Does anyone know the outcome of the lawsuit against ScubaBoard?

[Aqua-Andy]

I was just wondering, I have not heard anything about it. Can it even be discussed here? Were any of the members that posted in the thread actually prosecuted?

 

[Scott L]

I was just wondering, I have not heard anything about it. Can it even be discussed here? Were any of the members that posted in the thread actually prosecuted?

It was never a criminal issue whatsoever. Merely, a civil action. Whether or not any member's personal liability coverage triggered in any regard would be a decent question...

 

[Wookie]

But if it did, don't you think that there might be a gag agreement?

 

[Tigerman]

What Ive been able to get of information is that the parties involved are not allowed to discuss the specifics, but obviously as scubaboard is still here they never got their millions from SB or anywhere near those millions..

Also given that were still allowed to discuss incidents beyond diver errors would indicate to me that the outcome was fairly good for SB or any dive op misconduct discussion would probably be no-go land if the board got burned by that part of it.
Wether any of the does had to be outed and held accountable, I would not know anything about as I dont know who most of them where..

 

[Lopez116]

I don't rep SB and have nothing to do with this case. But, from what I understand, the case was settled and the specifics are confidential. Based on my experience, Scubaboard should have been fine. I rep a couple websites that have been sued for comments made on those sites by users.

Section 230 of the Communications Decency Act gives immunity to forums like SB that merely provide a platform for others to post on. The forums are not treated as the "speakers" and cannot be sued for the content posted by third parties. The people who posted (if they said anything actionable and if their identities are known) could be held liable, but SB should have been 100% covered.

IMO SB and sites like it are incredibly valuable to our exchange of ideas, learning, and growth as divers (or any other topic) and rightly deserve this statutory protection. Although we may not always like what someone says, we have to like that they're allowed to say it.

 

[nolatom]

But if it did, don't you think that there might be a gag agreement?

Frank, you're way too candid for prime-time. We lawyerdudes(and dudettes) prefer "confidentiality agreement". It sounds so much nicer, even if slightly less accurate than what you said ;-)

 

[ronscuba]

Frank, you're way too candid for prime-time. We lawyerdudes(and dudettes) prefer "confidentiality agreement". It sounds so much nicer, even if slightly less accurate than what you said ;-)

Ah lawyers. lawyerdudes and dudettes. Yes, sounds so much nicer than other words people use. Accuracy of those words are debatable.

 

[JillianRichie]

Yeah, if were to answer the question asked in the title of this thread from a respectable position, I would like to sum up the answer in one word and that is "BAD".

 

[SC_Hoaty]

Yeah, if were to answer the question asked in the title of this thread from a respectable position, I would like to sum up the answer in one word and that is "BAD".

Welcome to ScubaBoard, and congratulations on your first post!

 

[theduckguru]

Oh, so it would be a gag agreement rather than an order. The information I could never find was the resolution of criminal charges in Maldives.