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Anonymity of Internet Comments Ends Nick Farrell A HIGH Court has ordered an a website to hand over the details of Sheffield Wednesday fans who posted anonymously slagging off the club's top brass. According to the Guardian, the chairman, chief executive and five directors of the club won a high-court ruling forcing the owner of owlstalk.co.uk to reveal the identities of the fans so they could be sued for libel. The club's Libel lawyers claimed that 11 fans made serious allegations against the club's chairman, Dave Allen, and directors and shareholders.
Judge Richard Parkes QC, refused to order disclosure of all the fans because the the postings were merely "abusive" or likely to be understood as jokes. However three of them had crossed the line by accusing the club's top brass of "greed, selfishness, untrustworthiness and dishonest behaviour". Parkes said that their right to maintain their anonymity and express themselves freely was outweighed by the directors' entitlement to take action to protect their reputation. More here.
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