Tuesday, March 29, 2005
Formerly Anonymous Internet Libeller Loses Court Case
Posted by Jonathon Watkins in "OFF-TOPIC" @ 06:00 AM
"The ability of users of internet bulletin boards to remain anonymous was placed in serious doubt yesterday after Terry Smith, chief executive of City firm Collins Stewart Tullett, won a landmark libel settlement. Mr Smith and his firm won "substantial" damages from Jeremy Benjamin, a fund manager who posted false allegations on the Motley Fool web site using the invented web name "analyser71". . . Mr Benjamin was traced after Mr Smith's lawyers, the City firm Rosenblatt, won a court order forcing Motley Fool to reveal what details it held on "analyser71", including the identification number of his computer and his email address. . . . As well as undisclosed damages, Mr Benjamin has agreed to pay the claimants' legal costs, which are understood to be three times as much. . . .The Benjamin case is thought to be possibly the first internet-related case in which a defendant has settled publicly after making comments anonymously."
Only forty nine people actually read what Jeremy Benjamin posted, yet it was enough to land him in a whole world of trouble. So, the implication of this case for all for all bulletin board users is; play nicely. (Not that it should be a problem for you guys. ;-))
Only forty nine people actually read what Jeremy Benjamin posted, yet it was enough to land him in a whole world of trouble. So, the implication of this case for all for all bulletin board users is; play nicely. (Not that it should be a problem for you guys. ;-))
