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CA Court: Message Boards Are Opinions, Not Facts

Posted by chrisd on from the special-rights-for-special-people dept.

Masem writes: "According to this Newsbytes story, a CA appeals court has issued a ruling that says that typical messages posted to internet message boards can not be considered as libel or slander, as they inheritently are framed as opinions and not as statements of fact. The case stems from rather negative comments posted by defendants about a computer reseller company on the internet; the company sued for libelous comments; lower courts did initially rule for the company, but the appeals court has overturned this. While not every message posted in a public forum is safe, the court's decision seems to convey that unless the message is framed as a form of fact, then any message posted to a public internet forum should be considered as opinion, and thus cannot be considered as a libelous comment."

6 of 297 comments (clear)

  1. SLASHDOT SUCKS! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Heh, can't be sued for libel.

  2. Thank heavens! by peacefinder · · Score: 3, Troll

    Well, that should relieve everyone on Slashdot no end! :)

    --
    With reasonable men I will reason; with humane men I will plead; but to tyrants I will give no quarter. -- William Lloyd
  3. I think they are wrong. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    Some things people post on message might be opinions, but just look at this link and you'll recognize that some things are just plain facts.

    This surely gets down to -1, but hello mod, isn't there a little voice in your head that say that somehow this is insightful ?

  4. FUCK YOU!! by gmplague · · Score: 0, Troll

    Fuck you all mother fuckers! Slashdot is the trashiest site on the internet! Haha, lets see you sue me for libel.

    --
    __________________________________________
    Take comfort in your ignorance.
    Grandmaster Plague
  5. Re:That's good news... by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0, Troll

    That's funny, Hugh, because when I was having sex with your mom this morning, I noticed that she was wearing army boots also!

  6. guess what, you fucked up twat by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Troll

    well, good, now I can insult Dr. Bob

    Dr. Bob is a motherfucking dick sucking bitch fucking faggot from hell and he likes to suck lots of hard dick. He has 26 boyfriends that all give blowjobs to him every single day. He's a fuckface and should be killed. I'm gonna kill his fucking ass and rip his balls off and shove them so far down his throat his feet explode. He deserves all this cuz he rapes monkeys and eats his mom's pussy every night. He has no friends and every one hates him. He's a sadass motherfucker fag from hell and likes to eat monkey ass. Fuck him!!!!!!

    And now I don't even have to put IMO in front of it!! Thank god!!!