Think you can say what you want, where you want online? Website operators and forum members may want to think again. The popular online dive hang out, ScubaBoard.com has been slapped with a lawsuit stemming from comments made by its members towards a dive operator in the Maldives. The operator, Maldives Scuba Diving Pvt, Ltd. [...]
Think you can say what you want, where you want online? Website operators and forum members may want to think again. The popular online dive hang out, ScubaBoard.com has been slapped with a lawsuit stemming from comments made by its members towards a dive operator in the Maldives. The operator, Maldives Scuba Diving Pvt, Ltd. is seeking $10,000,000 USD for damages.
In the suit, Maldives Scuba Diving is asking for SubaBoard to turn over the names and information of those who have made defamatory statements about the company. ScubaBoard has refused to hand over this information and so far the community is standing behind the website’s legal action (…or inaction). Members have even banded together to make some generous donations to the ScubaBoard legal defense fund. This case could prove extremely influential for large online communities. Should ScubaBoard lose, the legal liability of operating a community based website will drastically increase. Check out the original court docs here, including Scuba Board’s response.
The suit is extremely relevant to community based websites, whether they’re blogs such as GBD, or forums such as Reef Central. In either case it begs the question–are websites responsible for the comments of its members / readers?
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