Braben (6Kbyte) David Braben's Legal Threats to the Elite Home Page
Last updated: 19/09/14
Bell (3Kbyte)

May 97Elite Home Page first appears at http://people.netcom.co.uk/i.bell/elite http://people.netcom.co.uk/i.bell/elite)
Jun 99Elite Home Page moves to www.cix.co.uk/~ibell/elite http://www.cix.co.uk/~ibell/elite) following netcom.co.uk charge increases.
12 Jul 99 CIX inform Bell by phone that they are in receipt of "notification of infringement" from Braben.
07 Sep 99  CIX inform Bell by email that Braben has threatened legal action and threaten to suspend access to /~ibell website on 09 Sep 99 unless distribution rights are substantiated or "Elite gaming software" is removed.
08 Sep 99Bell posts entire and complete email to 08 Sep 99 with CIX relating to /~ibell website to site.
Braben declares intention to offer Elite files for download from his website in first of many alt.fan.elite newsgroup postings.
09 Sep 99CIX suspend access to /~ibell website. [ NTK report ]
10 Sep 99 Bell issues press release.
Elite fan   alleges permission granted to him by Braben to host subset of Elite Home Page file archive  on his site.
14 Sep 99 PC Format post report based on Bell press release.
15 Sep 99 PC Zone post report based on Bell press release.
PC Format withdraw 14 Sep 99 report and post   report based on allegations by Braben.
16 Sep 99Braben issues press release.
17 Sep 99PC Zone posts report based on allegations by Braben.
18 Sep 99PC Zone withdraw 17 Sep 99 report based on allegations by Braben.
20 Sep 99PC Zone posts apology and retraction to Bell,
22 Sep 99PC Format withdraws 15 Sep 99 report and posts final report.
11 Oct 99Braben adds a FAQ to his website containing allegations that CIX suspended site due to posting by Bell of misrepresentative and incomplete emails to site (Q.8); and a statement that he does not mind Elite being freely downloadable from the Internet (Q.7).
11 Nov 99CIX restore access to /~ibell website with entire Elite subsite deleted.
24 Nov 99Elite Home Page moves to www.elite0.fsnet.co.uk/elite http://www.elite0.fsnet.co.uk/elite) under vector www.bigfoot.com/~elite0 http://www.bigfoot.com/~elite0).
Bell issues press release announcing inclusion of Elite sources on site.
25 Nov 99Braben declares intention to "get this one pulled too", objecting to alleged (but unspecified) libellous content and the "misleading" presentation of the CIX events in first of three alt.fan.elite newsgroup postings.
Public access to site is blocked, presumably by FreeServe. [ NTK report ]
29 Nov 99Elite Home Page moves to www.iancgbell.clara.net/elite http://www.iancgbell.clara/net/elite) under vector www.bigfoot.com/~elite0 http://www.bigfoot.com/~elite0), with Elite Files hosted seperately at www.elite01.fsnet.co.uk/elite/archive http://www.elite01.fsnet.co.uk/elite/archive) under vector www.bigfoot.com/~elitearc http://www.bigfoot.com/~elitearc).
01 Dec 99Bell reposts entire and complete email to 08 Sep 99 with CIX relating to /~ibell website to CIX site.http://www.cix.co.uk/~ibell/elite/incoming.htm .
Subsequent events relating to Bell-CIX email file .
07 Dec 99Braben predicts public statement by CIX re Bell-CIX emails in first of three further alt.fan.elite newsgroup postings.   No CIX statement has been posted to date.
28 Mar 00Bell instructs closure of ibell account for 31 Mar 2000, requesting free hosting of minimal referal web pages.
08 May 00CIX close ibell account, referal pages not maintained.
09 May 00Bell posts entire and complete email to 04 Apr 00 with CIX relating to /~ibell website to Clara site.
04 Oct 03Elite Files moved to www.users.waitrose.com/~elitearc2/elite/archive http://www.users.waitrose.com/~elitearc2/elite/archive), www.bigfoot.com/~elitearc vector http://www.bigfoot.com/~elitearc) not maintained.
23 Feb 05Braben emails Bell demanding withdrawl of Elite archive files. ,
 

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