[pyx]

... Free Republic agrees to pay the Los Angeles Times $5,000 and the Washington Post $5,000 (these negotiated amounts have already been paid).

... While this is not entirely a win for FR, neither is it a crushing defeat. Free Republic is alive and well and the fight against liberalism continues on.

I am VERY pleased that the court battles and worries accompanied with it are over for you, Jim.

But you'll have to forgive me Jim, I'm confused with your reply above. With all due respect, I'm sincerely interested in how one hand, as you admit above, this is indeed (sad to say) a defeat for Free Republic and yet this settlement not a complete defeat for the Fair Usage clause which, if I am not mistaken, was the original premise this was fought under ?

[Jim Robinson]

The judge's pre-trial ruling disallowed us the fair use defense based on her wrongly claimed commercial aspect of our operation. We've settled the case prior to completing the appeal. Her summary judgment ruling has no effect on fair use itself.