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Path: utzoo!linus!security!genrad!grkermit!masscomp!clyde!ihnp4!inuxc!pur-ee!uiucdcs!uiuccsb!leimkuhl
From: leimkuhl@uiuccsb.UUCP
Newsgroups: net.misc
Subject: Re: Re: are we a member of the press - (nf)
Message-ID: <4474@uiucdcs.UUCP>
Date: Tue, 13-Dec-83 04:28:33 EST
Article-I.D.: uiucdcs.4474
Posted: Tue Dec 13 04:28:33 1983
Date-Received: Fri, 16-Dec-83 01:42:43 EST
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#R:hao:-75100:uiuccsb:9900031:000:882
uiuccsb!leimkuhl    Dec 12 23:16:00 1983


   Perhaps the best way to look at this is with a judge's eyes.  If 
someone is sued for placing libelous material on the net, a trial
judge will try to find experience that relates to the new medium.  It
is typical in law to seek precedent (sometimes in convoluted form) for
any particular.

  I think the best analogy is to a public bulletin board.  So the
question really is this: 
    If you pin a slanderous letter on a public bulletin board, would
    the slandered party have legal grounds for compensation?

  In most cases the answer is yes, and probably network authors have
done more than that, since they have in effect duplicated (perhaps 
"published") the slander.

  Another question:  do letters mailed (electronically or otherwise)
containing slander constitute legal offense?

  Ben Leimkuhler
  (uiucdcs!uiuccsb!leimkuhl)

  (Maybe we should move to net.legal?)