Taking up one of the most important First Amendment issues of the day, a Philadelphia judge has ruled that a valid defamation claim trumps any right to speak anonymously on the Internet. The judge ordered the operator of two now-defunct Web sites to turn over the identities of anonymous authors who allegedly defamed a local law firm. In the suit, the firm complains its reputation was disparaged by false accusations that its lawyers were "thieves" who committed fraud and lied to a judge.
January 23, 2006 at 12:00 AM
1 minute read
The original version of this story was published on Law.Com
Ruling on one of the most important First Amendment issues of the day, a Philadelphia judge has ruled that a valid defamation claim trumps any right to speak anonymously on the Internet.
In his 19-page opinion in Klehr Harrison Harvey Branzburg & Ellers v. JPA Development Inc., Common Pleas Judge Albert W. Sheppard Jr. ordered the operator of two now-defunct Web sites to turn over the identities of the anonymous authors of comments on the sites that allegedly defamed a Philadelphia law firm.
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