U.K. Internet services seek legal change; Internet service providers in the United Kingdom lobby to change 1996 Defamation Act in order to curb their potential liability

Article Abstract:

Internet service providers (ISPs) in the UK are attempting to coax changes in the UK Defamation Act 1996 that would limit their liability for defamatory information published on World Wide Web (WWW) sites by their subscribers. The high court judgement against the defendants in the libel case, McDonald's Corp v. Steel & Morris, and publication of the offending document on the WWW by the defendants' supporters, led to the ISPs' lobbying effort. Other nations, such as Germany and the US, are moving toward limiting the liability of ISPs for the dissemination of defamatory information by their subscribers.

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Internal investigations can result in libel suits; by reporting on an employee's misdeeds, companies may face risks of defamation litigation

Article Abstract:

Corporations suspecting employee wrongdoing consider internal investigations often a necessary part of finding out the details and minimizing criminal liability, but the danger of a libel suit by the employee investigated remains very real, and there are examples of such suits. A corporation's succeedings with either an absolute or qualified privileges can mean the difference between trial and summary judgment of a libel claim. If the corporation successfully characterizes the plaintiff as a public figure, the plaintiff must prove malice, not just negligence.

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Does defamation on Web create liability for ISPs? Cases suggest providers are not liable for the libelous posts of others

Article Abstract:

Whether Internet service providers are liable for defamation by their subscribers is discussed. Some of the state rulings follow the "single publication rule." The Communications Decency Act of 1996 has been used in federal cases decided since then .

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