Flame liability?

[fjbauer@dsavm.e-mail.com]

Frank J. Bauer                                                                  
dassault systemes of America     email:fjbauer@dsavm.e-mail.com                 
Subject: Flame liability?                                                       
>> Does anyone know authoritatively what our legal exposure is to any           
>> flames we post to this list?                                                 
>>                                                                              
>Short answer, based on discussions I've had with an experienced                
>libel/freedom of speech lawyer I've often consulted in my own work: A          
>provider (Prodigy, AOL, and so on) may choose to sanction the offending        
>individual in some manner.  There do not appear to have been any               
>libel/slander/defamation cases per se brought as a result of flaming.          
>Yet.                                                                           

catching up on old digests, sorry if this has been covered already, but...      
AOL or Prodigy (not sure which) was asked to cancel the account of a young      
woman who flamed a (carribean?) scuba outfitter on the provider's scuba         
discussion group.  she claimed illicit drug use and unsafe practices by         
instructors or guides and they claimed she was ruining their business without   
proving her claims.  the provider refused.  not sure on the court decision.     
frank