Thursday, September 13, 2007

Australian case could smother web chat

Must not warn others of problem products and services:

"The founder of one of the nation's most popular online discussion forums says a lawsuit brought by a software company threatens freedom of speech on the net. Whirlpool forums founder Simon Wright, who is being sued by accounting software maker 2Clix Australia for publishing comments the company alleges are "false and malicious", says the legal action affects all online discussion and even film reviews.

"Whirlpool's forum operates on the basis that users post their comments without prior approval. "We treat all complaints about posts seriously."

2Clix Australia is suing Mr Wright for damages after two forum discussions about its products on the Whirlpool site. According to a statement on the site, purportedly from 2Clix, the action was based on comments criticising its software and postings encouraging other Whirlpool members to avoid purchasing their products.

Source

I hope this is the sort of publicity that 2Clix wants. They are clearly not the sharpest knives in the drawer.