CyberLaw Blog

Archive for the ‘Defamation’ Category

Lecturer wins £10,000 email libel payout: “A university which sent a department-wide email accusing a lecturer of expenses fraud has paid him £10,000 in an out-of-court libel settlement.”

(Via OUT-LAW News.)

Moderators say reader comments on news stories are higher risk than forums: “Media sites which ask readers to comment on news stories are at greater risk of bearing responsibility for those comments than for comments in online forums or discussion groups, leading web moderators have warned.”

(Via OUT-LAW News.)

Internet chat more likely slander than libel, says High Court: “Defamation on internet bulletin boards is more like slander than libel, a High Court judge has ruled. Mr Justice Eady said that bulletin board discussions are characterised by ‘give and take’ and should be considered in that context.”

(Via OUT-LAW News.)

Mosley orgy judge blocks web forum libel writ onslaught: “

No damages for ‘mere vulgar abuse’

The High Court judge who prompted sharp intakes of breath from newspaper editors when he awarded Max Mosley damages last week has now drawn sighs of relief from website owners, by blocking a web forum libel case that could have suffocated the flame wars that often rouse debate.…

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(Via The Register - Public Sector.)

Facebook libel case damages won: “A businessman wins £22,000 in libel and breach of privacy after his personal details were printed on the Facebook website.”

See also the Times coverage.

(Via BBC News.)

Facebook faker ordered to pay thousands in libel damages: “

Grudge judged

The High Court has today ordered a man who concocted a Facebook account to attack a former school friend to pay £22,000 in damages.…

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(Via The Register - Public Sector.)

Google defends helping police nab defamer: “Google helps police in Pune, India to arrest an user who allegedly posted vulgar information against a top Indian leader.

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(Via Macworld.)

Wikipedia goes to court to defend defamation immunity: “Wikipedia, the free, user-generated online encyclopedia, faces a court battle to protect itself from liability for everything that users post on the site. The company behind the site will argue that it should be granted immunity under US law.”

(Via OUT-LAW News.)

SCL: Internet Libel: Gentoo v Pallion: “Internet Libel: Gentoo v Pallion

Ashley Hurst of Olswangs, the firm that acted for the successful claimants in the Internet libel case, explains the background to the case.

Last week (3 April 2008), Peter Walls, the Chief Executive of the housing company Gentoo Group, accepted an out-of-court settlement of £100,000 damages for libel and harassment from a rival housing company and its owner. The settlement represents the highest payout to an Internet libel claimant to date and sends out a clear message to Internet users that online libels can be equally as damaging as serious allegations in newspapers.
The settlement marks the end of a two-year battle between Gentoo and the corporate defendant, Pallion Housing. Earlier this year, Pallion and its owner agreed to pay £19,000 damages to the company and several of its employees who had also been defamed and abused on the Internet. They have also been ordered to pay the substantial costs of the proceedings.
So why are the damages to be paid to Peter Walls so high? The answer lies in a number of factors.”

(Via .)