 |
 |
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
14/01/2003 Update February: the Judge heard the case on 28th January, and will announce his ruling in Paris on 26 February.Previous press release. Paris, Tuesday 14 January 2003: Next round in Esso's attempt to cybercensor critics in court A French court will tomorrow hear the next round in Esso's attempt to curtail freedom of expression on the internet. Greenpeace France is appealing a ruling by a Paris judge in favour of Esso France which ordered the environmental group to remove its 'StopEsso' parody logo from its French website, pending a full hearing of the case. In July 2002, Esso France began legal action against Greenpeace in France over the StopEsso website, which uses a logo featuring a double dollar sign ($$) in place of the double "S" in the oil giant's red and blue logo. StopEsso, a global coalition of groups including Greenpeace, is campaigning around the world to stop Esso from sabotaging international action to address climate change and has used the logo around the world since the campaign was launched in May 2001. Also being heard on the same day is an appeal by French nuclear conglomerate Areva against a ruling in favour of Greenpeace in a similar case. In the wake of the StopEsso decision, the nuclear sponsor of French America's Cup challenger Le Defi Areva complained that Greenpeace groups in France and New Zealand had degraded its trademark . Greenpeace had depicted a skull and nuclear symbol behind Areva's stylised A on website stories about the sponsor. Areva argued that the logo discredited and devalued its trademark and sought EU 40,000 in damages. The judge upheld Greenpeace's right to freedom of expression and ruled against Areva. One judge is expected to hear both cases in separate hearings tomorrow. In July last year French Justice Binoche rejected categorically Esso's claims that the $$ design of the Stop Esso logo was an attempt to link the company to the infamous Nazi 'SS' and damage Esso's reputation. Esso, marketed as Exxon and Mobil globally, was seeking 80,000 Euro a day if Greenpeace did not comply. The judge reduced this to 5000 Euro a day and allowed the continued use of the term "StopEsso". "It is Esso's own behaviour interfering in international action on climate change that is damaging its reputation, rather than anything we are doing," said Tunmore. "Trampling over the right to freedom of expression in an attempt to shut us down will only attract further condemnation". Notes to Editors:
[Previous press release: "Esso tries to sue Greenpeace over Luxembourg protest"] |
 |
Latest Campaign News KYOTO MARCH - Saturday 12 February 2005 In February the Kyoto Protocol finally comes into force. Join the Campaign Against Climate Change on a march in central London to mark the occassion by protesting the US' refusal to join the Protocol. Assemble at Lincoln's Inn Fields at 11.30. For more information go to www.campaign againstclimatechange.net Esso up to old tricks on Kyoto Governments from around the world met in Buenos Aires to discuss protecting the climate under the Kyoto Protocol. Greenpeace sent a delegation to the conference to keep an eye on the activities of Esso and other fossil fuel lobbies.more "Global warming is a conspiracy against America" As a taste of what is to come during a second Bush term Myron Ebell, an advisor to President Bush on climate issues, recently argued that global warming is a myth cooked up by the EU to 'hamper American competitiveness'... more Russia Ratifies The Russian parliament have voted to ratify the Kyoto Protocol, which brings the treaty into force... more Chief Scientist: we need immediate action on climate change "Action is affordable, inaction is certainly not," says Sir David King, the UK governments chief scientist...more |
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|
|
|
|
||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
