The Freecycle Network have the registered name in the UK, inthe US it is trademarked and they get Yahoo to close down any groups using the name.
The group is still being run by & involving local people and has simply changed to the
Realcycle Network which is also on Yahoo.
The Realcycle Network was setup by ex Freecycle international moderators who left because they too were not happy with how Freecycle is being run.
AT the bottom we do all the work then get crapped on by those above, changing the group was the only way of preventing TFN from closing it down.
The Freecycle website now has 2 new groups to replace those that have just disappeared except they will run on the freecycle servers and not Yahoo.
The Freecycle sites are crap, but they will get the revenue from any advertising.
More money for Deron Beal.
I'm sure you can google for the discontent in Freecycle.