The law firm representing Morrissey has requested removal of comment #225255 on the grounds of copyright infringement and I have complied. This answers the recent debate over the authenticity of the letter.

Below is the original request:

This law firm represents Morrissey. I am authorized to act on his behalf with respect to his intellectual property rights. It has recently come to our attention that a user on your website has posted a letter from Morrissey to Merck Mercuriadis at Sanctuary Records. This violates Morrissey's copyright in his letter. The letter can be accessed via the following link on your website:

http://www.morrissey-solo.com/comments.pl?sid=23770&cid=225255

Use of the material in this manner is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agents, or the law. As you are aware, under the Digital Millennium Copyright Act Title 17 U.S.C. §512(c), having now been informed that this infringing material can be accessed via your website, you will be liable for copyright infringement should you refuse to remove the offending material. Please confirm immediately that you will cooperate and remove the offending material from your website.

Thank you for your anticipated prompt cooperation.

The information provided herein is accurate under penalty of perjury.

Sincerely,

/s/ Gregory Gabriel
Gregory S. Gabriel
Kinsella Weitzman Iser Kump & Aldisert LLP