forwardone
09-17-09, 03:29 PM
The Ministry of Justice has announced a review of UK libel laws, proposing to update them and make the laws more relevant to Web publishing.
The laws on defamation date back to the nineteenth century, and were crafted with newspapers in mind. They grant a one year window from the publication date of an article for a libel complaint to be lodged. Outside of this year long period, a case cannot be brought forward – unless the article is republished.
And it’s this multiple publication rule which doesn’t work so well with Web content. Technically, any online article is republished every time it’s browsed to by a member of the public. This means it doesn’t matter how long it has been since the original upload date – an online publisher could face legal action each time an article is clicked upon.
The Ministry of Justice is considering a number of options for reform, one of which is a single publication rule that would allow just one court action against potentially libellous content. This seems like common sense to us, and indeed to civil liberties groups who are vehemently opposed to the current scheme.
“Existing defamation law needs to be updated so it is fit for the modern age, and it is important we listen to views on the best way to achieve this,” commented Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Justice.
techwatch.co.uk
The laws on defamation date back to the nineteenth century, and were crafted with newspapers in mind. They grant a one year window from the publication date of an article for a libel complaint to be lodged. Outside of this year long period, a case cannot be brought forward – unless the article is republished.
And it’s this multiple publication rule which doesn’t work so well with Web content. Technically, any online article is republished every time it’s browsed to by a member of the public. This means it doesn’t matter how long it has been since the original upload date – an online publisher could face legal action each time an article is clicked upon.
The Ministry of Justice is considering a number of options for reform, one of which is a single publication rule that would allow just one court action against potentially libellous content. This seems like common sense to us, and indeed to civil liberties groups who are vehemently opposed to the current scheme.
“Existing defamation law needs to be updated so it is fit for the modern age, and it is important we listen to views on the best way to achieve this,” commented Jack Straw, Secretary of State for Justice.
techwatch.co.uk