News: Book publisher to drop lawsuit against McMaster librarian (Updated)

http://www.cbc.ca/hamilton/news/story/2013/03/04/hamilton-librarian-lawsuits-dropped.html

The filing claimed that McMaster is liable for allowing Askey “to continue the publications” and for refusing to force him to take the posting down.

The lawsuits inspired scholars from around North America to rally behind Askey. Created by Martha Reineke, a professor of religion at the University of Northern Iowa, a petition demanding EMP to drop its lawsuits had garnered more than 3,100 names as of Monday morning.

EMP told CBC Hamilton on Monday that it “has discontinued the court case against McMaster University and Dale Askey.”

In a statement, the company added: “financial pressure of the social media campaign and press on authors is severe. EMP is a small company. Therefore [it] must choose to focus its resources on its business and serving its authors.”

Hooray! There’s something about that last line that irks me though….

WOAH – Dale just tweeted that only one of the suits is dropped. The other is still active. Stay tuned!