FC: German allows irony on the web after all, court rules

[Declan McCullagh <declan () well com>]

---

From: Vance Kochenderfer <vkochend () nyx net>
Subject: Germany allows irony on the web
To: declan () well com
Date: Wed, 8 Jan 2003 15:43:22 -0700 (MST)

Perhaps of interest to the Politech list.

   <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/2639755.stm>

   Germany allows irony on the web

   A German court has cleared a man over the nature of comments about the
   11 September attacks he posted on the internet.

   Holger Voss was accused of "glorification of a criminal act" after
   appearing to praise the hijackers in comments he has insisted were
   meant sarcastically.

   He had written a final sentence at the foot of his remarks - posted
   last summer on the Telepolis message board - which he said had
   indicated that the sentiments expressed were not to be taken
   seriously.

[...]

   Mr Voss had faced three years in jail if he had been found guilty of
   the charges.

   Critics say the fact that the case was brought before the court in the
   first place bodes ill for freedom of speech on the web.

[...]




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