Guardian Unlimited published an interesting article today about defamation law catching up with the world of blogs. In a recent case involving Sheffield Wednesday Football Club, a court has ruled that the owners of a website must volunteer the names of people who posted defamatory comments.
The website in question is owlstalk.co.uk. A small number of fans posted personal and defamatory comments about the people that run the club. The posts were attributed to nicknames such as “halfpint,” which are commonly used on the internet.
The point I am belatedly coming to is, “so what.” Anyone who is remotely familiar with libel law, from A Level students to QCs, can hardly be surprised by the news. The standard test in court is based upon the following;
1. Is the comment defamatory
2. Is the subject of the statement identified
3. Has the statement been published
The Sheffield Wednesday example ticks all the above boxes, making it an open and shut case. Now boorish football fans will be subject to the same discipline that constrains professional journalists working in the public interest. Perhaps good libel lawyers will do what others have failed to do and finally clean up the internet.
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