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- Newsgroups: comp.org.eff.talk
- Path: sparky!uunet!cs.utexas.edu!wupost!csus.edu!netcom.com!lachman
- From: lachman@netcom.com (Hans Lachman)
- Subject: Re: legal question re anonymity online
- Message-ID: <1993Jan8.084759.15495@netcom.com>
- Organization: Netcom
- References: <C0I1Is.1yz@world.std.com> <1993Jan7.205816.26710@eff.org> <C0IBzw.MH8@world.std.com>
- Date: Fri, 8 Jan 1993 08:47:59 GMT
- Lines: 23
-
- In article <C0IBzw.MH8@world.std.com> mkj@world.std.com (Mahatma Kane-Jeeves) writes:
- >
- >Thank you for your response to my message. I find your answers disturbing.
- >
- >Is this a general principle, or do you feel that BBSs are less liable than
- >other businesses in analogous situations?
-
- If I own an auditorium and you rent it from me, and you give
- a controversial speech, and then someone vandalizes your house,
- it's not my fault. If I own a store, and I allow you to
- post a controversial notice in my shop window, but only under
- the condition that your name appears on the notice, and you
- agree, then it's not my fault if someone vandalizes your
- house. If I own a soap factory, and you get a soap box
- produced by me, and stand on it to deliver your message....
-
- In any case, if someone attacks you because of a controversial
- view, the person who provided you the means to express your
- view does not, and should not, have any liability. It seems
- like common sense to me.
-
- Hans Lachman
- lachman@netcom.com
-