B.C. court rules mere linking not republication

In an important win for free speech online, a B.C. court has ruled that merely linking to defamatory content on another website does not create liability, as long as the hyperlink is not made in a context that endorses the defamatory material.  The judge stated "although a hyperlink provides immediate access to material published on another website, this does not amount to republication of the content on the originating site.  This is especially so as a reader may or may not follow the hyperlinks provided."