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August 15, 2003

Bloggers Gain Libel Protection

Wired News: Bloggers Gain Libel Protection

By Xeni Jardin
02:00 AM Jun. 30, 2003 PT

The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled last Tuesday that Web loggers, website operators and e-mail list editors can't be held responsible for libel for information they republish, extending crucial First Amendment protections to do-it-yourself online publishers.

Online free speech advocates praised the decision as a victory. The ruling effectively differentiates conventional news media, which can be sued relatively easily for libel, from certain forms of online communication such as moderated e-mail lists. One implication is that DIY publishers like bloggers cannot be sued as easily.

"One-way news publications have editors and fact-checkers, and they're not just selling information -- they're selling reliability," said Cindy Cohn, legal director of the Electronic Frontier Foundation. "But on blogs or e-mail lists, people aren't necessarily selling anything, they're just engaging in speech. That freedom of speech wouldn't exist if you were held liable for every piece of information you cut, paste and forward."

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Read It Rating: 6
Left/Right Rating: 0
Freedom Rating: 1.5
Learning Percentage: 70%

Posted by Lance Brown at August 15, 2003 03:43 PM | TrackBack
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