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UK Libel Law Is a Global Threat To Web Free Speech

Posted by Soulskill on from the careful-what-you-tweet dept.

uctpjac writes "London media lawyer Emily MacManus argues that UK libel law has three features which make it the 'defamation tourism' capital of the world and a serious threat to Web free speech. First, there is no free speech presumption in the UK as there is, for example, in the US. Second, every access of a Web page is considered to be a separate act of publication in the UK (unlike the US, where 'original publication' holds). Third, 'no-win-no-fee' libel litigation is now allowed in the UK. If any blog, anywhere, publishes something you'd like taken down, threaten libel action in the UK: no one except the super-rich can afford to even take these cases to court, so media lawyers advise publishers to 'take it down, take it down quickly, take it down again.' There's not much chance that the judges will move the law any time soon because they just aren't seeing the cases that could cause them to set new precedent."

5 of 363 comments (clear)

  1. Right to Free Speech != Right to Defame by CodeArtisan · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    So, in summary, UK law prevents a poster from making libelous claims on the web. I didn't think the right to free speech came with the right to defame; even in the US.

  2. Re:lol by 2.7182 · · Score: 0, Flamebait

    A lot of people I know in academia brag about it. But it is so hard to find a job in academia in Europe that they move to the US. Then they complain about how terrible the US is, without making the connection that for some reason the terrible things we do make it possible for them to have a job here.

  3. Re:lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Yes, and USians brag and boast........

    Better than being Eurotrash.....or Eurotrash wannabees.

  4. Re:lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait
    Yeah, it's funny how many of those "ordinary people" after their release were subsequently recaptured after getting right back to killing our boys again. They were only let go the first time because of political pressure from mewling punks like you. You piece of shit, you dare call us despicable yet you support events being set in motion that cause our good men to come home in boxes. You fucking piece of dirt. Why don't you just go over to Iraq or Afghanistan and tell the troops that yourself and see how long you last?

    You Europeans have seen war and terrorism up close and personal yet you cower when it comes time to confront it. You're pathetic. No wonder your rights to free speech are being taken away. You don't have the will to do anything about it. You deserve it. Cowards.

  5. Re:lol by Anonymous Coward · · Score: -1, Flamebait

    Yeah, that's right bitch, if there is any possibility for contention, take your default position of defending the enemy. I mean, shit, we can make up scenarios to justify that all day. They were just in the wrong place at the wrong time, right? Those guns and incendiaries were just for home defense. I'm sure. You make me sick. While you are fantasizing about our enemies' innocence, people are dying. That's real fucking logical. Hope you are fucking proud. Pussy motherfucker. You sound like you're due for your pap-smear you fucking bitch.