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May 31, 2011
I am very pleased to report that former ICANN Ombudsman Frank Fowlie has withdrawn his legal proceeding against me commenced at the
Human Rights Tribunal of Ontario (HRTO), File Number 2011-08214-I.
I considered this matter to be entirely frivolous and totally devoid of merit. Indeed, Mr. Fowlie withdrew the case before my formal response to the HRTO was
even filed, after he was advised by my great attorneys, Andrew Bernstein and
Yael Bienenstock at Torys, that we
would be filing to dismiss the matter and that there would be no mediation. In particular, I'd like to note for the record that I did
not agree to settle the matter with Mr. Fowlie. Free speech rights are highly protected in Canada, and I will always vigorously
defend my constitutional rights.
The official documents related to the HRTO matter can be seen here, archived for
educational and informational purposes (my company has recently acquired School.com, so it's part of my job and a personal duty to educate others).
It is important that the public be aware of how an Ombudsman handles his own disputes, given that he or she is handling disputes
involving the public. This is not the first time Mr. Fowlie has filed complaints against others. In addition to the unsuccessful case
referenced in the HRTO documents involving employment benefits, he was involved in a highly
publicized
matter
involving
Air
Canada. He was entirely unsuccessful, as can be seen in the
first,
second,
and third rulings.
I have been a longtime critic of ICANN, along with many others in the internet community. As Kent Crispin of ICANN has noted,
that criticism has been respected, even by ICANN staff. It has been in good faith and has also been effective. For example, I was a leader
in opposing VeriSign's SiteFinder program. It was my
analysis of ICANN's deeply flawed contracts that led to the public outcry and outrage over potential unrestricted price increases
for domain names by registry operators. Politicians in Washington, D.C. have echoed my own concerns over ICANN's lack of accountabilty,
poorly considered policies, and excessive employee compensation, among other issues.
In conclusion, I shall continue to comment on ICANN-related matters, and other matters of public interest, despite this outrageous
attempt to censor me by former ICANN Ombudsman Frank Fowlie.
April 23, 2001 I am very delighted
to report a development in Ontario Superior Court of Justice case number 99-CV182688CM, George Kirikos (Plaintiff) v. Craig Nicks, Stacey Levin, Eduardo
Catucci, Christopher Morrison, Spring Rhey Munsel, Jared Proudfoot, Paul Everingham and Steve Goegoes (Defendants) regarding defamation. All of the defendants have provided to me full apologies and retractions,
which are available below in various formats.
DEFENDANT |
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Eduardo Catucci |
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Paul Everingham |
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Steve Goegoes |
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Stacey Levin |
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Christopher Morrison |
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Spring Rhey Munsel |
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Craig Nicks |
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Jared Proudfoot |
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I am pleased to see that each defendant’s apology includes the sentence “I hereby retract unequivocally any statement that might suggest to others that Mr. Kirikos has engaged in any
form of inappropriate behaviour.” I’d like to take this opportunity to thank the many individuals who have supported me during this matter, and who, like myself, value integrity and honour above all. I am reminded of
Shakespeare’s “Saint Crispin’s Day” speech in Henry V, where he wrote “For he to-day that sheds his blood with me, Shall be my brother.”
I count myself very fortunate to have so many brothers and sisters. God bless you all. If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at your convenience. While I will not discuss
the case or the defendants, I will be happy to correct any false statements you may have been exposed to, or provide other insights.
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