Originally Posted by
dahamsta
Unfortunately, I know far more about the law as it applies to web discussion forums than I ever wanted to learn. The first thing I learned is that they have very little to do with traditional libel law. Foot.ie isn't "the media", it's a discussion site where regular people state their opinions, and as such we had to transfer responsibility for those statements onto their original posters via our terms and conditions to protect ourselves legally. The critical point here is that unlike "the media" we're not a publisher, we're simply an aggregator of statement and opinion. Here's your statement:
What's happened here is that you've stated this as fact, and if the aforementioned "grown man" - obviously referring to Keane - actually does go to court and is declared innocent, you will have libelled him. In which case, he may well wish to sue you for damages. If that happens, the first place his lawyers will come is here, looking for your identity. Which I won't give them without a writ, but I'd be very surprised if they wouldn't get one, at which point I'll hand the details over sharpish, no bother at all. Foot.ie is non-for-profit remember; we don't have any money.
Perhaps you're right, perhaps a judge would take the sarcastic nature of your post into account (personally I didn't pick up on any sarcasm, it looks to me like a statement of fact) but would he award you costs? I doubt it. In which case you'd be out of pocket, perhaps seriously so (Keane is a wealthy man remember, he can afford to drag cases out with discovery and legal research).
I post all this because, in a rather hypocritical fashion, you yourself have been condescending right back at me, which demonstrates that you haven't really thought about this very carefully (imho). If you had, you would have realised that all I was trying to do was protect my users by instilling a little common sense when it comes to posting statements here.
Believe me, I've been threatened with legal action for far less than your statement, and I'm pretty sure my knowledge of the law in this area has saved a few of my users a pretty penny, from far less angst-ridden people than Keane.
So do me a favour, drop the attitude, eh? It's always wise to remember that web forums are traditionally benevolent dictatorships. And even benevolent dictators get ticked off with being talked down to by the proletariat occasionally, and go on a deletion spree.
adam
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