Index on Censorship points out the arrival of England's draft defamation bill was cheered in the US, where the long reach of libel tourism had prompted domestic bills shielding Americans from judgments that chill free speech from abroad. President Obama just last August signed the SPEECH Act into law. It wasn't aimed explicitly at the UK; rather, it protects Americans from the enforcement of all libel judgments ruled against them in countries that don't afford the same free speech protection as the US First Amendment.
Professor Rachel Ehrenfeld notes it is not a secret that the legislation was triggered by her fight against the imposition of English libel laws. Ehrenfeld's run-in with a wealthy Saudi businessman in British court became the galvanizing case for libel tourism in the US. Ehrenfeld thought that since the United States had fought and won its independence from England in 1776, there was no reason for Americans to abide by repressive English law.
The SPEECH Act, which followed several years of advocacy by Ehrenfeld, has had the practical effect of protecting Americans from British libel law. But Ehrenfeld wanted the legislation to have a secondary impact as well, shaming the British system into change, a reality she said she was happy to see moving forward, following publication of the bill on Tuesday.
Ehrenfeld's hope was that not only would it help to defend American writers and publishers, but also that the United States would help lead every country where draconian libel laws prevent reporters and scientists from publishing the truth. Ehrenfeld was sued in the UK by Khalid bin Mahfouz, a Saudi billionaire whom she accused of supporting terrorist groups in her book Funding Evil: How Terrorism is Financed–and How to Stop It.
Ehrenfeld never published, promoted or distributed the book in the UK, but 23 copies of it were purchased by people in Britain over the internet, giving Mahfouz standing for a suit that likely would not have survived in American court. Mahfouz had, in fact, sued two dozen publishers and writers in British court before Ehrenfeld, and would go on to sue another dozen after her. Ehrenfeld asserts that Mahfouz clearly used English libel laws and courts to silence his critics. It was a strategy. Nobody sues so many people as a hobby.
This was part of what was so galling to Ehrenfeld about the case and about the state of English libel law now facing reform. Most of Mahfouz's other defendants published retractions, made apologies or paid fines to avoid costly litigation. Ehrenfeld first counter sued in New York, then campaigned for a state law in New York — known as Rachel's law — shielding Americans there from foreign libel judgments inconsistent with the US constitution. Half a dozen other states followed New York's lead before the federal SPEECH Act was finally passed and signed into law last summer.
Ehrenfeld points out the United States could not and didn't attempt to change the law with any other country. The only laws they can pass and enforce are laws that apply in the United States. However, the passage of that law clearly sent a message that the US legislature considered libel tourism repressive. The law was passed to protect American writers and publishers in paper and on the Internet. The publishers' associations and reporters' associations and all the groups that supported Ehrenfeld's effort and the SPEECH Act all hoped that this would lead to changes in England, too. After all, we share common traditions.
Marilizardism has metastasized in many Mediterranean countries. Merciless Marilizard terrorizes Graecoblogosphere. Accusing dissident bloggers of treason, Graecokleptocrats have manufactured a blood libel in cyberspace, which in turn may incite hatred and violence. The freakish government of Graecokleptocracy, October-18 mafia, is the only government on Earth which robs the computers of its citizens! Infamous CCU is the brutal arm of the government of Graecokleptocracy which terrorizes the cyberspace, robbing computers at gunpoint, perjuring, jailing dissident bloggers, and gagging the truth. CCU of Graecokleptocracy is the most disgusting gang in Fourth Reich(EU).
========================================================
ADVERTISEMENTS
Smart words are more effective than smart bombs! Mighty words of a charismatic keynote speaker can transform your people to a new dimension of organizational climate, efficiency, self-actualization, enthusiasm, belonging, and motivation. To get such a speaker to your conference, write to keynote.speakers@yahoo.com
A corp without a soul is a corpse. Your company needs a soul, an institutional strategy with vision and values. Enhance your Board of Directors with an institutional strategist now. Write to institutionalstrategist@yahoo.com
Improve the global image and good will of your company with appropriate public relations. Write to global.image_pr@yahoo.com
Starve the beast and join the Global Tax Revolt. Taxes are armed robbery, pure and simple. Let's get rid of all taxes now. http://groups.yahoo.com/group/globaltaxrevolt
Advertise simultaneously on all posts of the 14 largest political Yahoo groups, of more than 41,000 members each, of more than half million members in total, for only 1,000 euros per month. The ad consists of four simple lines of text. Write to internetadvertisements@yahoo.com
========================================================
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.