http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/conte...7093001648.html
In it, Harvard law professor (and Executive Director of the Berkman Center that handed Jimbo Wales a puffed-up a Berkman "fellowship") John Palfrey is quoted:
QUOTE
John Palfrey, a professor at Harvard Law School who specializes in Internet issues, said it's "pretty clear" under U.S. law that companies such as YouTube do not bear liability for items third parties post.
But, he said: "As more and more important information goes online, and the impact of posting it there continues to grow, some people are starting to question whether we have the right policy."
...
What YouTube should have done differently is being debated.
The company does appear to have removed the video from the site, though it is not clear how it became aware of the offending spot. The YouTube representative declined to say how many company reviewers it employs or whether any speak Arabic.
The vastness of the YouTube audience means that there are lots of people who could have alerted the company about inappropriate videos, Palfrey noted.
But the number of postings also makes it nearly impossible for the company to check every video before it appears, he said.
But, he said: "As more and more important information goes online, and the impact of posting it there continues to grow, some people are starting to question whether we have the right policy."
...
What YouTube should have done differently is being debated.
The company does appear to have removed the video from the site, though it is not clear how it became aware of the offending spot. The YouTube representative declined to say how many company reviewers it employs or whether any speak Arabic.
The vastness of the YouTube audience means that there are lots of people who could have alerted the company about inappropriate videos, Palfrey noted.
But the number of postings also makes it nearly impossible for the company to check every video before it appears, he said.
Implications for Wikipedia, folks. Implications.
Greg
