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more on Australia makes landmark net ruling
From: Dave Farber <dave () farber net>
Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 14:50:13 -0500
------ Forwarded Message From: Steven Cherry <s.cherry () ieee org> Date: Tue, 10 Dec 2002 12:18:22 -0500 To: Dave Farber <dave () farber net> Subject: Re: <[IP]> Australia makes landmark net ruling Dave, certainly an important case. The article says, "... the high court said that lawsuits would only be brought in places where the person bringing the case had a reputation to defend. 'In all except the most unusual of cases, identifying the person about whom material is to be published will readily identify the defamation law to which that person resorts'." That might be true in Australia, but it needn't be true everywhere. For example, is it true of Zimbabwe? Earlier this year, a reporter for a British newspaper, The Guardian, was arrested there for "publishing falsehoods," even though the newspaper is available there solely on a UK Web site. In an article in Spectrum magazine a couple of months ago, Dave Bannisar of Privacy International wrote: "The crime, publishing statements that turn out to be false, however credible they are at the time of publication, is different from libel and is nonexistent in many countries, including the UK. ... cases involving libel and defamation are especially problematic. In many places, Zimbabwe included, truth is not a defense. Even those who report about the activities of government officials or government bodies can be charged with libel, which may be considered a criminal offense." <http://www.spectrum.ieee.org/WEBONLY/resource/oct02/webs.html> Steven ------ End of Forwarded Message ------------------------------------- You are subscribed as interesting-people () lists elistx com To unsubscribe or update your address, click http://v2.listbox.com/member/?listname=ip Archives at: http://www.interesting-people.org/archives/interesting-people/
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- more on Australia makes landmark net ruling Dave Farber (Dec 10)