingnews/2007/05/leader_of_washington_county_in.html

 

About SOTT.net: Founded in 2002, Signs of The Times

(SOTT.net) is an alternative news research resource and news analysis

site.

Media contact: sott://www.sott.net

This press release was issued by PRNewsChannel.com. For more

information, please visit

http://www.prnewschannel.com

..

Source: SOTT.net