October 28, 2001
Subject: Feedback
Your tale of woe reminds me of the last time I dealt with a lawyer.
Back in 1998, I built a Web site for a nonprofit group. I also paid for Web
hosting and for registering the URL. All was well until about two years
later, when a nutcase volunteer offered to help me update the site, then
promptly hijacked it.
When I moved the site to another URL, the group's lawyer promptly accused me
of cybersquatting. Obviously she didn't bother to look up the word
"cybersquatting." But as far as she was concerned, it was a 50-cent word
that looked good on letterhead.
Nothing happened, really - I promptly counter-attacked with threats of
copyright infringement, cc'ed to all Board members, which actually shut up Miss Litigation.
After hearing the whole spiel, my then-boss commented: "No good deed goes unpunished."
If you can possibly afford it, don't give up. Besides, you're getting pretty
good at writing legal documents. Thought of becoming a lawyer? (Yes, I'm joking.)
