This is a FAQ (Frequestly Asked Questions) page posted by this site and many other Simpsons sites around the web. It was part of a "blackout" campaign started by a Simpsons fan who was tired of seeing great Simpsons sites shut down. This campaign was held between February 21st to the 27th in 2000, and was used to raise awareness to the practices of Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation's lawyers who send out harsh, threatening letters to the webmasters of Simpsons sites. However, as one of the victims of Fox, I feel the need to continue to create awareness of the situation which still affects many Simpsons websites today.

To stop the shutting down of websites devoted to Fox's program, "The Simpsons." For years webmasters have been trying to create websites which Simpson fanatics could enjoy, with literally thousands of multimedia files and interactive features to bring Springfield, and its inhabitants, a little closer to home. For a while, it seemed FOX was beginning to listen to its fans when they stopped sending Cease & Desist orders. Now, they're back, this site, and many others included.

Currently the web is home to over 1000 Simpsons sites, most of which contain multimedia, including sound clips, pictures, framegrabs, or even full length episodes. Each website is created in an effort to spread Simpsonmania further than it has already gone, and is certainly not intended to hurt, change or take away from anything the show has accomplished over the last 16 years. We, as a web community, have devoted hundreds of hours of our free time to carefully creating websites of quality, in a kind of "by the fans, for the fans" relaxed environment. FOX, in the meantime, has sought to stop webmasters from posting things like sounds, wallpaper, movies and framegrabs.

Our campaign is not to aid webmasters in making money off of what they do not own. We are here to represent the people who create sites for fun, not solely for the profits. Even these people get letters from FOX demanding an immediate removal of content. It is simply not fair to force a site to shut down for giving a TV show FREE publicity.

Through e-mails called "Cease & Desist Orders". These are basically letters that are threatening legal action if certain material is considered "illegal." In other words, it's a fancy way for FOX to bring down its wrath on teenage webmasters who are simply appreciating a work of brilliance. The sites aren't forced to close their doors but many of these site owners panic and see no other solution, or their butchered sites are left with nothing to offer.

Your site isn't likely to be hit unless it's one of the most popular on the net. If you think your site may eventuate into this, try not to use masses of multimedia content and they will probably leave you alone. Definitely stray away from full-length episodes because even we firmly believe that is illegal. If you're creating a site for your own fun and don't expect many people to visit it, content such as sounds, movies, and pictures will be fairly safe to put up. Last of all, go ahead and make your page. Don't let this situation get to your head. Have fun, and make a great dedication to the show you love ever so much.

Write a letter to FOX, either by hand or via email through their website. Let them know how disgusted you are about it. Better yet, email your local newspaper and get them to do a report on the situation. The New York Times has published an article on this matter before.. if the word spreads, we can help the hundreds of sites which have fallen victim to FOX, and those that will be hit in the future.

You can contact FOX's lawfirm, KMWLAW via their website at www.kmwlaw.com