According to Slyck.com's editor, Thomas Mennecke, he has been asked to remove certain forum threads discussing copyright actions in which UK solicitor firm ACS:Law is involved.
A letter from ACS:Law, made available on Slyck.com, alleges that particular threads contain "defamatory" comments towards the law firm and clients of the firm. Slyck.com responded by denying that the comments were defamatory, claiming they were "at worst hyperbolic opinions".
In January, BBC News reported that ACS:Law has issued "thousands" of letters asking suspected file-sharers for financial settlements.
"Many customers and concerned netizens have come to Slyck to discuss their predicaments. They have also organised against ACS:Law and other law firms involved in copyright enforcement," Mennecke told Journalism.co.uk.
Slyck.com is refusing to comply with ACS:Law requests and instead last week published an account of the legal correspondence. In addition, Slyck has blocked all user accounts and IP addresses associated with ACS:Law solicitor Andrew Crossley from the site.
"We consider this legal threat non-actionable because of the protections afforded to us by the US Constitution, Section 230, the Libel Terrorism Protection Act, several other laws protecting free speech, and the fact that we're outside the legal jurisdiction of the United Kingdom," Mennecke told Journalism.co.uk.
"These discussion threads are one of several very important and active online locations where people can discuss the UK file-sharing lawsuits, copyright reform, and the activities of law firms like ACS:Law.
"We never gave the threat any serious consideration whatsoever - other than to reject it."
ACS:Law solicitor Andrew Crossley told Journalism.co.uk he had "no comment" to make regarding his correspondence with Slyck.com, "other than to say this matter is still ongoing".
But, he added, Slyck.com's online account of the dispute was "suitably inaccurate".
"We write to account holders of internet connections where an infringement of copyright has been identified as having occurred and we make an enquiry of the recipient of our letters in that regard," Crossley said.
"Our initial letter makes no demand and makes no accusation. What it does do is invite the recipient of our initial letter to enter into a compromise agreement to avoid the matter possibly resulting in court action."
Slyck.com is in the process of drafting a public letter to US Senator Patrick Leahy in an attempt to "jump start" the Free Speech Protection Act in the Judiciary Committee stage, Thomas Mennecke said. "This law will protect all Americans from libel tourists overseas," he added.
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