Re: UKNM: Legal Responsibility of Content

[Sam Michel]

At 15:28 22/09/98 +0100, Ian Betteridge wrote:

>>The last legal action I recall on this subject did suggest something along

>>these lines although I don't know whether it would stand up now. The

>>alternative scenario, which I may well have to now put in place is for each

>>person signing up to the list to be sent terms and conditions for use of

>>the list with a much more tightly defined list policy. I've seen this done

>>on a couple of American lists, but only a couple.

>

>I can't see this kind of agreement having any kind of force in UK law.

>Suppose, for example, that a paper publisher was to include, as part of its

>commissions, a clause that stated that the writer was responsible for any

>potential libel... it wouldn't wash.


You could well be right. I'm no legal-eagle, perhaps someone could

enlighten us on what would happen if a guest on a TV/radio talk show

slandered or libeled a 3rd party. Would the broadcaster be liable, or the

guest, or both?


I'm not sure a mailing list could constitute a publication as such, in fact

legal-wise I personally think it would be wrong to consider it a

publication. New media semantics...great! I suspect at some point there

will be some sort of legal precedent set...gulp! Financially speaking, I

suspect it's a bit of a red herring anyway!



Toodle Pip


Sam

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