Update on the Gina Ford legal situation

[JustineMumsnet]

Hello all,
Some of you may have seen a Gina Ford interview in the Mail on Sunday today, in which she refers to the Mumsnet legal situation, so we thought it was only right to update you as to where we are.

We are due to go to mediation on March 7th. Our position with regard to this hasn't changed - since very early on in the dispute we have suggested mediation as a sensible way forward and so we are pleased to be meeting with Ms Ford and her lawyers on March 7th.

In the meantime GF has issued a claim form, which means that the court clock is now running and we have to put in our defence within 28 days.

Obviously, as Ms Ford has made clear by this action and by her statements in the Mail on Sunday if mediation fails, she intends to sue.

We're sorry that we are still having to ask you not to discuss Gina Ford or her methods but given the potential for something that may be used against Mumsnet to slip through, this probably remains the safest course of action.

We will, of course, keep you fully updated.

Thanks for all your support.
Mumsnet HQ

I posted a message on DM website, but it doesn't look as if it has been added.

All I can say id good luck to all at MNHQ, I find it disgusting that the matter has gone this far. Hopefully common sense will prevail

P>S> what does SWWBN etc stand for????

She Who Must Not Be Named

Whilost those symptoms sound familiar (snort! beauty- something I, and others I know and am thinking of now, iykiwim, should not be having unrelaistic ideas about)!!!! I think there's also a lot to be considered about the contribution MN makes to parenting these days, and sites like it, and it is a market that will grow at the expense of- for instance- childcare books and guides.

You guys are so so funny. Just go to the lots of free blogs & write your anger away at anybody. Yes, you can write her name there. Mumsnet can easily get webhosting from a US server, which will make them invincible to anyone. I have been on the internet for some years now & I was the TIMES person of the year this year. Nothing nothing nothing should & can stop me from expressing my view on the Internet. Sorry Ladies, this matter is out of your hands now & people like I who fight for freedom on Internet will take care of this. We have a new villain. Mumsnet should find a sponsor & fight out the suit in court. We guarantee a wave of support online all over the world for Mumsnet.

Could they not then sue in the US? You might better getting it hosted in North Korea or northern Cyprus or somewhere we don't extradict to and from may be......

the other side of the fence We're a stubborn lot arn't we?

psml at Xenia thinking that Justine could get extradited to US for something as unimportant as SWMNBN's ego

I think extradition is not for civil cases.
Natwest bankers (contentious in the extreme) and terrorists/in the interests of national security only supposedly.

You're right actually. There needs to be a crime like price fixing or fraud. Is there "criminal libel" of any kind? I have someone who did something on line which isn't illegal. If he steps foot on US soil even for holidays they will arrest him but has no assets in the US so they can't get him (... although what about those extra-ordinary renditions the US did for terrorist - bundling people up and just taking them away... absolutely disgusting)...

But I suppose what I really should have said you move your server but if you assets are still in the UK they can be got if you're not operating through a company or they can't get behind the company. I know someone who moved to Thailand without a forwarding address but that was to avoid paying his wife a single penny of his money on divorce.

Anyway with will and compromise on both sides and everyone realising you're foolish to take these things further I am sure it can be finished at mediation with press releases which make both sides look like they have won.

I don't understand what maverickgenious is on about tbh

The winner of last year's Times Person of the Year was 'You'. Is this some sort of code?

GINA FORD DOCUMENTARY

Now on Five Life channel

Switch over now

Well, after the first 10 minutes I can see several lawsuits heading towards several other parenting guru's offices

hope miriam stoppard has a rainy day fund

TV and papers have very good libel lawyers. It will all have been checked out and there will be contracts dealing with who is liable for what anyway.

PMSL, I'm not meant to look at you

Love the cartoon bits and the music

Cheers for Mumsnet! Just very proud to be lucky to know of this brilliant website and support it all the way...
Thanks MumsnetHQ!
x

More from the other side of the fence HERE which is SWMNBN's other website. If I'm wrong to post this, please report it and get it deleted, thanks.

Best of luck, MNHQ, I really hope this all goes your way!

From the website you just linked to: 'A short time ago Mumsnet published an item which compared me with terrorists in the Middle East. As can be imagined, this caused me a huge amount of upset and distress.'

I can't understand how anyone can have taken that remark with an iota of seriousness.

The best comment on that whole programme last night (hope I'm allowed to say this) was after they quoted the terrorist quote and Justine responded 'That was a joke....' dh nearly phsl...

I thought the best comment was about mumsnet being an important link to mums everywhere - perhaps mums who cannot get out as they are sticking to a rigid routine.

dp & me rofl at that one!

the cartoon bits were hilarious

I will have to watch it again as MIL telephoned just as Justine started to speak. I mean, how could she???

i liked the cartoon of the radio phone in with miriam stoppard.

I missed it, is it going to be repeated at all??

I@ve just posted my comments on the link given by foreverblowingbubbles... They were calm, well reasoned, did not mention mumsnet and were completely non defamatory but I wonder if they will be published...?