[WikiEN-l] Libel law

Thu Dec 8 13:26:54 UTC 2005

Ray Saintonge wrote:
> Steve Block wrote:
> 
>> geni wrote:
>>
>>> On 12/7/05, Steve Block <steve.block at myrealbox.com> wrote:
>>>
>>>> Is there any thoughts on private individuals?  Are we open to libel
>>>> suits if we edit a page containing a libellous statement and fail to
>>>> remove it completely from the edit history?
>>>
>>>
>>> I don't think there are any legal presidents in that area.
>>
>>
>> No, but it would be nice to hear people's opinions, and also nice to 
>> hear if any legal opinion had been given to Wikipedia regarding this. 
>> Look at it this way:
>>
>> * Newspaper editors are often named in suits, at least within the UK.
>> * The reason they are named is that they authorise content which is 
>> published.
>> * By saving a page, I am creating an edition which is published.
>> * I am called an editor.
>>
>> Also note the [[McLibel case]].
>>
>> Those sued did not make the statements, they simply distributed them.
>>
>> I would think a lawyer will make a good argument that it is possible 
>> we can be named in a suit if we have edited a page containing a 
>> libellous statement and failed to remove it.
> 
> 
> Your hypotheseis leads to an absurd result.  If I edit this page 
> containing an alleged libel for matters unrelated to that statement how 
> am I supposed to know what is libellous in that article?  By your line 
> of reasoning, if I want to be safe I might as well delete the entire 
> article.  Your reading would make busibodies of us all.

Picking up on this again, are you refuting [[Wikipedia:Verifiability]]
as policy?  We are already supposed to delete information that isn't
verified.  Isn't there an RFC regarding someone who added unverified
information all over Wikipedia that wasn't removed.  The sooner editors
start realising that actually, yes, they do have a duty to remove
material they do not believe is verified, the better Wikipedia will become.

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