Posted by crushedout on August 3, 2005, at 14:56:47
In reply to Re: clarification » crushedout, posted by NikkiT2 on August 3, 2005, at 14:43:57
i'm glad you're finding it interesting. I am, too, surprisingly.I do think that it's possible for anything on the internet to be the subject of a lawsuit under virtually any country's laws, because the internet is everywhere. The problem is often one of jurisdiction. So, for example, now that there's internet gambling, and gambling is illegal in most u.s. states, sites that offer gambling to people in the U.S. are violating U.S. law. However, because these sites are operating in Gibraltar or Bermuda or wherever, the U.S. government can't actually prosecute them because it doesn't have jurisdiction.
My point is just that you can violate U.S. law and U.S. law can technically apply to you, but the U.S. just may not be able to come after you for it because of international law that doesn't allow it to go to certain places like Gibraltar and throw people in jail. There are all kinds of exceptions to this though. And I think if an online gambling site operates in London, for example, the U.S. could come after them. But not Gibraltar. I honestly am not sure why. Some quirk of international law?
So if you defame someone in London on a U.S. site, can that person sue you in a U.S. court? Maybe. Can they force you to show up? Probably not. If you don't show up and you lose through a default judgement, will you owe them money? Yes. Can they make you pay it? I imagine it would be hard since O.J. Simpson didn't have to pay his California wrongful death judgement just by moving to Florida (where they have some jurisdictional loophole.)
As for your other question ... good god, i have no idea what your other question was. will somebody please make me shut up?
poster:crushedout
thread:531449
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/admin/20050728/msgs/537130.html