Happy new Year 1999 to all McSpotties, from Ed Lane of Stoke-on-Trent, UK. (creator of that most-wanted duck character: 'Jake the Drake'). Those brown-stuff brothers, - my virtual neighbours - Mike and Chris Thornton of Thorntons plc (chocs) UK, claimed pure coincidence, as a reason for their blatant theft of me duck.
Last summer I took a trip up to Thornton Park, Alfreton, in Derbyshire. Went there with the intention of seeing either or both the brothers Thornton - without their legal team - and asking them man-to-man what the fack was going on?
They didn't come down to reception to look me in the eye. They were both 'out' it seems. Brave souls. I was asked if I would make do with seeing the Personel Officer', for God's sake. "Can your Personel Officer write cheques?" I asked. No? Well don't bother, then!
So I took a few photos for my up-and-coming website, and then strolled around to the local Thorntons shop and did a couple of hours peaceful protest outside. Every other person to take a leaflet worked for the company, it seemed. Gave out a bucketful of my song tape: Duck In the Dock' and some badges. Nice place, Alfreton, and pretty good people.
At last started to get to grips with the web authoring skills, and any decent search engine should soon throw up a Jake the Drake reference.
Here's another glance at me score card.
1. Thornton brothers - or their in-house lawyer- refuse to come down and meet me on their own turf.
2. Thorntons refuse to come onto UK LEGAL (lawyers' Usenet NG) and discuss the legalities of this case on a public forum.
3. Thorntons refuse non-legal arbitration.
4. Thorntons say they will not chase the ten grand in taxed costs (from my failed injuction hearing etc) on condition that I pursue no further legal action.
5. Can't remember the others, and the phone charges are building up...:-)
What I have in mind, once I'm happy about web skills, is setting up a mock trial, in which anyone who's interested can chip in, be they layers, community artists, McPunters, for or against.... Be glad to hear from anyone who would mirror such a site for me, in the event of legal complications.
All the best. Carry on Trucking.
Ed Lane.
of Hanley, Stoke-on-Trent. UK.
tel UK 01782 213770 email: ed.lane@telinco.co.uk
None.
