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Manchester CPub How Do

How Do ownership dispute rumbles on as second email is sent to website's database over Northern Marketing Awards ownership

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By The Drum Team, Editorial

May 3, 2012 | 3 min read

The row over the ownership of website How Do and its awards has intensified with Mark Garner, publisher of Manchester Confidential, having sent a second email to the website’s entire database, once again claiming that Nick Jaspan’s company Northern Publishing did not own the Northern Marketing Awards, and highlighting his intention to make a complaint to police over the situation.

A second email was sent this morning (3 March) and once again claimed that Jaspan’s company was ‘passing themselves off’ as the owners of HowDo.co.uk, as well as its advertising rights and its annual events.

“’Passing Off' is the lawyers polite term for theft,” the email said.

“Mr. Jaspan can expect the same treatment as someone bottling fizzy brown water, labelling it Coca-Cola and taking payment for it.

“It is wrong.

“The directors of How-Do Ltd wish to make it clear that any one person or firm doing business with any products or services offered by Mr. Jaspan, his staff, or indeed Northern Publishing Ltd, cannot expect recompense from How-Do Ltd in any way, shape or form in the event that Mr. Jaspan suddenly finds himself indisposed and his company being investigated by the relevant authorities,” the email continued, before signing off as being from the directors of How-Do ltd.

The emailed also said that the complaint would be made to police next week.

At the time of writing Jaspan had no comment on the claims, but was understood to be in touch with his solicitors.

Lat week, at the How Do Awards, Manchester Confidential representative Helen Ramsbottom tweeted that she had been ejected from the venue before proceedings got underway.

The issues surrounding the ownership of the company hail back to a deal agreed between Jaspan and Garner last year, which apparently saved How Do from closure. Jaspan then left the company, taking the logins to the How Do website and four members of staff with him in January, after becoming concerned over the impending liquidation of one of Garner’s companies, Cpub.

The first email sent by Garner purported to be an apology from the publisher of How-Do over its recent coverage of Manchester Confidential's parent company, Cpub Ltd, being wound-up in the High Court.

Manchester CPub How Do

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