Thursday, May 27, 2004
FindLaw's Writ - Hilden: Why You Can't Sue Google:
"The Reason Defamation Law Applies to News Sites, But Not News Search Sites, And What This May Mean For the Future
By JULIE HILDEN - julhil@aol.com - Tuesday, May. 25, 2004
As Google prepares for its Initial Public Offering, it's worth reflecting on a special advantage the law gives to it, and to other, similar search sites: Such sites are, in effect, immune from much of the liability risk a traditional publisher of news and other factual information faces.
For publishers of books, magazines, newspapers and the like, publishing, or even re-publishing, a false statement can trigger defamation liability. But, for reasons I will explain, the same is not true for search sites like Google.
Search sites can provide access to information that may be false, without worrying about the risk of a defamation suit. (No wonder, then, that Google's stock may turn out to be valuable; some of the value it will have doubtless comes from this special legal bonus.)
In this column, I will discuss what implications this may have for the future of news publications, on the Internet and off..."
"The Reason Defamation Law Applies to News Sites, But Not News Search Sites, And What This May Mean For the Future
By JULIE HILDEN - julhil@aol.com - Tuesday, May. 25, 2004
As Google prepares for its Initial Public Offering, it's worth reflecting on a special advantage the law gives to it, and to other, similar search sites: Such sites are, in effect, immune from much of the liability risk a traditional publisher of news and other factual information faces.
For publishers of books, magazines, newspapers and the like, publishing, or even re-publishing, a false statement can trigger defamation liability. But, for reasons I will explain, the same is not true for search sites like Google.
Search sites can provide access to information that may be false, without worrying about the risk of a defamation suit. (No wonder, then, that Google's stock may turn out to be valuable; some of the value it will have doubtless comes from this special legal bonus.)
In this column, I will discuss what implications this may have for the future of news publications, on the Internet and off..."
Comments:
Post a Comment
