The Register Out-Law’s Intergrity
Published by Siddiq Bello June 12th, 2006 in AllOfMP3, Conjecture, Music Musings.
This may come as a bit of a shock but I didnt invent the idea of witty commentary wrapped around news, editorials ramblings and wild conjecture. The boffins at Vulture Central have been offering the tech community this kind of fare, apparently since 1994. While a loyal reader of El Reg, recent articles have made me begin to question their editorial integrity and commitment to journalistic ideals.
When you go to any of the tech tabloid websites you expect to get the very best lampooning of corporate PR and dismantling of corporate FUD. How The Register came to be an outlet for the ludditte musings of a 1,500 person law firm, using an online “magazine” as editorial cover for passing out marketing materials, is beyond me. The receptionist that answered the phone at the Registers UK offices would not confirm that Pinset Pinsent Masons (the boffins behind Out-Law.com) was paying the Register millions of dollars to run its crappy marketing pieces. I was passed off to a really sweet woman in accounts-payable who offered to find the answer for me, after she checked with the “directors”.
“The site exists because we want you to choose our law firm when you need more help.”
-Out-Law.com
Out-Law.com first appeared as a by line on The Register back in 2003 and pops up periodically on slow news days. One should discount their statements as attempts to drum up business and billable hours for the firm. In an article attacking Allofmp3.com Pinsent Masons, writing as Out-Law.com, quotes John MacKenzie, a lawyer at Pinsent Masons, claiming that AllofMP3.com would be guilty if sued in British courts (especially if represented by Pinsent Masons). Besides the circular disclaimers and self-referential quotes, the article also pretends to have direct access to the folks at AllofMP3.com but the statements it quotes are almost certainly pulled from the document posted on Allofmp3’s site a few days ago.
Original out-law.com “article”:
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/05/30/allofmp3_illegal/
. . . just out of interest, what’s the difference between Pinset Masons & Pinsent Masons. Google makes the same “mistake”, or is it a mistake?
Thanks Neil
The lawyers in the city of Pinset appreciate your vigilance. -SB