Linking to libel is not libel, according to a recent ruling from the Canadian Supreme Court. Boing Boing reports:
The Canadian Supreme Court has unanimously ruled that linking does not constitute libel, arguing that subjecting linkers to the same libel risks as publishers would cause the Web to collapse. This reverses earlier, free-speech-chilling decisions by lower Canadian courts and is a watershed for Internet freedom in Canada.
BBC News reports:
“The court recognises that simply posting a link to material that may be libellous is a far cry from publishing or repeating the libel, let alone endorsing what has been said in the linked post,” Dean Jobb, a journalism professor at University of King’s College told Canada’s Globe and Mail newspaper.
— BBC News
Libel is the communication of a statement that makes a claim, expressly stated or implied to be factual, that may give a negative image. See Defamation.
