A Lebonese conglomerate with ties to Hezbollah won a judgment in federal court allowing a supoena to ISP Skybeam a host of anonymous postings that the conglomerate claim defamed them. The conglomerate is seeking to identify those responsible for the posts that alleged that to buy from the fashion company owned by the conglomerate provided support for terrorism.
Paul Alan Levy explains that Public Citizen has taken up the appeal in the case out of concern that someone who criticized a fashion company could be identified on the unsworn statement of a company vice-president who said without detail that the postings were false. “Our brief…warns of the danger to free speech and the marketplace of ideas if it is enough for a plaintiff to file a conclusory complaint without evidence of wrongdoing,” said Levy. -db
From a commentary from the Public Citizen , June 2, 2011, by Paul Alan Levy.