Media Watchdog Protests Defamation Verdict

An Italian court found Roberto Mancini, a blogger, guilty of publishing defamatory statements on his blog. Mancini was required to pay damages based on statements made on the site that were sarcastic and crude, and in the words of the judge, “best suited for a brothel”. The case was brought before a criminal court, which in addition to awarding damages to the complainants, ordered Mancini to pay a fine and court costs.

Reporters Without Borders (RWB), a Paris based media watchdog, has condemned this finding, and issued a statement to the effect that Mancini was being punished for his bad language and not because he posted false information. RWB found this to be unacceptable. RWB also took issue with the fact that Mancini was being held liable for comments that visitors to his website had posted, which apparently runs counter to European jurisprudence.

The implication is that a blog operator may be potentially liable for that which he or she had not posted. This potential legal exposure could have a chilling effect on bloggers. The verdict requires a manager of a blog to control everything posted and maintains that a blogger has a duty to remove any messages which are offensive.

Mancini’s lawyer has advised that he intends to appeal the verdict.

For additional information, visit:

http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/75183/

For Mancini’s blog, visit:

http://www.ilbolscevicostanco.blogspot.com

Volume IV

Media Watchdog Protests Defamation Verdict