Online Liability Blog™


This blawg covers Web sites, ISPs and other online services; laws that may limit or immunize online conduct; and lawsuits that allege online liability. It also hosts related discussions among technologists, lawyers and others and serves as a portal to resources pertaining to online liability.

Author: Michael Erdman is a partner at Teeple Leonard & Erdman in Chicago. He also writes Real Estate, Real Competition & the Law.

Blawg Related Categories: Internet Law • Legislation & Lobbying • Trials & Litigation • Solo / Small Firm

Recent Posts from Online Liability Blog™


  • What I’ve been up to – AgentsCompared.com

    It’s been awhile since I last posted here, and for good reason. Going back to the summer of 2007 I’ve been developing an idea I’ve had about helping home buyers and sellers make more informed…

  • Bloomberg liable for United Airlines’ stock nosedive?

    Interesting post today on one of Wired’s blogs (links to a recent post at The Volokh Conspiracy) relating to the potential applicability of Section 230 to Bloomberg’s “role” in United’s free fall earlier this week.…

  • Fifth Circuit issues its first Section 230 opinion

    Last month the Fifth Circuit issued its first (to my knowledge) ruling that turned on Section 230. Affirming the lower court in Doe v. MySpace Inc., Circuit Judge Clement, writing on behalf of herself and…

  • RipOffReport.com owner back in court

    I understand that earlier this week Ed Magedson and XCentric Ventures filed suit in an Arizona (Maricopa County) state court against Whitney Information Network and the law firm Rothstein Rosenfeldt Adler P A, as well…

  • YouTube wins on personal jurisdiction, venue arguments in Washington state

    My partner John Leonard, an avid fan of quirky YouTube videos, couldn’t resist penning a summary of this recent decision involving the website. In an unremarkable but informative decision from the Federal Court sitting in…

  • Ninth Circuit: Roommates.com largely unprotected by Section 230

    Earlier today the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit, in Fair Housing Council of San Fernando Valley, et al v. Roommate.com, LLC, issued an en banc ruling that rejects the majority of the…

  • Section 230 does not shield website from state IP claims

    Guest blogger John Leonard is at it again, this time summarizing a recent federal court decision construing Section 230 in the “adult website” context.     An interesting decision came down last week from the United…

  • Victory for ZeroBrokerFees.com in New Hampshire

    Yesterday Magistrate Judge James Muirhead ruled in favor of ZeroBrokerFees.com in the website’s suit challenging the applicability of the New Hampshire Real Estate Practice Act – specifically the licensure requirement – to the operation of…

  • 7th Circuit rules in favor of Craigslist

    Here’s the decision. It looks like my prediction was pretty much on the mark. In an opinion by Judge Easterbrook, the 7th Circuit has affirmed Judge St. Eve’s grant of Craigslist’s motion for judgment on…

  • RipOffReport victorious (again) in Arizona

    Last October I wrote about Global Royalties’ suit against RipOffReport (a website operated by Xcentric Ventures), which was dismissed on Section 230 grounds. The plaintiffs subsequently amended their complaint (still alleging defamation), Xcentric filed a…