Archived posting to the Leica Users Group, 1999/05/31
[Author Prev] [Author Next] [Thread Prev] [Thread Next] [Author Index] [Topic Index] [Home] [Search]In a message dated 5/31/99 12:02:52 PM Central Daylight Time, mrabiner@concentric.net writes: << Bryan Caldwell wrote: > > As one of the resident attorneys here (ducking . . . <g> ), I need to point > out that the First Amendment doesn't apply to this list. There are many > members who are not contributing from the United States, and, even in the > U.S., the First Amendment protects against government regulation of speech - - > not the negative responses of others. As long as the government is not > regulating the content of the LUG, the First Amendment does not come in to > play. > > Bryan > >snip I was wondering if because of the physical/technical structure of this group: being an Email Reflectorship we would have some more rights than a Newsgroup. A Newsgroup would seem to be a form of broadcasting but we are just a controlled distribution of E Mails. A group of friends sitting around talking; or 777 of them. As there is probably no precedent for trying to prove a libel or some such case against a discussion in a Email list or even a newsgroup that makes it hard to determine. Mark Rabiner >> I am surprised Bryan did not go ahead with his brief that the truth is an absolute defense to libel and slander and there appears to be plenty of proof as illustrated by the latest post which reads: "I bought a new M6 body from Don Chatterton a few weeks ago. As I was about to go on a trip to London I just left it alone until I got back. I did not want to use a new camera on my vacation and my existing M6 was a proven entity. Once back I opened this new M6 and went to attach a lens, it would not go on, tried 5 lenses and none would lock on. Called Don and he was gracious enough to exchange it. It still cost 65.00 to ship it back to him (Mail Boxes Etc.). This is rather a glaring defect not something buried deep within the camera. Stuff happens and all that but for an 1800.00 camera body to be unusable right out of the box is very disappointing Maybe that guy that screwed up the pressure plates got promoted to final inspection." There is no shortage of these personal testimonials to make the discussion interesting.