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- Date: Sun, 04 Apr 1993 16:35:11 -0500
- From: Charlie.Mingo@P4218.F70.N109.Z1.FIDONET.ORG(Charlie Mingo)
- Subject: File 1--Re: Debating the Virus contest - clarification
-
- >> Surely, Mr. Ludwig would not hold me responsible for the
- destruction
- >> of his home caused by someone who decided to implement the plans
- I
- >> presented purely for "scientific research purposes".
-
- > To date, no case has been carried against a publisher for
- > this kind of material. {Soldier of Fortune} magazine was struck
- > in a case for libel regarding publishing an ad for Murder for
- > Hire services. I am not sure of the status of the case.
-
- It wasn't libel (after all, no one was defamed), but negligence.
- The
- plaintiff argued that the magazine had a duty not to carry
- solicitations for criminal acts. The jury agreed, and found SoF
- liable for a verdict of several million dollars. The award was
- upheld
- on appeal to the US Court of Appeals. The case was ultimately
- settled
- for undisclosed terms.
-
- SoF's defense was that it couldn't be expected to screen every ad
- to
- detect an illegal purpose behind them. However, this particular
- classified ad was so blatant, that it was obvious that a gun was
- being
- offered for hire.
-
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