NEWSPAPER NOT ON THE HOOK FOR LINKING TO ARTICLE ON WEBSITE

In today's world the Internet is replete with republication of other articles . This is especially true when it comes to blogs and other social media. In this regard ,The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit has held that a link on a newspaper website that leads readers to other stories is not republication of the earlier material, so its inclusion doesn't allow for a new defamation claim. The decision in In re Philadelphia Newspapers marks the first time the court has addressed whether or not the traditional single-publication rule and the doctrine of republication apply to material published online under Pennsylvania's defamation statute. Circuit Judge Thomas Ambro leaned on the reasoning of other courts in finding that “there is 'no rational basis upon which to distinguish publication of a book or report through traditional printed media and publication through electronic means.'”

 

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