Court ruling puts Internet on notice:

An Australian judge yesterday threw out arguments by high-flying

London barrister Geoffrey Robertson in a decision with major

implications for publishing on the Internet.

Justice John Hedigan ruled businessman Joe Gutnick can sue US

publishing giant Dow Jones for defamation in Victoria over

money-laundering allegations.

Justice Hedigan threw out a claim that because the allegations were

published by Dow Jones on the Internet, Gutnick’s lawsuit should be

heard in the US. He ruled defamation takes place on the Internet

when a person “downloads” the offending words on their computer,

not when they are “uploaded” on the other side of the world. news.com.au