To the ELI Community, as many of you know, I have been a passionate advocate for innocent infringers to not be victimized by overbearing and obnoxious copyright thug lawyers who ask for disproportionate amounts of money. They want to portray themselves as the only people in the content/art business but the reality is they are one small niche trying to justify their existence and squeezing money from others because of their own dying industry. They want to blame piracy but the reality is the wholesale commoditization of digital content whether they be ebooks, movies, digital games, software, photos, music, or imagery. The difference is that not all the other content providers are trying to sue and extort their potential customer base to support themselves. Most are trying to create and innovate, not extort or engage in legal thuggery.
Make no mistake, many media companies are fighting for their financial lives. I am publisher myself and had to adjust myself dramatically. But instead of innovating, many are resorting to legalized copyright extortion and thuggery. The copyright thug lawyers are not as upstanding as they try to portray. Deep down, many of them are petty human beings full of imperfections hiding behind their law degree and their superior knowledge over us non-lawyers. Watch what they do and how they behave. Actions speak louder than words.
They have always operated in secrecy and ELI as a group has always been outspoken and loud in fighting back. With the exception of Oscar Michelen, all of us are woefully unarmed and unqualified in the legal arena. We are underfunded, non-lawyers trying to desperate learn everything we can to defend ourselves.
These well-funded, obnoxious copyright thug lawyers try to intimidate us non-lawyers and hate us for speaking out and complaining. They want us to play by their rules, the court system. But for non-lawyers, it is hugely expensive and so we have the right to resort to alternative legal methods of fighting back. Participating on the ELI Forums and sharing your story is one part but making personal friendships and relationships with like-minded people is huge in creating unity. The mindshare and synergy triggers creativity.
I have learned that the First Amendment allows us to speak out and complain loudly. We are allowed to report on people and companies who would attack and extort us for our hard-earned money. We should not be silenced and we should be open to every legal tool available to us to fight back. That is why I am a firm believer in publicity because the public knows that is reasonable and what is not.
I have never claimed to be a perfect human being but I try to get things right. I have made it known that I am an aggressive defender to anyone who would come after me and they hate an despise me for it. I have tried to impart this fighting spirit to all of you. It is that spirit will make people think twice about coming after you. Never be the low hanging fruit. Only the uninformed would be willing to do this.
In the last 4 years, there has been an ongoing and increasing campaign behind-the-scenes to take me out thereby crushing and extinguishing ELI. I am not necessarily the smartest guy in the ELI Community but I am probably the most vocal and the most aggressive at defending myself and ELI. There is no question I am a big irritation and sore point to many.
I have NOT reported everything that has happened the last 4 years but that will likely change over time. There have been many who have attempted to poison and vilify my working relationship with Oscar Michelen. I consider it tortious interference and I may eventually file a lawsuit on that basis. And they have gotten away with it. Well, those ghosts will likely be resurrected because certain people refuse to leave me and ELI alone.
As "egregious" as my enemies think I am, I have actually withheld a few secrets. As transparent as I have tried to be in how I operate, my enemies are regular readers of ELI and looking for me to make a big mistake and put me and ELI into the ground. And so, I hold back information that I would normally disseminate for free.
If ELI is to suddenly change hands or to be shut down or if I am suddenly forced to be silent, I want all of you to know that I was forced to be silent as a result of exposing and reporting on the many copyright thugs in operation today. I can currently speak freely now but last year, a local court managed to partially silence me. It disgusted me so much that I left ELI on a self-imposed exile for 10-months. If it happened once, it can happen again.
I came back out because one of my enemies was determined to take advantage of the situation. It wasn't enough that I didn't post anything publicly. He had to keeping pushing, assuming I was defeated. That person is now so desperate, he is attempting to hijack my legal case with the GA Supreme Court that actually has nothing to do with him. While I am optimistic I will ultimately prevail, I have no false notions I am guaranteed a win as I do not entirely trust the legal system. I am represented by Oscar Michelen but as good as he is, there is no accounting for legal uncertainty.
It is important that I relay certain information to others so that if I am suddenly silenced or conveniently eliminated by my enemies, people will know why I suddenly disappeared and you will know where to go. Or the information doesn't "die"/die with me.
As all of you read ELI and participate, be mindful that I am Enemy Number One to the copyright thugs. They are so cowardly they are using backroom tactics thinking I won't know or find out about what they are doing. Well, I have. Word almost always gets back to me, one way or another. One poet extortionist wants to try to convince others that I am actually a true cult leader. As if I need to say it, that when I use that term it is tongue-in-cheek. She and her cohorts is going to try to convince others how I am somehow dangerous and violent in a literal sense. And yet, I have no criminal record and have no pattern of ever coming close to violence. They want to claim how I am causing fear for their lives and livelihood.
The biggest thing I am guilty of is having a big mouth and sharing my thoughts, opinions, and my non-traditional (and entirely legal) ways of resolving problems.
My enemies are constantly complaining and whining to Oscar Michelen as if he were my daddy. I hugely respect Oscar but he isn't my daddy and he doesn't own ELI or this website. He has a great deal of influence but he doesn't own or control me.
The benefit I have is that LOTS of people feed me information. Lots of eyes and ears out in the world and my email address is easily found. I have to pick and choose what information to act and report on and those that I sit on. IN all the years ELI has been in existence, no one has been able to point out anywhere where we intentionally got the facts wrong or misrepresented things. I don't need to make up fiction. The truth is damning enough. Copyright extortion and thuggery exists on a huge scale. ELI covers only one segment.
My friends at DieTrollDie.com and FightCopyrightTrolls.com remain anonymous for the very reason they are concerned they might be silenced and their website extinguished. After six years of operation, I now understand why they remain anonymous. I also respect those that want to remain anonymous on ELI. There can be a heavy price to pay for stepping out using your own name and speaking out against those that are far more powerful, better funded, and legally-armed. I did so because I wanted to show credibility in what we do. However, I am the underfunded, legally-unqualified little guy using my creativity, wits, and the First Amendment to guide the ELI Community.
Through last year's lawsuit, I have now become one of the most strongest advocate of free speech, freedom of the press, and the First Amendment. If it wasn't for last year's lawsuit, I would never have become more knowledgeable and well trained on the legal front as I am today. I gained a few more important contacts along the way. I have always been an advocate of self-representation and I am now happy that I "lost" last year. What I gained more that offset what was "lost" last year. I was truly disgusted, upset, and discouraged but a lot has happened in 18 months and I am a lot more smarter and tougher now. Being attacked by my enemies is the best way to energize and awaken the passion and fight within me. And although I have more enemies looking to put an end to me, I also have more friends and supporters too.
With any luck, maybe my friends and supporters will be sufficient to keep ELI alive and going. Most importantly, I won't be silenced. If am to be silenced, I would ask all of you to support others who might replace me.
Pay attention for any sudden and unexpected changes in ELI. Thank you for listening.
Topic: To ELI Readers, I am Enemy Number One! (Read 6130 times)