Location, location, location

Eric J Sinrod explains for CNET News.com why even in internet litigation it is all about location:

The Web site DontDateHimGirl.com allows women to make anonymous postings about specific men.

So it was that a

defamation lawsuit got filed

with respect to statements made on the site about one particular man. But the case was just dismissed for failure of personal jurisdiction, offering a signal lesson in why the details of the law matter ...

The court recognized that the DontDateHimGirl.com Web site, like other sites, is accessible to anyone connected to the Internet anywhere in the world. The court rejected the notion that a defendant can be hauled into court in any state for any controversy, regardless of contacts with that particular state. This would violate principles of due process, according to the court.

This reasoning makes abundant sense. It also should provide comfort to companies and individuals. They only need answer to legal allegations in states where they have sufficiently substantial contacts to justify further legal proceedings.

Read more here.