What's this black page about?:
This is an FAQ (Frequestly Asked Questions) informational page posted by this site and many other Simpsons sites around the web. It is part of a "blackout" campaign started by a "Simpsons" fan who was tired of seeing great Simpsons sites shut down. This campaign is intended to raise awareness to the practices of Fox Corporation's lawyers who send out harsh, threatening letters to the webmasters of "Simpsons" sites.
What is your goal?:
To stop the shutting down of websites devoted to the Twentieth Century Fox Corporation's program, "The Simpsons." For years webmasters have been trying to create websites which "Simpsons" fanatics could enjoy, with literally thousands of multimedia files and interactive features to bring Springfield, and its inhabitants, a little closer to home. For a while, it seemed FOX was beginning to listen to its fans when they stopped sending Cease & Desist orders. Now, they're back.
What is the situation at hand?:
Currently the web is home to over 1,000 "Simpsons" sites, most of which contain multimedia. Each website is created in an effort to spread Simpsonmania further, and is not intended to hurt, change or take away anything from the show. We, as a web community, have devoted hundreds of hours of our time to creating websites of quality, in a kind of "by the fans, for the fans" environment. FOX has sought to stop webmasters from posting things like sounds, wallpaper and framegrabs.
But aren't people making money off FOX's show?:
Our campaign is not to aid webmasters in making money off of what they do not own. We are here to represent the people who create sites for fun, not solely for the profits. Even these people get letters from FOX demanding an immediate removal of content. It is simply not fair to force a site to shut down for giving a TV show FREE publicity.
How does FOX shut down sites?:
Through e-mails called "Cease & Desist Orders". These are basically letters that are threatening a law suit if certain material is considered "illegal". In other words, it's a fancy way for FOX to bring down its wrath on teenage webmasters who are simply appreciating a work of brilliance.
What can I do?:
Well, just by being reading this you're taking the first step. You can respond to this situation by contacting FOX's head good (Dennis L. Wilson) in many ways:
Snail Mail:
Dennis L. Wilson, Esq.
Keats McFarland & Wilson LLP
Penthouse Suite
9720 Wilshire Boulevard
Beverly Hills, CA 90212
Telephone: (310) 248-3830
Fax: (310) 860-0363
"The Simpsons" Blackout 2000:
The information listed here was submitted by a "Simpsons" webmaster. This information was available on every "Simpsons" site on a designated day in 2000. These comments do not reflect my opinions or the opinions of About.
