Hi folks, I have a problem that's unique in my experience. A couple of years ago I asked a friend to let me run a mailing list for an organization I was in. When I left the group, I continued to run the list as an act of charity. Recently, my "friend", on the strength of a phone call from someone he trusts, gave control of my list, which I built up to over 200 subscribers with very little advertising, to representatives of a chapter of this organization without so much as a word to me. When I protested and demanded that he terminate the list, he shut it down temporarily, but it's back in service now. I am loathe to involve attorneys in this, but I have spoken briefly to an intellectual properties specialist, who characterized the situation basically as theft of services. I'm expecting a second opinion by the end of the week, but I'd like to hear what you folks think. Background info: the organization is national, with chapters in most major cities. The people who have usurped the list represent the chapter I was in, but at no time was the list restricted to members of this chapter. Indeed, some of my subscribers are from other countries! I have had conflicts with the people involved in the past, except for the list administrator, so it's not like I pissed him off or anything. One of them claimed that the list was being taken over because I published a series of private messages he sent to me. When I called to discuss this the first time, my "friend" justified his behaviour by telling me that it wasn't my personal list; he had given the list to the group. This was never my understanding, however; if I wanted to change the name and/or focus of the group, I understood that I was free to do so. I never signed any contracts for the list, but the lawyer I talked to assured me that the verbal contract and copies of the material published on the list would be credible evidence should a trial be necessary... My position is simple. Even though the chapter of this organization is not entitled to challenge the name of the list, I would change the name if that would end the controversy. However, I built the mailing list, and I think I have the usual property rights as the original owner. I would settle for having the list shut down and enjoining the perpetrators from using my subscriber list. They are free to build their own list, but they have no rights regarding my subscriber base. Am I in left field here, or home base?