Hoben Electronic Publishing Co wishes to take proactive steps to insulate itself from potential liability for any libelous content it might inadvertently publish.It has noticed that Southern Ontario is particularly litigious.Accordingly, it has posted a notice on its website stating that residents of Southern Ontario cannot purchase or download content from the site.These are the only steps taken by the company.Although it had the opportunity to purchase software that would allow it to block access to residents of that region, it has chosen not to do so.Nor has Hoben engaged in further screening at the time of purchase and/or download.Nevertheless, the steps taken by the company are sufficient to avoid liability under the effects-based approach to determining jurisdiction.

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

The steps taken by the company are not sufficient to avoid liability under the effects-based approach. Simply posting a notice on its website is not enough to avoid potential liability for libelous content, and failure to block access to residents of Southern Ontario or engage in further screening could still result in legal action.

Hoben Electronic Publishing Co Wishes to Take Proactive Steps to Insulate