[Infowarrior] - Kazaa sues p2pnet for libel

[Richard Forno]

p2pnet.net Sued for Libel
May 15, 2006
Thomas Mennecke
http://www.slyck.com/news.php?story=1186

After its launch in July of 2002, p2pnet.net quickly became an important
source of information for many members of the file-sharing and P2P
community. Jon Newton, Editor, owner and lead writer of p2pnet.net, created
a niche in the file-sharing world known for its considerably pro-P2P stance
and condemnation of the entertainment industry.

By November 2004, p2pnet.net was a highly ranked alternative file-sharing
news site. Second only to then news prolific P2Pforums.com, p2pnet.net was
considered a must visit site by tens of thousands of visitors per day. Jon
Newton distinguished himself as a hard worker, often producing on the
upwards of eight articles per day.

Today however marks a turning point in p2pnet.net¹s history, as Jon Newton
announced he is being sued for libel.

³I'm being sued for libel and consequently, there'll be no postings for a
few days while I try to get the situation sorted out.

³As I've posted a number of times, p2pnet is a non-entrepreneurial,
not-for-profit site based in Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. It
started out as a personal page and although the ads now pay my way and
support the site, they do so only with the barest of margins and I'm not
living in the lap of luxury, or even able to put anything in the bank. I say
this not because I want anyone to feel sorry for me. p2pnet is a commitment
and I'm tremendously proud to have been able to stand up strongly for
principles I, and others, believe in.²

Canadian libel law is more similar to English law, which gives more leverage
to plaintiffs than defendants in such cases. While in the United States
three very difficult standards need to be met in order to successfully
prosecute someone for libel, the Canadian law states, ³Defamatory words in a
newspaper or in a broadcast shall be deemed to be published and to
constitute libel.² In other words, if an individual publishes a narrative
that damages the reputation of an individual or entity, he or she could
potentially be sued.

The exact details of this case are currently unknown. According to
p2pnet.net¹s staff, Editor Jon Newton is under a self-imposed gag order and
has provided no additional information.

Update: Jon Newton has stated he is being sued not for something he wrote,
rather for being a publisher.

Update: The British Columbia Court of Appeals has additional information on
p2pnet.net's libel suit. By clicking "Court Services", choosing a "Civil
Search", and entering "Jon Newton" as a search string, the parties of this
case are revealed. The plaintiffs are none other than Sharman Networks and
Nikki Hemming; while Jon Newton, two "Jon Does", Jane and John Roe, and
Interserver, Inc. are the defendants.

Although few details exist, it is worthy to note that both p2pnet articles
that deal with Nikki Hemming have been deleted.