Hello All,
As a open and unmoderated forum we assume no editorial responsibility for the content found on this forum. That being said. we still receive many threats of legal action for statements that are made on this forum. While everyone is entitled to their own opinion it is important to avoid libelous statements.
Please review the FFF terms of service at
http://www.fundamentalforums.com/tos.php
Please keep in mind if a subpoena is issued for your identifying information we will in most cases upon legal consult comply with the subpoena.
However, you can avoid making statements of libel if you clearly state that what you are saying is your opinion. So if I believe someone is a liar, you should say, "In my opinion the webmaster is a liar". Not "The webmaster is a liar". The first statement is your opinion and not libelous, the second statement can be construed as libel. However, please seek the advice of a lawyer if you have questions about your posting content. We are not lawyers.
At our discretion we may remove posts that perceive to be libelous.
For the reference of those who are threatning to sue us:
Taken from
http://www.chillingeffects.org/johndoe/faq.cgi#QID314
Question: Can an ISP or the host of the message board or chat room be held liable for
defamatory of libelous statements made by others on
the message board?
Answer:
No. Under 47 U.S.C. sec. 230(c)(1): "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." This provision has been uniformly interpreted by the Courts to provide complete protection against defamation or libel claims made against an ISP, message board or chat room where the statements are made by third parties. Note that this immunity does not extend to claims made under intellectual property laws.
Question: Can my ISP or the host of a message board be held liable for defamatory statements I make on the grounds that they are a "publisher" or "republisher" of the information?
Answer:
No. Federal law provides: "No provider or user of an interactive computer service shall be treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider." This has been interpreted to protect hosts of discussions between other people against defamation and libel claims as a "republisher" of the information. Note that this protection does not extend to claims under intellectual property laws.
Question: Must an ISP or message board host delete postings that someone tells him/her are defamatory? Can the ISP or message board delete postings in response to a request from a third party?
Answer:
47 U.S.C. sec. 230 gives most ISPs and message board hosts the discretion to keep postings or delete them, whichever they prefer, in response to claims by others that a posting is defamatory or libelous. Most ISPs and message board hosts also post terms of service that give them the right to delete or not delete messages as they see fit and such terms have generally been held to be enforceable under law.
If you file lawsuit against us, we will file for recovery of our legal fees on the basis of your filing being frivolous...
If you have any questions please ask.
Please review the FFF terms of service at
http://www.fundamentalforums.com/tos.php
Andrew
Webmaster
