trademarks.) Violation of FedEx's terms of use for packaging supplies. In order to take advantage of the safe harbor provisions of the DMCA, Avila's ISP complied with the request and removed Avila's materials from the Web. Had the ISP not done so, it could have been held liable for contributory infringement (aiding and abetting the infringer) if Avila's materials were subsequently found to be infringing in a court of law. FedEx's actions concerned Internet free speech activist organizations, such as Stanford University's Center for Internet and Society, which are concerned about the use of the DMCA's takedown provisions to censor unwanted speech. According to these organizations, the DMCA's purpose is to prevent Internet copyright infringement; it was never Congress's intent that the DMCA's takedown provisions should be used when the real issue is trademark infringement or breach of contract. A Stanford attorney, Jennifer Granick, assisted Avila on a pro bono basis. In her letter to FedEx, she disputed the use of the DMCA to remove Avila's site from the Web; she argued that the company's claim of copyright infringement had no merit; therefore, FedEx should not have used the DMCA to silence Avila's speech. The company's underlying motivations, she argued, were to protect its trademark and ability to place restrictions on public use of its cartons. Avila restored his site briefly. The dispute attracted widespread press attention, and Avila was frequently interviewed to tell his side of the story. In response to Granick's letter, FedEx attorneys reiterated their claims. Subsequently, Avila removed his site from the Web, citing technical difficulties. By January 2006, Avila's site had returned, however, by June 30, 2006 the site had again disappeared. This was caused by a server crash, and as of July 27, 2006 it was back online, but as of August 16, 2007 the site is gone. It popped up again in October 2007, but is currently down (July 8, 2017). References The Fedexfurniture Story. CounterThink, "Free Speech Under Attack (August 11, 2005). FedEx takedown notice. Also see FedEx to Via Internet, June 27, 2005. Marjorie Heins and Tricia Beckels (2005), "Will Fair Use Survive? Free Expression in the Age of Copyright Control". New York, NY: Brennan Center for Justice, New York University School of Law. Stanford Center for Internet & Society to FedEx, August 9, 2005. "FedEx Speaks!. 353 F.3d 792 ( 9th Circuit, 2003). External links fedexfurniture.com @ web.archive.org Slashdot thread