Rancourt has used his U of O Watch blog to publish highly critical analyses of the University of Ottawa administration. He has also made use of university-copyrighted images (including those of high-administration officials) in his postings, which the university has demanded he remove. Additionally, Borden Ladner Gervais (BLG), Canada's third largest law firm, has threatened Rancourt with libel and defamation suits over the matter. Of significance, the chair of the university's Board of Governors, Marc Jolicoeur, is also a partner with BLG. Rancourt has refused to remove the images, however, arguing that existing regulations allow professors to use university-copyrighted images in works presenting the school positively. In his interpretation, using images to complement blog posts critical of the administration has the function of promoting the institution by showing that it is open to self-criticism, which Rancourt claims is positive and necessary for a university. For maintaining the images on his blog, a closed door Board of Governors meeting in September 2008 issued a one day administrative suspension for Rancourt.(* *)
