Irish blogger gets takedown demand from Budget car rental

Its seems like Peter Donegan’s car rental saga from Budget Car rental is never ending at this stage
if you haven’t read Peter’s original post its here
Basically it was a Ryanair type issue, hide it all in the small print.
Rather than apologize and move on Budget Car appear to have sent in the goons today.

“Today I received a phonecall from ‘a legal office’ asking would I be removing this blog post.
No information or reasons were given except for who the gentleman and his firm were representing.
I was told I have have 48 hours to remove the post”

I know things are particularly quiet in the legal trade but this type of behavior from a company of Budget Car’s standing is underhanded and smacks of huge overreaction.

Reblog this post [with Zemanta]
Share and Enjoy:
  • del.icio.us
  • Furl
  • NewsVine
  • Reddit
  • YahooMyWeb
  • Digg
  • Facebook
  • Ma.gnolia
  • StumbleUpon

9 comments...What do you think?

  1. Posted by Paul Kinsella 12th February, 2009 at 8:27 am

    I had a similiar issue to this 2 years ago where I posted a nice story about a bars in Wexford. 2 of the bars tried to sue me over what people regarded as a nice story.

    seems bloggers have no rights to free speech …

  2. Posted by Joe Scanlon 12th February, 2009 at 1:55 pm

    Paul,
    Can you expand on that story if you don’t mind?

  3. Posted by Bock the Robber 12th February, 2009 at 7:52 pm

    There’s a tried and tested two-word formula for replying to this sort of threat.

  4. Posted by Paul Kinsella 13th February, 2009 at 2:48 pm

    i wrote a story about bars in wexford and I just stayed the obvious about 2 bars – one was quite dangerous and the other was a pick up bar for guys … quite humerous and with a eliment of of fun.

    i was contacted by 2 owners and then lawyers saying this was damaging and if it was not removed I would be sued… so I just removed it completely…… as they were going to sue me for what they called 1000000sss

    so i just took it off..

  5. Posted by Bernie Goldbach 17th February, 2009 at 8:37 am

    For years (and to no harm) I have ignored phone calls like the one Peter received. I don’t see the point of negotiating over the phone. I say the offended solicitors should demand a court date with a real docket number–that way they may actually pay to make a point with the blogger.

  6. Posted by ultan 17th February, 2009 at 2:39 pm

    publish something defamatory with malice and you deserve all you get.

    is this what the blogosphere is now? joe duffy? if you can’t read small print you shouldn’t be programming.

Trackbacks...

  1. Budget Car Rental - Say hello to my little friend | Joe Scanlon
  2. Are Budget Car Rental Ireland A Bunch of Gobshites Or Not? Time Will Tell.–Bock The Robber
  3. It’d Drive You To Blogging… « The Pointy Adventures Of Jean-Claude Supremo

What do you think? Join the discussion...