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Path: utzoo!mnetor!uunet!husc6!rutgers!mcnc!xanth!kyle
From: kyle@xanth.UUCP (Kyle Jones)
Newsgroups: news.admin,misc.legal
Subject: Re: Responsibility for postings.
Message-ID: <2679@xanth.UUCP>
Date: Wed, 7-Oct-87 21:15:22 EDT
Article-I.D.: xanth.2679
Posted: Wed Oct  7 21:15:22 1987
Date-Received: Sat, 10-Oct-87 16:50:37 EDT
References: <378d6016.b8ab@apollo.uucp> <5261@jade.BERKELEY.EDU> <2050@kitty.UUCP> <4611@videovax.Tek.COM>
Lines: 20
Xref: mnetor news.admin:1129 misc.legal:3028

In <4611@videovax.Tek.COM>, Steven E. Rice, P.E. writes:
> If Mr. Lippman were a litigious person, it is very possible that he
> might file suit against not just the site that originated the offending
> article, but against *all* sites on the USENET that carried *any* of the
> newsgroups that contained the article in question.

This is ridiculous.  I suppose if a local DJ slandered a famous
personality (and they do that a lot around here) and I had the radio
on I would be liable as well.

> What do you think would happen to USENET if such a suit were filed,
> naming the owners and administrators of all the sites in the USENET map
> as defendants?

Unknown.  But I think the plaintiff of such a suit would have a hard
time gathering evidence of the malicious intent of hundreds of system
administrators who were probably asleep (unaware) when the offending
article was forwarded.

kyle jones  <kyle@odu.edu>  old dominion university, norfolk, va  usa