-----Original Message-----
From: Phillip Hallam-Baker [mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED]]
[...]
> And actually, UK libel law extends to any material published in the
> UK, so it would be possible to bring an action in the UK against
> a cypherpunks poster. Not that I would employ such an unfair law.
> Indeed folk can read my recent letter in the Guardian on the topic
> www.guardian.co.uk. Folk can also discover the judge's published
> opinion on the chap who sued me if they grovell round the site.
[...]
> Phill
One interesting factor is the differing standards for
'libel' between the US and UK. (Note: IANAL). In the US,
truth is an absolute defense against libel. In the UK, as
well as many other countries, it is not: it is perfectly
possible to be found guilty of libel, and punished, for
publishing TRUE information about someone which besmirches
their reputation.
I'm also curious as to what constitutes 'published in the
UK'. A mailing list hosted outside the UK would not, IMHO,
constitute 'publication in the UK', regardless if some of
the recipients were reading it there, any more than, say,
a US printed magazine becomes 'published in the UK' if some
of it's subscribers are in that country. Ditto for a web site
hosted outside of the country (though the UK has cracked down
on Brits running overseas porn web sites from Britain).
Peter
