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Italy court delays Google criminal defamation trial

By Bernard Hibbitts (editor) and University of Pittsburgh School of Law students.

[JURIST] The Italian trial of four Google, Inc. executives was delayed Tuesday until September 29 because of an ill interpreter. The four executives, product marketing manager Arvind Desikan, former CFO George Reyes, chief legal officer David Drummond, and privacy executive Peter Fleischer, face trial on criminal defamation charges arising out of Google Video content depicting a disabled boy being teased and bullied. The charges, which also include breach of Italy's privacy code, could result in up to three years in prison if convictions are reached. The video, which involves a boy with Down syndrome who was teased by four others, was hosted on the streaming video site for two months in 2006 before being removed. Google is defending itself on the grounds that the video was removed as soon as the company was aware of its presence and that they have fully cooperated with Italian authorities. The prosecutor alleges that the boy's privacy was violated by the company failing to prevent the posting of the video. According to Italian law, Internet content providers are responsible for third-party postings. Google has previously stated that "seeking to hold neutral platforms liable for content posted on them is a direct attack on a free, open Internet."

Full post as published by JURIST - The Paper Chase on June 23, 2009 (boomark / email).