... I can only assume that he's claiming that the route itself is his intellectual property and that nobody is allowed to write about it...
The very idea that a route can be copyrighted seems to me to be ludicrous. Any accompanying description, points of interest, background information and so on is in a completely different category, but a route is just a route - and it can be discovered, followed, discussed and recommended by anyone.
I run a forum that focuses on cruising, but as my interest in that activity waned I added more and more about other travel - and especially about walking. I've written up hundreds of my walks and I include maps (Google Earth tracks), but I've not been targetted!
Thanks for mentioning your website, it looks great and I'll have a proper look around soon.
Thanks also for introducing Mr Merrill. I'd never heard of him and he seems to be quite a walker... if a rather slow one.