Public Statement - Dated 16 December 1995

This is a joint statement issued by Mr David Braben and Mr Ian Bell marking the end 
of Mr Braben's libel action against Mr Bell concerning statements made in an 
interview on the Games Domain Web-site.  This statement is a means of both parties 
avoiding time-consuming legal action, forgetting their differences, and concentrating 
on their current independent projects.

Mr Bell recognises that statements made during the interview and refered to in the 
libel action require retraction and clarification.  

1.  It was never Mr Bell's intention to suggest that Mr Braben ceased to pay Mr 
Sawyer his royalities on sales of "Frontier: Elite II".

2.  Mr Bell retracts his original statement concerning fraudulent copyright.  He now 
believes that Mr Braben did take authoritative legal advice before placing copyright 
statements to "Frontier: First Encounters".  On this basis, Mr Bell accepts that Mr 
Braben's copyright claim is not fraudulent.

3.  The issue concerning the dispatch and receipt of a complementary copy of 
"Frontier: Elite II" is recognised by both parties to be unimportant and has been 
ascribed to postal or administrative error.

Mr Bell apologies for any misunderstandings which may have arisen as a result of ill-
advised statements given during the interview.  Both parties now wish to close the 
debate.





Ian Bell								David Braben