Are we real?

gaf1983

I'm after coming across some guy's Finay Year Project entitled 'Good Name on the Line Online - The Tort of Defamation on the Internet' - it may have some answers to the questions posed in this thread.

Here it is:
http://www.skynet.ie/~beer/fyp/fyp.pdf

danniemcq

hmmm

http://www.theregister.co.uk/2006/03/23/internet_libel_payout/

it was the poster not the site (yahoo) that got done in this case against the UK independance party

Eru

seamus wrote:

Moved to Legal Discussion (and there's a similar thread already here).

In your example above, there are two possible cases for Danniemq sueing on the grounds of libel:

1) If you added in some contact details for the real-life Danniemq, then you have linked his actual persona with the statements you've made. This would also hold, if you said "Danniemq rogered my dog senseless", and then claimed that Danniemq's real persona was Kate Moss - Kate Moss could sue for libel (even though she doesn't even use boards).

2) If acquaintences of Dannie's are aware of the link between his online and actual personas, and take your comments as being serious.

In the latter case, Danniemq would have to prove the link between his personas, but that's not difficult.

The key is that Danniemq would have to assert that his reputation had been damaged in some way. If you made the statements, but nobody was aware of Dannie's real persona, or if the only people who know Dannie in real life, are you and Dannie, then he has no grounds for damage to his reputation.

It does also work the other way - if Dannie wished to sue for libel, he would sue boards as publisher. But if he wanted to sue you directly, he could use the trail you've left in your 4 years here to track you down. If he can show a logical, working link between you and your boards.ie persona, (posts on other forums where you used your real name, and the same email address as in a post you made here in 2003, for example) then he has you. You would have to provide evidence that counters his.

All true and wasn' t this the problem with Indymedia UK when a thread called for criminal acts and they were followed up? I cant rememebr fully but I believe servers and records were seized and charges at least contemplated if not actually brought.

AnnaStezia

I thought than an innuendo was an Italian suppositry.:)