Greenpeace hailed a Paris judge's ruling permitting the use of a parody of the Esso logo on its StopEsso website as a victory for freedom of expression on the internet, as well as for the climate. The court ruled that the internet site, which features a parody logo with a double dollar sign ($$) in place of the double "S" in the oil giant's logo, was within acceptable limits of freedom of expression. Esso France began legal action against Greenpeace in France in July 2002. It claimed that the parody logo linked the company to the infamous Nazi 'SS' and damaged Esso's reputation.
We launched StopEsso against the oil giant in 2001 when Bush pulled the US out of the international negotiations to tackle climate change. Esso continues insist that global warming has nothing to do with the burning of fossil fuels.
"They have spent millions in its fight to stop the world's government's tackling climate change, and were behind Bush pulling out of the Kyoto Protocol. Esso obviously thought this case would be an easy win but it was wrong. Today's ruling is a victory in the fight to protect the climate against a company that will go to any means to silence its critics," said Greenpeace campaigner, Anita Goldsmith.
