CDA shields America OnLine from suit
Article Abstract:
The US 4th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled in Zeran v. America OnLine that American OnLine could not be sued for defamatory messages posted on its Internet service. In April 1995, an anonymous posting appeared advertising T-shirts with sarcastic slogans regarding the Oklahoma City federal building bombing. The posting said the T shirts could be ordered from another America OnLine subscriber. The subscriber sued America OnLine. The appellate court affirmed a district court decision in denying the suit. The Communications Decency Act of 1996 protects Internet service providers from being sued for defamatory remarks posted by third parties.
Publication Name: News Media & the Law
Subject: Literature/writing
ISSN: 0149-0737
Year: 1998
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Reprinted article with additions has different meaning than original story
Article Abstract:
The Pennsylvania Supreme Court found that inconsistency in libel verdicts involving the same newspaper series was permissible because the reprint of the series involved the addition of cartoons and an editorial that changed the context of the statements. Libel was not found after the original publication, but the subsequent trial involving the reprinted series resulted in a verdict for the plaintiff. The Court felt that the editorial, the cartoons and the different audience the reprint was distributed to could affect falsity.
Publication Name: News Media & the Law
Subject: Literature/writing
ISSN: 0149-0737
Year: 1996
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