Test?

Email from Russell McOrmond:

  You are receiving this if you are a supporter, or a media outlet who has
referenced our site on your own site. I am forwarding you this letter in
the off-chance that the letter we received was from a real lawyer and we
are forced to vacate the canadianallianceparty.net domain name.

  The article is as follows, and I have included it in this email in case
the site is not available by the time you read this.

http://www.canadianallianceparty.net/article.php3?sid=20001101120318


  I don't believe any of the claims made are legitimate, but being just
two small Internet consultants do not have the funds to fight such a case
in a legal system that seems to favor those with the most expensive
lawyers.

  If you are looking for a story, this just might be a good one to cover.
At this point I am not convinced it is a real lawyer, but it might make
for a good story in any event.

---
 Russell McOrmond, Internet Consultant: 
 http://russell.flora.org/work/election2000.html  Work I do for Greens!
 http://green.ca  http://Ottawa2000.flora.org http://www.flora.org/green/
 Canadian Federal Election: It's Time for Real Choice and Real Change!

---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Wed, 1 Nov 2000 12:03:58 -0500
From: Russell McOrmond 
To: russell@flora.org
Subject: Alliance Exposed! What's Really Behind the Alliance Party


   "Lawyer" opposes alternative media vision of the Alliance?!
   Contributed by Russell on Wednesday November 01, @ 12:03PM
   from the you-gotta-be-joking dept.
   
   I was forwarded what looks like a spoof letter pretending to be from
   the lawyers of the Canadian Alliance party asking that we shut down
   this website and deny Canadians a chance to honestly discuss the
   party, its leadership and its platform. There are claims made that I
   doubt would be made by a lawyer, so I'm having a hard time taking it
   seriously.
   
   In the off-chance that this is a legitimate letter, and we are forced
   to change domain names, please visit http://www.openconcept.on.ca/ in
   the future for pointers to a more generalized discussion group that
   would not be in any way different from other media outlets writing
   articles about the alliance.
   
   First, there is the Alliance name used in the domain name.
   Similar-sounding domain names exist for pretty much all the parties.
   The interesting thing is that it seems to be Canadian Alliance
   supporters that are the worst offenders of the cyber-squatting
   domain-name wars.
   
   Anyone can take a look at http://www.liberalpartyofcanada.com/, ,
   http://www.ndppartyofcanada.com/ and
   http://www.alliancepartyofcanada.com/ and see a site with a picture of
   Mr Day, their "Time for a Change" image and a further link to
   http://www.canadianalliance.ca/. Will this forged-lawyer also be
   contacting IdentityRealtors.com to get those sites shut down? I
   somehow doubt it, given the positive message towards the alliance that
   it gives.
   
   The second reference is to the content that somehow harms the Alliance
   party. The articles written on the site are eithor the strong opinions
   of individuals who are acting in the capacity of alternative media, or
   references to mainstream articles themselves. Is this forged-lawyer
   going to be contacting all the media outlets, both mainstream and
   alternative, who have written not-so-positive articles about the
   Alliance as well?
   
   It looks to me like these supporters are afraid of real political
   discussion. We have been one of the few media outlets helping the
   Alliance in their desire to convince people that they don't support a
   Flat Tax even though the Liberals have suggested otherwise. Some of
   the articles, such as the one discussing electoral reform, also turned
   out to be a positive message in support of part of the Alliance
   platform. Where else have some of these real election issues been
   discussed?
   
   For those who want to read the letter for details, it will follow. It
   may read like an official letter from a lawyer, but I believe it to
   more likely be a letter from an Alliance supporter intended to
   frighten us. This letter is from an Alliance supporter who doesn't
   believe in the Alliance well enough to believe that they could win
   seats if there were honest political discussion about the party, its
   leader, and its platform.
   
   Note: The letter had a signature that suggested it was private. I
   suspect real lawyers would be forced to learn about the technology and
   would know that unencrypted email is pretty much public as it can be
   intercepted anywhere along the path and read. If the letter was
   intended to be taken as private, it would need to have been encrypted
   or send through Canada Post.
Date: Wed, 01 Nov 2000 10:24:18 -0500
From: "Robert Dechert" 
To: 
Cc: , 
Subject:  CANADIANALLIANCEPARTY.NET


** High Priority **

October 31, 2000


WITHOUT PREJUDICE

OpenConcept Consulting
 165 Drummond St.
 Ottawa, Ontario
Canada  K1S 1K3

ATTENTION: Mike Gifford (mike@flora.org)

Dear Sir:


Re:     CANADIANALLIANCEPARTY.NET

We are the solicitors for the Canadian Reform Conservative Alliance (the =
"Canadian Alliance"). =20

It has come to our attention that you are the registrant in respect of the =
Internet domain name "CANADIANALLIANCEPARTY.NET" (the "Domain Name").

We further understand that the information currently appearing on the =
website associated with the Domain Name contains references to and graphic =
depictions of the Canadian Alliance name and registered trademarks and =
logos.

As you know, the Canadian Alliance is a registered political party =
pursuant to the provisions of the  Canada Elections Act (Canada).

We also note that Chief Electoral Officer has issued a writ in respect of =
the General Election fixing a polling day of November 27, 2000.

In addition, the names Canadian Reform Conservative
Alliance, Canadian Alliance, L'Alliance R=E9formiste
Conservatrice Canadienne, L'Alliance Canadienne and the
logos associated therewith are registered trademarks of the
Canadian Alliance pursuant to the provisions of the Trade
Marks Act (Canada).

We have reviewed the information appearing on the world wide web in =
association with the Domain Name and in our opinion such information:

1.      constitutes an unauthorized use of certain registered trademarks =
and that such unauthorized use constitutes a serious infringement of the =
rights of the Canadian Alliance;=09
2.      has caused and continues to cause significant and irreparable harm =
to the goodwill, trademarks and related intellectual property of the =
Canadian Alliance;
3.      does and is likely to cause confusion among the electors of Canada =
to the effect that the information found at, or in association with, the =
Domain Name is authorized by or sanctioned by the Canadian Alliance or =
that such site is the official website of the Canadian Alliance; and
4.      constitutes a deliberate attempt by you and all other persons =
associated with the Domain Name to fraudulently and tortiously pass off =
that site (including all information contained in such site) to be the =
official website of the Canadian Alliance.=20

Your actions and the information appearing on the world wide web associated=
 with the Domain Name have caused and continue to cause significant =
economic damage to the Canadian Alliance and to the value of its goodwill, =
copyright, trademarks and related intellectual property.

Accordingly, we must hereby demand that you immediately cease and desist =
from disseminating any information on any website associated with or found =
by pointing to the Domain Name.  All information concerning or relating to =
the Canadian Alliance including the depiction of any registered trademark, =
style or logo or indeed any mention of the Canadian Alliance, its leader =
Stockwell Day or anyone else associated with the Canadian Alliance must be =
removed forthwith and without delay. We hereby demand that all such =
information be removed from the world wide web on or before 5:00 p.m. =
(Eastern Standard Time) on Wednesday November 1, 2000.

In the event that we are not satisfied that all possible steps have been =
immediately taken by you, as described above, to limit the serious =
economic and political harm which your actions have caused and continue to =
cause to the Canadian Alliance, we have been instructed to pursue all =
available remedies against you without delay.

In addition, we have been instructed to immediately file an official =
complaint in respect of your actions with the Chief Electoral Officer =
pursuant to the provisions of the Canada Elections Act.

PLEASE GOVERN YOURSELF ACCORDINGLY.

Yours very truly,

Gowling Lafleur Henderson llp

[ROBERT J. DECHERT]

Robert  J. Dechert
Partner

RJD:sbd

cc:     Hon. Stockwell Day, M.P.
Troy Tait
David Salmon
Hal Danchilla


Robert J. Dechert
Gowling Lafleur Henderson LLP
Suite 4900, Commerce Court West
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
M5L 1 J3
Tel: 416-862-3521
Fax: 416-862-7661
e-mail: robert.dechert@gowlings.com

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More people would vote if, instead of having to vote positively, they could vote negatively: "I don't care who gets in, but I'm voting against that guy." Candidate with the highest positive number wins; anyone who gets a negative number is barred from seeking any political office for five years; ergo if through some bizarreness all candidates get negative numbers none of them can run again.

True conservatism is "maximum reward from minimum outlay" -- but no responsible politician would allow that to mean "maximum return today with no regard for tomorrow". To him it means "balance the future and the present -- and if you have to sell one out, make it the present". For instance, right now in Ontario, Canada, the education system is being plundered with no regard for the crime rises we'll have as soon as we graduate a new generation of thugs who are unemployable and bitter. I suppose then we'll be spending our savings on jails?