View source for Barrett v. Rosenthal

== Barrett v. Rosenthal ==

'''Barrett v. Rosenthal''' (pronunciation: /ˈbærɪt v. rɒzɛnθɔːl/) is a landmark case in the field of [[Internet law]] and [[defamation]] that took place in the [[United States]]. The case is named after the two parties involved: [[Stephen Barrett]], a medical doctor, and [[Ilena Rosenthal]], an internet activist.

=== Etymology ===

The case is named after the two parties involved. The name "Barrett" is of Old English origin, meaning "dispute" or "argument", while "Rosenthal" is of German origin, meaning "rose valley".

=== Background ===

In this case, Stephen Barrett, a medical doctor and the operator of a website called [[Quackwatch]], sued Ilena Rosenthal, an internet activist, for defamation. Rosenthal had republished a controversial post about Barrett on her website, which Barrett claimed was defamatory.

=== Ruling ===

The [[California Supreme Court]] ruled in favor of Rosenthal, stating that internet users who republish defamatory statements cannot be held liable for defamation. This ruling was based on the [[Communications Decency Act]] of 1996, which provides immunity to internet service providers and users from being treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

=== Related Terms ===

* [[Defamation]]: The act of making false statements about a person which can harm their reputation.
* [[Internet law]]: The area of law that deals with legal issues related to the use of the internet.
* [[Communications Decency Act]]: A law passed by the U.S. Congress in 1996 that provides immunity to internet service providers and users from being treated as the publisher or speaker of any information provided by another information content provider.

[[Category:Internet law]]
[[Category:Defamation]]
[[Category:Legal cases]]

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