Are Bloggers Liable for Anonymous Posts?

No, we're not. Not under US law, anyway. In DiMeo v Max, US District Judge Stewart Dalzell sided with bloggers and free speech in deciding that a self-described "asshole" called Tucker Max should not be liable for the content of anonymous posts to his blog www.tuckermax.com, however "coarse" or libelous they may be. By coarse, I think the judge means filthy, perverted, crass, etc, which seems to be Tucker's thing.

The posts in question slagged off at Anthony DiMeo III because the booze ran out at a $100-a-pop New Year's Eve party he put on at Philadelphia's Le Jardin (which, incidentally, seems to have a very nice brunch menu, including truffled eggs benedict).

This decision doesn't protect those of us who might occasionally be tempted to slag off at someone on our own blogs. But if we happen to drop an anonymous comment on someone else's blog... well, it's not their fault.