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From: campbell@ufomind.com (Glenn Campbell, Las Vegas) Date: Sun, 2 Aug 1998 23:20:17 -0800 |
BACKGROUND. Shipi Shtrang is Uri Geller's assistant, quietly present
at most of his public appearances. Below is an email messages from
Shtrang, my reply to him, and my report of a telephone conversation
with him yesterday. This is followed by my analysis and some relevant
links.
The Ufomind page in question is
http://www.ufomind.com/people/g/geller/
The link that Shtrang refers to leads to a document on John Atkinson's
skeptical Geller site: http://www.manx2.demon.co.uk/geller/geller.htm
I have been unable to reach that site for the past couple of days due
to a "broken pipe," which is apparently a problem on his server. While
I removed the disputed link, I have retained my link to the main page
on Atkinson's site. In any case, Shtrang seems to be objecting to my
wording of the link, not the document it connects to.
On our Geller page, we offer two books for sale: a "Mind Power" kit by
Geller himself (including book, tape, crystal and meditation circle)
and James Randi's skeptical book, "The Truth about Uri Geller," which
Shtrang refers to below. -- GC
----- Forwarded Email Messages Follow (complete and unedited) -----
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 13:22:22 -0400
From: Shtrang <UriGeller@compuserve.com>
Subject: X%
Sender: Shtrang <UriGeller@compuserve.com>
To: "'Glenn Campbell'" <webmaster@ufomind.com>
Cc: "'Gordon Hausmann'" <wel17a@dial.pipex.com>,
"'Richard Winelander'" <RWINE@aol.com>
Dear Mr. Campbell,
This office represents Uri Geller. Your site has been brought to our
attention. I would like to put you on notice that your General Links of the
Unofficial Link Page of Uri Geller contains libellous, defaming and
damaging remarks. I refer to one specific and serious remark: "Geller
convicted of a breach of contract in 1971" I don't think you fully
understand the severity of such false claim. The word convicted denotes a
criminal charge and you are referring to a minor civil case. I have passed
this matter to our attorneys around the world to deal with effective
immediately. I think you should check with your international attorney
since libel laws vary from country to country and this damaging and false
remark can be read all over the world.
Yours sincerely,
S. Shtrang for
Uri Geller Enterprises
The Truth About Uri Geller also contains libellous, defaming and damaging
remarks about Mr. Geller. We are currently seeking legal advise.
CC: Bob Foglenest Esq., Attorney at Law, N.Y.
Ruth Liebesman, Attorney at Law, N.Y.
Richard W. Winelander, Esq., Attorney at Law, MD
Gordon Hausmann, Curry Hausmann Popeck, Solicitors, London
Dr. U Kohli, Attorney at Law, Zurich
------------------------------- Begin Reply -------------------------------
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 15:36:09 -0800
To: Shtrang <UriGeller@compuserve.com>
From: campbell@ufomind.com (Glenn Campbell, Las Vegas)
Subject: Re: claims of libel
Cc: "'Gordon Hausmann'" <wel17a@dial.pipex.com>,
"'Richard Winelander'" <RWINE@aol.com>
>Dear Mr. Campbell,
>
>This office represents Uri Geller. Your site has been brought to our
>attention. I would like to put you on notice that your General Links of the
>Unofficial Link Page of Uri Geller contains libellous, defaming and
>damaging remarks. I refer to one specific and serious remark: "Geller
>convicted of a breach of contract in 1971" I don't think you fully
>understand the severity of such false claim. The word convicted denotes a
>criminal charge and you are referring to a minor civil case. I have passed
>this matter to our attorneys around the world to deal with effective
>immediately. I think you should check with your international attorney
>since libel laws vary from country to country and this damaging and false
>remark can be read all over the world.
>
>Yours sincerely,
>
>S. Shtrang for
>Uri Geller Enterprises
Dear Mr. Shtrang:
Thank you for your note. I assume that you are referring to the link entry
on http://www.ufomind.com/people/g/geller/ that read...
Geller convicted of breach of contract in 1971 (3 para) - Article reprint
- Dissenting <gc 8/5/97 #5>
I can see your point of view that "convicted" is inappropriate for a
civil case.
Pending further research, I have removed this link from our site.
I propose changing the wording to...
Geller loses breach of contract suit in 1971 (3 para) - Article reprint
- Dissenting <gc 8/5/97 #5>
If you find anything libelous about this entry, please point it out to
me. Keep in mind, though, that I have no control over any outside
documents that this entry might point to.
It is not my intention to defame Mr. Geller. My website is merely a
link index, similar to Yahoo, linking together both supportive and
dissenting information on any paranormal topic.
Although we are not responsible for pages that are stored on other
people's websites, we do offer a service that you may want to take
advantange of. If you find any information anywhere on the internet
the you feel is inaccurate or misleading regarding Mr. Geller or
yourself, you may send a reply to me, and I will make sure that a link
to this information appears immediately adjacent to to the link for
the document you feel is inaccurate. That gives visitors to our site
the chance to see both sides of any issue.
If any of your lawyers wish to discuss any matter of libel with me, I
urge you to have them call me at my direct line below. Whenever an
genuine error is detected on my website, I will make every to correct
it.
Glenn Campbell
Ufomind Webmaster
702-227-1818
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------------------------ Telephone Call ---------------------------
On Sunday, Aug. 2, 1998, around 9:30 am in Las Vegas, I received a
phone call from someone who identified himself as "Shipi" in England.
He spoke with a foreign accent that sounded Indian to me. Following is
my best recollection of what was said. The tone of the call could be
described as cordial, with no tempers lost.
Shtrang thanked me for removing the link. He said that the matter had
been forwarded to Geller's lawyers and it was up to them if anything
further happened. He said that his phone call now was a "friendly" one,
simply to offer some advice.
Shtrang said that he didn't know what my angle was -- whether I was a
believer or a skeptic -- but he advised me that before I put anything
on my website, I should consult with a lawyer to make sure all libel
laws were respected. He said that he wasn't just referring to links
about Geller, but links about anyone. He pointed out that new laws
about libel on the internet are being created every day, all over the
world. Laws in England, he said, were especially strict.
Shtrang said that when people sue other people, nobody wins but the
lawyers. He said that if a person is a millionaire they can afford to
fight things in court, but most people can't afford the hundreds of
thousands of dollars required for a legal defense. Therefore, it
would be wise for me to consult with a lawyer about these matters
before putting things on my website.
Shtrang said that Randi's book contained libelous statements, and he
suggested that if I continued to sell it, I could be subject to
lawsuit.
I replied that if I were were sued then so would some of the largest
booksellers in the world. (Shtrang seemed to brush this off and did
not reply directly.)
Shtrang said that Geller had sued James Randi "many times." (However,
he did not say whether any of those suits had been successful.)
Shtrang said that Randi had also been sued by another party, Elton
Byrde, and that Randi had been "found guilty" in that lawsuit.
I asked Shtrang if this was the proper word: "guilty." If Shtrang had
objected to my use of the word "convicted" for Geller's losing a civil
lawsuit, how could he say that Randi had been "found guilty" in this
other civil case? Shouldn't the term be "found liable" or
something similar?
Shtrang replied that "guilty" was indeed the proper word. He said
that the court had found Randi "guilty of malicious lies."
Shtrang asked me to clarify the offer I made in the email above. I
explained that although I don't control other people's documents on
the internet, if he finds any document on the internet that he finds
inaccurate, he can write a reply, email it to me, and I will post it
on my site, linked just below the link to the inaccurate document.
Shtrang said he would work on this and send me an email in a few
weeks. He also said he would inform me when Mr. Geller published any
new books. I told him that I was certainly interested in carrying any
new book by Geller, and that I would add them to my catalog as soon as
they were available.
The conversation ended cordially. Estimated duration: 5 minutes.
Shtrang made no mention of my proposed revised wording for the
link.
------------------------ Analysis ---------------------------
Here are some pertinent points:
-- The "dafamatory" James Randi book on Geller shows a copyright date
of 1982 and is based on a 1975 book by Randi. One would think that if
Geller's attorneys were going to take any legal action against the
author, the publisher or retailers of this book, it would have been
resolved already. Prometheus is still publishing the book, so I have
no fear of selling it. ( See www.ufomind.com/catalog/u/uri/ )
-- In the book, Randi describes Shtrang as a confederate of Geller's
who quietly sets the stage for Geller's "illusions." According to
Randi, Shtrang has been with Geller since the beginning of his career,
and Geller's feats of psychic power rarely occur without Shtrang
nearby.
-- Geller did file a lawsuit against Randi and CSICOP, but the two
parties have different views about how it turned out. See "A Tale of
Two Press Releases" at http://www.tcom.co.uk/hpnet/psir.htm .
According to Geller's organization, CSICOP "apologized." According the
CSICOP press release, Geller was required to pay $120,000 to CSICOP
for filing a "frivolous complaint."
-- I recall a successful 1990s lawsuit by Geller against some other
skeptics who had attacked Geller's spoon bending ability, but I haven't
yet found documentation of this.
-- Another document on the web confirms that Elton Byrde did sue
Randi. See http://www.io.com/~hambone/web/ebyrd.html ...
Byrd sued skeptic debunker James Randi for $30 million for
defamation. Randi had called Byrd a convicted child molestor [in
the June 1988 issue of Rod Serling's Twilight Zone Mystery
Magazine], when in fact he had been arrested for possession with
intention to distribute obscene materials involving children, and
plead guilty to a lower charge of possession with intention to
distribute obscene materials. Byrd "won", but received no money.
During the trial, he supposedly admitted to having sexual
relations with a minor to whom he was a legal guardian. (Skeptic,
vol 3, #3, pg 34)
According to this same page, Byrde did experiments with Geller in 1973
and wrote a paper arguing that Geller had changed the structure of a
metal. Geller may have funded Byrde's lawsuit against Randi. (See
http://www.io.com/~hambone/web/geller.html )
-- In his email and his conversation with me, Shtrang indicated that
the links on my site were subject not only to the libel law of the
U.S. but also that of any country in which the page might be viewed.
Could I not be sued by Geller in England, where the law is much more
stringent? Stanton Friedman's pursuit of Jenny Randles comes to my
mind. Friedman successfully sued in the U.K. for statements made by
Randles that would not be considered libelous in the U.S.
The key to Friedman's suit, however, was that he filed it in Randles'
country of residence. For my part, I have no assets in England,
so I don't know how I could be compelled to take part in a civil
process there. If Geller were to have any effect, he would have to
pursue me in American courts, where a more restrictive test of libel
is in force.
Of course, a frivolous but resource-zapping U.S. lawsuit is always
possible -- which is why we at Ufomind strive to be as cordial,
accommodating and opinion-free as possible.
-- Glenn Campbell
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RELEVANCE OF THIS MESSAGE: Paranormal personalities
Index: Uri Geller (#12)
Index: Shipi Shtrang (#1)
|
Created: Aug 3, 1998