ADMIN: HPforGrownups to shut down

[John Walton]

Dear Listmembers,

I've got some unfortunate news to impart, but please bear with me. As Penny,
the list Founder, is currently unable to get to her computer (pre-natal
breathing classes, I think), she has asked me to convey this information to
the group.

Yahoo, host of the YahooGroups service, has been served with a
cease-and-desist order from AOL-TimeWarner (parent company of Warner Bros.,
who own the movie rights to SS/PS and CoS) for HPforGrownups and several
other Harry Potter groups, including HP_Fanfiction, ParadigmOfUncertainty,
HP_Paradise, SnapeFans and HPslash, on the basis that they infringe Warner's
copyright for the HP mark. Yahoo have agreed to go along with this and have
served the Moderators with a 24-hour closedown period. As of 12 midnight
Eastern Time tomorrow, the HPforGrownups community, as well as all its
HPFGU-based lists, will cease functioning. I enclose an email from Yahoo
services informing us of the action, with the sender obscured.

The Moderators deeply regret this, but we are left with few options. If you
have any suggestions at all, we'd be very grateful if you'd send them to our
address at HPforGrownups-Owner at yahoogroups.com (which will only be working
for a day). After tomorrow, please use my email (john at walton.to) as a
contact.

Please be patient during this very trying time for us all. Again,
HPforGrownups will be discontinued as of midnight on April 1st, 2001.

Sincerely,

--John, for the HPforGrownups Moderator Team

> From: Sheena G. ([deleted]@yahoo-inc.com)
> To: HPforGrownups-owner at yahoogroups.com
> Cc: [deleted]
> Subject: Deletion of your group
> 
> Dear HPforGrownups Moderator,
> 
> we at Yahoo! have been notified by AOL-TimeWarner that your HPforGrownups
> group contains several violations of their copyright on "Harry Potter", and
> has been served a Cease-And-Desist letter by AOL-TimeWarner. Yahoo! is bound
> by law in the State of California, which requires us to remove all such
> content within 48 hours. we therefore inform you that your group will be
> deleted at 9PM tomorrow.
> 
> thank you for using YahooGroups!
> 
> Sheena G.
> Technical Executive
> Yahoo!, Inc.