The firm brought the test case over an order by a French court that they should remove Nazi memorabilia from their US site because Web users in France could access it. Yahoo had voluntarily removed the material but challenged the order on principle.
The US judge ruled that the French court had no authority to restrict the content – effectively ruling that Internet content is ruled by the laws of the state from which it is broadcast rather than the individual laws of every country where it can be seen. To accede to the wishes of the French courts would be to violate the American Constitution’s First Amendment on free speech, the judge ruled.
Yahoo case sets legal precedent over Internet
YAHOO have succeeded in their court bid to deny French government jurisdiction over the firm’s activities outside France.
