D ecem ber
8 ,
2 0 0 6
Page 3
w a s r e je c te d in H u n tin g d o n L ife S c ie n c e s ,
s u p ra ,1 2 9 C a l.A p p .4 th
a t p a g e
N o v a rtis , s u p ra , 1 4 3 C a l.A p p .4 th a t 1 3 0 1(e m p h a s is
a d d e d ). T h e s o le c ita tio n to
p re c e d e n t is to d ic ta in a fo o tn o te in H u n tin g d o n L ife S c ie n c e s ,In c . v . S to p H u n tin g d o n
A n im a l
C ru e lty
U S A , In c .,
(2 0 0 5 )
1 2 9C a l.A p p .4 th
1 2 2 8 . In th a t c a s eth e c o u rt fo u n d
d e f e n d a n t sh a d " a b a n d o n e d t h e [ S e c t i o n 2 3 0 d e f e n s e ] b y n o t r a i s i n g i t i n t h e i r o p e n i n g
b rie f," a n d th e n n o te d th e la c k o f e v id e n c e .Id . a t 1 2 5 8 n .9 .
r e a d s S e c tio n 2 3 0 a s a p p lic a b le " o n ly "
to in te ra c tiv e c o m p u te r s e rv ic e s ~w h ile
n e ith e r
d is c u s s in g n o r e v e n a c k n o w le d g in g th e s ta tu to ry la n g u a g e a n d p re c e d e n t e s ta b lis h in g th a t
u s e rs a re a ls o p ro te c te d . S e e e .g . B a tz e l v . S m ith ~ (9 th C ir. 2 0 0 3 ) 3 3 3 F .3 d 1 0 1 8 ~ 1 0 3 0 ,
c e rt. d e n ie d , 1 2 4 S .C t. 2 8 1 2 (2 0 0 4 ) (th e "la n g u a g e o f \u00a7 2 3 0 (c )(I)
c o n fe rs im m u n ity
n o t
ju s t o n 'p r o v id e r s ' o f s u c h s e r v ic e s ~b u t a ls o o n 'u s e r s ' o f s u c h s e r v ic e s .~ ~ ) ;
1 0 4 7 (d e fe n d a n t p ro te c te d w h e re it "u s e s in te ra c tiv e c o m p u te r s e rv ic e s to d is trib u te its
o n - lin e m a ilin g
a n d to p o s t th e re p o rts o n its w e b s ite "); B a rre tt v . F o n o ro w ~ (fll. A p p .
"p ro v id e r
o r u s e r").
in d iv id u a ls
w h o m ig h t o th e rw is e n e v e r h a v e th e re s o u rc e s o r a b ility
to s p e a k to a n a tio n a l
o f m illio n s
o f p e o p le to c o m m u n ic a te w ith
o n e a n o th e r a n d to a c c e s s v a s t a m o u n ts o f
o m itte d ).
T h e In te rn e t p ro v id e s "re la tiv e ly
u n lim ite d , lo w - c o s t c a p a c ity fo r
8 5 0 .
in te rp re ta tio n o f S e c tio n 2 3 0 w ill le a d to u n w a rra n te d s e lf-c e n s o rs h ip a n d tim id ity
b y
In te rn e t u s e rs . O th e rw is e , in d iv id u a l In te rn e t u s e rs m ig h t b e c o m e re lu c ta n t to p a s s o n
in fo rm a tio n , a rtic le s , o r th e c o m m e n ts o f o th e rs th a t th e y fin d in te re s tin g o r w o rth y o f
d is c u s s io n o u t o f fe a r th a t th e ir in a b ility
to a s s e s sth e m a te r ia l's a c c u r a c y o r r e lia b ility
w ill p r o v o k e r u in o u s litig a tio n
a g a in s t th e m . S u c h a re s u lt w o u ld b e c o n tra ry to th e w ill
th e p rin c ip le s o f fre e s p e e c h e n s h rin e d in th e C a lifo rn ia
a n d U n ite s S ta te s c o n s titu tio n s .
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