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Yahoo!, Hate Groups, Censorship and the Internet
Susanna Monseau
published: 2006 | Case Study | Business Ethics
Subject Area: Business Policy/Strategic Management; Business Ethics; International Business
Key Issues: Business Law and International Law; International Management; Censorship; Internet Regulations
Case Description: Nazi memorabilia was available for
sale on Yahoo!’s on-line auction site. A boycott of Yahoo! sites was
organized by French activists. They threatened the company with
litigation in France if the Nazi objects were not removed for the
Yahoo! (U.S.) auction web site. Yahoo!’s in-house attorney suggested
discussions with the activists but this did not prevent the activists
from suing the company in the French courts.
Yahoo! management decided that the company should appear at the French
hearing (although they did not believe that the French court had
jurisdiction over the U.S. web site) to correct misinformation about
the case and the company in the French press. Yahoo! took the stance at
trial that it should not act as a political censor, and it would be
technically impossible to entirely block access to Yahoo! web sites
from France. When the company lost the case in the French court
management had to decide quickly how to react.
# Case Pages: 20
Case Number: 120086-23-4
Teaching Note: Yes
revised May 24/06
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