Netflix is to face a defamation claim from chess grandmaster Nona Gaprindashvili for a false statement made in the fictional series The Queen’s Gambit, which stated that Gaprindashvili “never faced men.” The Georgian chess player said that this has “tarnished (her) personal and professional reputation” in the eyes of millions of viewers worldwide. In refusing Netflix’s application to have the case thrown out, a Californian Central District Court judge said that there was no evidence of “precluding defamation claims for the portrayal of real persons in otherwise fictional works.” The BBC, Daily Mail and Chess.com have covered the ruling. Continue reading
The International Forum for Responsible Media Blog
Month: January 2022 (Page 1 of 3)
Columbia Global Freedom of Expression seeks to contribute to the development of an integrated and progressive jurisprudence and understanding on freedom of expression and information around the world. It maintains an extensive database of international case law. This is its newsletter dealing with recent developments in the field. Continue reading
Can you believe Makayla was dropped from Bama Rush? Do you think Couch Guy was cheating? Did you see Gabby Petito’s last post before she went missing? If you don’t spend much time online, you may not recognize these names. But on TikTok, their stories became sensationalized, memeified, hashtagged and rehashed. Continue reading
Freedom of speech is quite the enigma. Just ask Laura Murray. When Rachel Riley retweeted, with embellishments, Owen Jones’s comment that if you don’t want to be pelted with eggs, you shouldn’t be a Nazi, moments after Corbyn had himself been pelted, his stakeholder manager lambasted Riley. Not unreasonably, Murray took Riley to be both condoning violence toward politicians and to be labelling Corbyn a Nazi. Continue reading
The proposed two-year freeze in the TV licence fee has prompted a lively debate about BBC funding. The move puts huge pressure on the Corporation’s finances, which have taken an estimated 30% real-term cut since 2010. The National Audit Office suggested in its December 2021 report that further budget reductions may lead to more repeats and fewer original high-end programmes. Continue reading
The case of Banks v Cadwalladr concluded before Steyn J in the Royal Courts of Justice this week, with Cadwalladr arguing that her belief that the “covert relationship” between Banks and the Russian government was reasonable; the defence of public interest applies. She argued the meaning that the court ascribed to the words complained of (that Banks had received Russian money, or lied about receiving Russian money) was not what she intended. Rather, she only meant to imply about the extent of his contacts with Russia. Judgement is reserved. Inforrm published an article on the closing submissions here. Continue reading
Columbia Global Freedom of Expression seeks to contribute to the development of an integrated and progressive jurisprudence and understanding on freedom of expression and information around the world. It maintains an extensive database of international case law. This is its newsletter dealing with recent developments in the field. Continue reading
Yesterday was the final day of the high profile libel trial in which Brexit supporting millionaire Arron Banks is suing investigative journalist Carole Cadwalladr for a libel arising out of a 2018 Ted Talk. The case of Banks v Cadwalladr has been heard over 5 days in Court 13 at the Royal Courts of Justice by Mrs Justice Steyn. Continue reading
The UK Information Commissioner Office (ICO) has launched a major consultation on three draft documents related to its regulatory approach: an overarching Regulatory Action Policy, Statutory Guidance on Data Protection Act 2018 Action and Statutory Guidance related to its Privacy and Electronic Communication Regulations (PECR) Powers. These documents would replace the ICO’s Regulatory Action Policy produced in 2018 which sat under its 2017-2021 Strategic Plan (but has yet to be updated). Continue reading
When a cheap Hermès or Gucci handbag shows up on a street corner table or an online marketplace, we all know the drill. What’s on offer is almost always an illegal counterfeit; the sellers can be sued or even arrested; and the consumer knows it’s a fake (or at best, stolen). Continue reading
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