A couple of weeks ago I posted about how Jagex, the creator of Runescape, was threatening the owner of a website that purports to offer tips on how to earn gold quickly in Runescape. I also mentioned the name of one Mohammed Khan, an employee of Jagex. Someone(s) at Jagex must read this blog, as I received an email from them this morning regarding that post. I am quoting it here verbatim:

Dear Sir/Madam,

It has come to our attention that you are running further stories about Jagex Ltd., which of course, in the interests of free press, you are welcome to do.

I would like to politely request, however, that you remove any details (name and contact for example of our employees). Mohammed Khan is involved in the community management team at Jagex Ltd. and has the same rights as you or I to privacy. We recently discovered there is an article on your site that discusses various actions Mohammed has taken on behalf of our company with regards to the protection of our intellectual property rights.

In the interest of privacy we would ask that you please remove his, and the details of any other employee, from your site.

We hope you understand our concerns, and that you will help us in this matter. We would appreciate your help greatly. Thank you.

Chris Rayner
Unit Leader
ICU
Customer Relations Department
Jagex Ltd.

Here’s the thing, Chris: I do understand your concerns. I also appreciate the fact that your request was worded so politely, but I’m afraid that it’s not in my nature to react well to requests that I censor what I want to say, regardless of how good-natured in tone and trivial in nature the censorship would be.

I’ll make you a deal though: If Jagex stops harrassing the poor guy at GamingPays! and sends me an email stating that it will not pursue further action against GamingPays!, I’ll take Mohammed’s name off my blog and scrub yours off my blog too. I have no relationship to GamingPays! and have never corresponded with its owner, incidentally. Clumsy attempts at censorship just irritate me.