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Organisers of fake adverts have grounds to sue Shell for defamation?

Shell says spoof video and fake adverts are scams

STATEMENT ON SHELL U.S. WEBSITE

Shell not involved in spoof video and fake advertisements

07/19/2012

Journalists, blog readers and YouTube viewers have recently been targeted with scams launched by organizations opposed to energy exploration in Alaska.

Journalists, blog readers and YouTube viewers have recently been targeted with scams launched by organizations opposed to energy exploration in Alaska.   A contest on a mock Shell website promotes the creation of fake advertisements.   A video purports to show a bungled corporate PR event at the Seattle Space Needle.  And a false press release claimed that the company is considering legal action against the scam campaign.
 
Just in case there is any remaining doubt, Shell did not host, nor participate in an event at the Space Needle.  The video does not involve Shell or any of its employees.  The advertising contest is not associated with Shell, and neither is the site it’s on.  And Shell did not file legal action in this matter.  Our focus is on safely executing our operations.
Further, we care that people are not deceived; and in the spirit of intelligent debate on such a serious topic, we continue to offer our own (genuine) views as well as a few real facts about the challenges and opportunities of arctic exploration at www.shell.us/alaska.
ENDS

COMMENT BY JOHN DONOVAN

The parties responsible for the fake adverts etc may well have grounds to sue Shell for  a serious defamation, as the term “scams” implies that the purpose of the deception is for monetary gain, when in fact the Arctic related activity is entirely non commercial, except on the part of Shell. The oil giant over-reacted once in response to our campaigning activity by putting posters on display at the Shell  Centre containing libelous comments about the Donovans. Shell senior management has been known to act recklessly when over-excited. We promptly sued Shell for defamation and Shell eventually settled the case. One of our six successful High Court actions against Shell. Two were libel cases.

Dictionary definition

a confidence game or other fraudulent scheme, especially for making a quick profit; swindle.
This website and sisters royaldutchshellgroup.com, shellnazihistory.com, royaldutchshell.website, johndonovan.website, and shellnews.net, are owned by John Donovan. There is also a Wikipedia segment.

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